Note 14 — Chapter III · RELIGIOUS AND MAGICAL BELIEFS

Mr Man says that Puluga “is angered by the commission of certain sins.” In this connection it is necessary to refer to another passage in Mr Man’s work. “That they are not entirely devoid of moral consciousness may, I think, in some measure, be demonstrated by the fact of their possessing a word, yub-da, signifying sin or wrong-doing, which is used in connection with falsehood, theft, grave assault, murder, adultery, and—burning wax (!), which deeds are believed to anger Puluga-la, the Creator14.” Although I made very careful and repeated enquiries, I was unable to meet with a single native who believed that such actions as the murder of one man by another, or adultery, aroused the anger of Puluga. The only actions at which Puluga is angry are those purely ritual offences, such as burning or melting wax, killing a cicada, digging up yams, etc., which have already been mentioned.