CAROLINIAN ORAL HISTORY CD6

This tape contains 7 songs or chants. The speaker is Ineniugman, a woman from
Satawal island who is estimated to be between 65 and 70 years old in 1988. Songs or chants on this tape are about men who are canoe navigators or master canoe builders or those who are recognized as both. In the transcription there are several words or passages where the recording was unclear or the words themselves clear but unknown. These are underlined. In each song the speaker has included a short explanation after almost every phrase. In the transcribed text this is included beneath the phrase and set off by parentheses ().

Song number 1 is about Wolofag, a navigator from Woleai. It tells about his exploits on a trip from Woleai to Ulithi and on to Yap. It is sung in the Woleaian dialect of
Carolinian, although the comments of the speaker are in the Satawal dialect. Song
number 2 is about the master canoe builder Erhomwtaw from Satawal. As with number 1, it recounts the exploits of someone who lived long ago.

Song number 3 is about a man from Satawal, Iuwoapwoineo of the “Neear” clan who
was both master canoe builder and navigator. His father was from Woleai, his mother from Satawal. Song number 4 is about two men still living on Satawal, Ikengun and Epeimwai. Both are master canoe builders and navigators.

Song number 5 is about Noamwonur, a master canoe builder and navigator from
Satawal who died in the late 1970’s. This particular song is about his prowess as a
master canoe builder. The following song, number 6 is also about Noamwonur, but
about his abilities as a navigator.

The final song, number 7, is about a navigator from Puluwat who is not named.

Angelina Nesepailug McCoy
Mike A. McCoy
September, 1988