Part 10 - Celebes

Throughout Celebes the custom plays a very important part in the social life of the inhabitants. Many accounts could be quoted, but it will suffice to quote from that given by Hickson,^[1] who deals almost exclusively with Minahassa, the most northerly province of the island:

“The areca-nut^[2] plays an important part in courtship in Minahassa, as it does all over the Archipelago.

“When the young Minahassa falls in love with a young woman he sends her a prepared areca-nut. If she accepts it, it is taken as a sign of encouragement, and the young man sends an emissary asking her to send him one. If she refuses to do this, or sends him one which is not prepared for chewing, then it is a sign that he is rejected; but if she wishes to become his wife she sends him a well-grown nut, with the necessary ingredients, and the lover knows that he is accepted.

“Thus the word ‘to court’ is in Tombulu language pahaleijaleijan lemaan and in Tompakewasch pangilengilekkan tenga, which means ‘to continually ask for areca-nut of one another.’

“We constantly find the areca-nut mentioned in the love songs and romances:

‘Ajohan-o-mej tetengaan sambe eh rumojoro
Aku rumojor-o mange-mo witi walenamij.’

‘Give me the areca-nut box, my friend, and I will go.
I will go below, and I will go to our house.’

“The concluding portion of one of their old love songs tells us of the reconciliation of the two lovers:

“She: If you return to your former feelings, then shall I have better thoughts of you.

“He: Love shines through your words, and on that account my thoughts return to you.

“She: If your words are true, dearest, I need have no more heartache for you.

“He: Weeping, cut the areca-nut in two. Weep no more, for I will truly take you to me.

“She: A young areca-nut I will cut in two for you, my young love. The young areca-nut will I cut in two, for I love you.

“He: Place one half of the young areca in my mouth, and my feelings will be ever with you.”

In his work on Central Celebes, Grubauer^[3] gives an interesting description of the betel-bags, and reproduces eighteen specimens on p. 482. They exhibit a great variety of beautiful designs. For the most part they are oblong, and usually have two tassels at the base corners. The particularly well-worked specimens date back many years, and it would seem, as we saw was the case in Ceylon, that few bags with such elaborate work are being made to-day. The colours used in the dyeing are derived from orchids and various minerals found locally.

Grubauer also gives a plate (on p. 489) showing areca-nut cutters. They display excellent workmanship, and fit neatly into a small case which allows the handles to remain uncovered. The women’s cutters differ slightly in design from those used by the men.