The Legend of "Maru'u" in North Malaita

Long time ago a pagan priest accidently cut one of his fingers so he put a shell under the wound and let the blood dropped in it. The pagan priest had only one son named Gwauliua. He told his son to take the shell with the blood inside and leave it near his worshiping place or Biuabu in To'abaita language. He also told his son to watch the shell for eight days and note any changes. On the 8th day the son saw a tiny shark in the shell in a pool of water instead of blood.

After three days the father and his son took the small shark to the sea. As soon as the shark hit salt water it became alive and stayed close to the rock next to the pagan priest's worshipping site. He told his son that he will no longer worship his ancestors but only the shark.

The first worship he made he killed a piglet and gave half of it to the shark. Later, he gave one full piglet at each meal when the shark is big enough He continued feeding it until the shark was very big. The shark became the guard of Maru'u and no other devils or people wondered close to the area. The name of the shark was Bulagwau.

The story goes that one day, a shark from Aruma in Lau area came to kill Bulagwau. On that day, Bulagwau went out in search for food so the enemy entered his sea cave. The shark faced out to sea and opened its mouth ready waiting to swallow Bulagwau when he returns. When Bulagwau returned to Maru'u after hunting for food, he sensed that there was an enemy in his cave. Bulagwau quickly transformed into a tiny fish and swam into the cave to the tail of the Aruma shark. Whilst in the cave, Bulagwau changed back into a very big shark. It opened its mouth and swallowed the tail of the Aruma shark and they began to fight. In the struggle, the two sharks made a hole in the rocks at Maru'u point which can be seen until this day.

To continue with the story, Bulagwau closed its mouth and tore the enemy's body in half and then, they began to chase each other. They first came to Bita'ama, then
Fifilu, thirdly at Basakana Island and fourthly at Malu'u. From there, the two sharks swam to Lau and according to the legend, they created the Lau Lagoon entrance at URASI during the chase. At Urasi, the Aruma shark got away and Bulagwau decided to return home. On its way home, Bulagwau saw four other sharks from Lau who wanted to kill him. Again, it transformed into a tiny fish eluded the enemy and returned safely home.

The legend had it that the pagan priest who owned Bulagwau came from Ramos Island or Anogwau Island as known in North Malaita. In mid 1960s, the Malaita Provincial Government decided to built the North Road from Auki to Fouia. Two men who worked on the road, the late Dausina and a man named Willy from Lord Howe Island were the ones that dug the rock where the pagan priest used to worship to clear the way for the road. When they dumped the rock into the sea below, very surprisingly, the rocks floated out to sea. The onlookers saw two sharks came and carry the rocks on their backs to Anogwau or Ramos Island.

Source: Solomon Islands People First Network