Black Horse

Ulawa’s Banana Ban

In short: Discover why a fruit carried a person’s name on Ulawa in the Solomon Islands.

Ulawa’s Banana Ban · The banana that bears a person’s name FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 166 Ulawa’s Banana Ban Discover why a fruit carried a person’s name on Ulawa in the Solomon Islands. Origin An oral explanation of a food prohibition on Ulawa. Codrington’s 1915 text reports a practice from an earlier period. Atlas record 1915 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF The banana that bears a person’s name Reach¹ 1/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 1 records · 1 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

An oral explanation of a food prohibition on Ulawa. Codrington’s 1915 text reports a practice from an earlier period.

In Codrington’s account, a man whose words carry weight says he will be present in bananas after his death and asks people to leave them uneaten. Years later, those who remember him call the fruit by his name. What stands out is how remembering someone can change even what people grow in a garden.

Dated records and sources

  1. 1915 · Ulawa, Solomon Islands
    R. H. Codrington · Melanesians · §9 · Published collection

Country pages

Fairy Tale Glossary

Origin
Black Horse. Ulawa’s Banana Ban. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-ulawa-banana/