Food taboo
In short: A rule in a story against eating a particular food.
Motif
How does it work in the tale?
In the Ulawa account, the rule rests on the memory of the man said to be present in the fruit. When reading about a prohibition, look for who sets it, who follows it, and what changes in daily life.
Why did gardens change on Ulawa?
In Codrington’s account of Ulawa, the decision to avoid bananas changes what grows in gardens. People stop planting them. Elders who refer to the fruit by the dead man’s name also recall the reason for the decision. The words of one man before his death leave a mark on both meals and gardens.