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- grantee of the empire of men’s souls and the first swayer of a crosier.
The present Pontiff’s descent was unquestionable; his dignity having
been transmitted through none but heirs male; the whole procession of
High Priests being the fruit of successive marriages between uterine
brother and sister. A conjunction deemed incestuous in some lands; but,
here, held the only fit channel for the pure transmission of elevated
rank.
Added to the hereditary appellation, Hivohitee, which simply denoted
the sacerdotal station of the Pontiffs, and was but seldom employed in
current discourse, they were individualized by a distinctive name,
bestowed upon them at birth. And the degree of consideration in which
they were held, may be inferred from the fact, that during the lifetime
of a Pontiff, the leading sound in his name was banned to ordinary
uses. Whence, at every new accession to the archiepiscopal throne, it
came to pass, that multitudes of words and phrases were either
essentially modified, or wholly dropped. Wherefore, the language of
Maramma was incessantly fluctuating; and had become so full of
jargonings, that the birds in the groves were greatly puzzled; not
knowing where lay the virtue of sounds, so incoherent.
And, in a good measure, this held true of all tongues spoken throughout
the Archipelago; the birds marveling at mankind, and mankind at the
birds; wondering how they could continually sing; when, for all man
knew to the contrary, it was impossible they could be holding
intelligent discourse. And thus, though for thousands of years, men and
birds had been dwelling together in Mardi, they remained wholly
ignorant of each other’s secrets; the Islander regarding the fowl as a
senseless songster, forever in the clouds; and the fowl him, as a
screeching crane, destitute of pinions and lofty aspirations.
Over and above numerous other miraculous powers imputed to the Pontiffs
as spiritual potentates, there was ascribed to them one special
privilege of a secular nature: that of healing with a touch the bites
of the ravenous sharks, swarming throughout the lagoon. With these they
were supposed to be upon the most friendly terms; according to popular
accounts, sociably bathing with them in the sea; permitting them to rub
their noses against their priestly thighs; playfully mouthing their
hands, with all their tiers of teeth.
At the ordination of a Pontiff, the ceremony was not deemed complete,
until embarking in his barge, he was saluted High Priest by three
sharks drawing near; with teeth turned up, swimming beside his canoe.
These monsters were deified in Maramma; had altars there; it was deemed
worse than homicide to kill one. “And what if they destroy human life?”
say the Islanders, “are they not sacred?”
Now many more wonderful things were related touching Hivohitee; and
though one could not but doubt the validity of many prerogatives
ascribed to him, it was nevertheless hard to do otherwise, than
entertain for the Pontiff that sort of profound consideration, which
all render to those who indisputably possess the power of quenching
human life with a wish.
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