Nganu falls gravely ill. The Maiba (priest) diagnoses a Mathum —a spiritual snare. The god of the nearby Heibok (hill) has taken a liking to the child. The cure is impossible: Eteima Mathu must bring the dew from the peak of seven specific bamboo shoots at the exact moment the Taoroinai (celestial serpent) drinks the moonlight.
Despite the social taboo, the term "Eteima mathu naba" has gained a specific niche in: Adult Web Fiction: eteima mathu naba story
Not the weeping of grief. That would have ended. This was the weeping of mathu naba – the irreversible mourning. The kind that unmakes the boundary between self and world. Nganu falls gravely ill
A term traditionally used to refer to a brother’s wife or a sister-in-law. It is a title of respect and familial intimacy. Mathu Naba: A colloquial and often vulgar slang term. The cure is impossible: Eteima Mathu must bring
As she pushed the canoe into the roaring surf, she turned back and gave her final instructions: "Do not look for my body. Do not dive for my bones. Every morning, when the tide retreats, that is me leaving my coral house to check on you. Every evening, when the tide returns, that is me coming back to sleep. As long as the moon pulls the water, I will keep the balance."