Kodal Play (Crocodile Play) – Story of Wagaedagam

Description

One Cloudy night when there was scarcely any moonlight, some Kaigas Men (shovel-nosed shark totem) of Sipingur killed a crocodile by mistake while hunting for dugong. They took it to the people of Wagaedagam , who burst into tears upon seeing their dead totem; the kodal. They mourned it for many days afterwards.  In shame, the Kaigas men of Sipingur vowed to make good their insult to the people of Wagaedagam. So, the Kaigas men canoed to Awailau, harpooned another crocodile, and examining it very carefully, hurriedly returned to Mabuiag, where they constructed a wonderfully large replica of Kodal (crocodile) in turtle shell, so big it could be slipped over a man’s head.  When it was finished, the men of Sipingur presented it to Wagaedagam. The people of Wagaedagam dried their tears and danced with their Kodal mask.