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Overview

Guadalcanal reports compiled by Florence Coombe describe Luvusi as a shark ghost consulted before canoes made an uncertain landing, with a sway of the canoe taken as agreement. Luvusi is also said to make voyagers aware of a death or accident at home. Coombe likens this to wireless telegraphy, a comparison that belongs to the compiler rather than to the tradition.

A later inventory in the same chapter says Luvusi was represented by two pieces of wood taken from a special tree. This is a representation, not a description of the being's form.

The chapter also describes a coastal village feast at which dog entrails were offered to sharks through two mediums said to be uniquely safe. The source does not tie that rite to Luvusi by name, so it is noted as context rather than attributed to this figure.

Shark ghostConsulted before canoe landingsCanoe sway interpreted as agreementSaid to alert voyagers to death or accident at homeRepresented by two pieces of wood from a special tree
01

Origins & earliest records

Recorded in Coombe's 1911 compilation of Guadalcanal reports. This is the earliest source inspected, an attestation rather than an oral origin.

02

Records & interpretation

Coombe, Islands of Enchantment (1911), Part III ch. V, pp. 329, 332.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Islands of Enchantment: many-sided Melanesia seen through many eyes

    Florence Coombe · 1911

    Selected bibliography; Part III ch. V, pp. 329, 332.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Historical book (public-domain digitised text)Islands of Enchantment: many-sided Melanesia seen through many eyes (full OCR text)Research access: 2026-10-07
  2. Archive catalogue recordIslands of Enchantment: many-sided Melanesia seen through many eyes (catalogue record)Research access: 2026-10-07

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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