78
Fig. 3.2 The bee tree known as do:vu ma:vu ba:ge. This photo was taken early in the wet season
(April 12, 2012), when only fi ve Apis dorsata hives had taken up residence
3.8.3 Trees Named for Their Physical Appearance
A number of trees are named for their unique physical characteristics, especially
when these characteristics dictate the nature of Solega people’s interactions with the
trees. There may be considerable overlap between this category of names trees and
the ‘ bee tree s ’, as many members of the former category may also serve as homes
for numerous hejje:nu colonies. Hence, juṇṭu a:dire and seḷeyana honne , whose
names make reference to their shape and great height, encode the fact that it is very
diffi cult to climb to the tops of these two trees (Fig. 3.3 ). This is particularly salient
in the monsoon months, when the honeybee colonies nesting in the upper reaches of
these trees may have to be left untouched by Solega honey gatherers. The name
koma:ra matti arises from the presence of a door-like opening into the trunk of this
large tree, while uiya:le ta:re derives its name from the fact that the two similarly
sized Terminalia bellirica trees growing adjacent to one another serve as two posts
to which an uiya:le ‘swing’ can be attached (Fig. 3.4a ). The Solega believe that a
daiya , a malevolent female spirit, uses these trees to swing from.
3 Plants in Solega Language and Culture