『漂海民の人類学』（野口武徳）

　『漂海民の人類学』で野口武徳は書いている。

　ただ山原船が強い（沖縄的）船霊信仰を持っていたのに対して、久米島のサバニーなどでは、たんに船霊信仰が希薄とか無いとかいうだけでなく、漁業が近くの海（珊瑚礁のリーフにかこまれたラグーン）でのものであり、航海安全に関する信仰はあまりなかったというのはおもしろい。
　このサバニーと山原船の航海安全に対する態度は、かのマリノフスキーがトロブリアンド島民の呪術や信仰に関して書いた『珊瑚礁の庭、そしてその呪術』を彷彿とさせずにおかない。

　サンゴ礁の海では呪術は随伴しないが、外洋では不可欠ということ。琉球弧もやはりそうなのかと確認できた。

　また久米島沖の奥武島について、島の西海岸にある集落は、明治以降の移住によって形成された。大半は糸満系の人、とある。奥武島でも、高瀬貝、サザエ、夜光貝が採れる。

　ここに関するマリノフスキー記述をいくつかネットから拾っておく。

Trobriand islanders, according to anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski, felt the same way about their fishing magic. Among the Trobrianders, fishing took two forms: in the inner lagoon where fish were plentiful and there was little danger, and on the open sea where fishing was dangerous and yields varied widely. Malinowski found that magic was not used in lagoon fishing, where men could rely solely on their knowledge and skill. But when fishing on the open sea, Trobrianders used a great deal of magical ritual to ensure safety and increase their cath. ("The Cultural Study of Work")

fishing is also controlled by magic.
Here, however, any observer would be impressed by the fact that the most lucrative, most reliable and probably quantitatively the most productive method of fishing - that by poison - has no magic. whatever, whereas the fishing with seine nets on the lagoon is associated with a very definite ceremonial of a magical nature, including spells an rites; and the fitful fishing for mullet as well as the dangerous fishing for shark are surrounded with a regular public ceremonial.Such relatively unimportant activities as snaring and hunting are associated with a few minor acts of private magic, but have no development systems of public ceremonial. ("Coral Gardens and Their Magic: The Description of Gardening "Bronislaw Malinowski)