[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]
~ i < THE NALAWAN SOCIETY 421 south coast it is placed ï¬Årst.‘ The actual rites of entrance to the grade are the same as those for any other N alawan above N alawan Naainggol, but the preparations are much more elaborate and involve the seclusion of the candidates in the amel for the space of one whole year. The account of the happenings during this time is far from clear, but the proceedings seem to be as follows. When it is decided that the rites of Nalawcm Vinbamp shall be celebrated, some old men, presumably members of this N almv/an, go into the bush and fetch two trees of a variety called raw. They bring them into the dancing ground and lay them parallel to each other. The candidates then sit down in two parallel rows and some old man calls out while the rhythm amu is beaten on the gongs. He then brings some uncooked bananas and dry coco-nuts and gives them to the candidates, who eat them. Five days later they go into the bush and collect wild canes, with which they build a ience.â€ù Another four days pass, and on the fourth day the dance nimbumbal is performed. When this is over the old men dig a pit beneath the bed of each candidate inside the amel, and bury therein yams and dry coco-nuts. Then they gather croton leaves, lay them on the beds and place on top of them strips of bark of the molei tree which have been previously painted. On these the candidates sleep. The old men now bring ï¬Åve pigs to the door of the amel, which they give to the candidates who are secluded within. Then they return and appoint a day when the paths are to be blocked and a sacred ï¬Åre prepared.“ All the men 4 now come and dig up four raw trees, which they carry on their shoulders to the amel. They are then 1 According to one very incomplete list of Seniang grades Nalawan Vinbamjz follows after Nalawan Ambar Leo and precedes Numbou T'i-mbarap. In all the other more complete lists of Nulmmm grades it is omitted from the regular series altogether. It is probably safe to infer, therefore, that it is taken in no ï¬Åxed order and is to some extent regarded by the natives themselves as not belonging entirely to the ordinary sequence of Nalawan grades.-C. H. W. B We are not told where this fence is built ; whether round the gangs or along the mzai save. Probably it is round the gangs, and corresponds to the nimbwilei Wimbmi of other grades.—C. H. W. B The text here is obscure; it runs: " El veuiis in /M, an newer lis nilias m"n wut miar mmm ilimbwelimji hw nahal valve! rm wut tar an rawâ€ù Miles Min voovunt Ma amb mbatambat.“ This Deacon translates literally: "And they turn . . . and they say again day belong that they go the birds they turn back at the path blocked . . . and they say day belong they lay the ï¬Åre eternal." The translation of mmzm as “ the birds " is almost certainly a mistake, for elsewhere it is said that the word msmen is used in such a context for " neophyte." 40. H. W. I In the text two sets of men are mentioned, mmarlamp, meaning " old men ", and nimarot, meaning “ men ". The former are presumably the introducers, men of high rank and necessarily elderly; the latter are probably the candidates, though the more correct term for these is nemew.—C. H. W. |
