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[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]
2 n l. n E li l3 if Ii ‘e smsaomw-¢=<..m~ma»-v,»-.m-= MARRIAGE AND RELATIONS OF SEXES I47 The man who had carried the mat from the bridegroom's side now returns thither, takes up the other mat, and the previous ceremonial is repeated, the only variation being that this time he says: " Nimbu/an pill etzmgk â€ù (“ Here is the mat for sexual intercourse ").‘ The girl's paternal grandfather then takes in his left hand the two leaves which she has been holding and givm them to the bridegroom. The latter touches them and then returns them to the girl's grandfather who takes them this time in his right hand. He then goes back to his granddaughter and hands back the leaves to her, which she once more holds over her head. The paternal grandfather, father, or brother of the bridegroom, now takes a pig which is called nimbuas naai, and gives it to the girl's father who in return gives him a small stick (mu/ii), apparently as a sort of receipt. The remaining pigs are then paid for the girl, beginning with those of lowest value and ending with those of highest: thus, nitavu, mbzmgmemis, and so on up to tisimbw. While these men have been thus engaged, the women, standing to the bridegroom in the relation of " mothers " and " sisters â€ù and also other women of his village who are his female friends, have made on their side of the ground two heaps (niwo) of mat-skirts (niismbat) such as are worn by women, and the bridegr0om’s male relations and clansmen have made a heap of food. . Throughout all these proceedings the bridegroom himself ‘been keeping out of sight, behind the trees at the back of end~of the clearing. After the payment of the pigs, he takes his"c1ub' (riaaj 13hbr1Iiambn2),‘ his bow and arrows (nerevw hamnggm) and his ‘quiver (niwumgai or m'mbo on tawingk) which is decorated with f0wls' feathers ; the club is slung over the right shoulder, the bow and arrow are held in the left hand. He takes hold of one end of a rnat (nimbwan) and a girl of his own village, a " classiï¬Åcatory " sister, a “ friend “ of his, takes the other end. Another girl of his village, who may be his real sister, walks in front of him carrying a pig (mbuas mos) over her shoulder. These three now go across the clearing to where the bride is standing ' "Actually 11121 is used for a dog and a bitch coming together, and has, I think, a slightly Rabelaisian flavour about it; la is the normal verb used my human beings."—A. B. 1:-. ’ Only this kind of club is carried, not others such as nemam ni, etc. (A. B. D,). For the diï¬Åerent varieties of club see Chap. VIII.
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