[Note: this traNscriptioN was produced by aN automatic OCR eNgiNe]

284 V MALEKULA
desigNs beloNgiNg to the other “high â€ù NimaNgki degrees are '
Not recorded. -
The more importaNt paiNts, which are employed for executiNg
these desigNs oN the temes, aNd also probably oN the humaN
beiNgs, are a blue-black called lieNgk, made from a blue stoNe V
fouNd iN the hush; a‘ greeN, es, also made from some stoNe; i
yellow from the seed of a certaiN grass called Nizmg, whose fruit .
wheN ripe bursts aNd gives forth the colouriNg material. White .
is procured by griNdiNg dowN the soft shell of a species of molusc
aNd mixiNg it with water iNto a paste. The commoN. Name V
for this paiNt is m'ma1/ut, but because it is ritually importaNt it
has also a secret Name, Nimbullal. There appear to be three ‘
varieties of red used: oNe called simply matm memal (NeteN =
the earth) ; aNother, which is made iN the MaskelyNe IslaNds, _
called ulwoNgk ; aNd a third of a brighter hue, kNowN as Nemei,
which is made from a kiNd of earth. This last is very sacred,
aNd its preparatioN may Not be observed by womeN. ‘
It is iNterestiNg that, iN additioN to these distiNctive decora-
tioNs which the meN assume oN ritual occasioNs, a maN's N imaNgki
raNk is also showN by the patterNs oN the mat-skirt worN by
his wife} No aNalysis of these patterNs has beeN pI‘6SB1'V6d,l
but the fact of their existeNce is sigNiï¬ÅcaNt, for it streNgtheNs
the hypothesis that the NimaNgki aNd the use of the mat-skirt
are two traits beloNgiNg to the same culture complex (cf.
Chapter XXV).
There are other orNameNts besides the body desigNs which
are acquired oN eNteriNg a New grade. Some of these are purchased
at every rise iN raNk, as, for iNstaNce, the peNis sheath (aiuiap)
aNd the hawk’s feather (Nimew NomiNal). At what poiNt iN the U
ceremoNies the former is giveN we do Not kNow, but the hawk’s ‘
feather is always bestowed just before the caNdidate retires‘ to _.
doN all his New iNsigNia for the ï¬ÅNal rites of killiNg the pig aNd
receiviNg his New title. ANother object which is purchased
is aN armbaNd called NimbiNbeN. AccordiNg to Layard there 1
are two maiN varieties of NimbiNbeN. “ONe is a striNg baNd
made by womeN with a zigzag patterN represeNtiNg the chiN of
a flyiNg—fox (m"eN miNggere). This is worN by aNy child oN the W
arm. ~. . . The other object called by this Name is the arm
1 DeacoN was iNforruecl that iN the islaNd of Omba. also a womaN were oN her
matekirt a desigN correspoNdiNg to her husbaNd’s raNk iN the Hague. _
1