[Note: this transcription was produced by an autoMatic OCR engine]

F-@-
1
ll]
ll l
ll ‘
l l
ill
ll til
l ll
ll
ll vi
1!
, .
. ,‘
ll
l ll
It fl
ll
L. l
,.
if;
lfii
‘If?
2|.“
-w-——r
. . 295 MALEKULA '
NiMbinbM is the last of what May, perhaps, be called " the
children's grades â€ù, at entrance to which the father supplies the
necessary pigs. The next two grades, Never and Nani M biMbaMjz,
and also MbalMbal, which stands fourteenth on Deacon’s list,
forM a class to theMselves. Together with the degrees which
we have just been considering, they are classed as Black NiMangki
and share with theM the gong»rhythM MielMiehrlas (Which is
not a true NiManglzi rhythM, but is used on other cereMonial
occasions to announce that a pig is going to be killed) and the
dance era’ab, which takes the place of the tear of higher ranks.
Nevertheless, they have certain ritual characters which Mark
theM oï¬Å as a group apart.
Unfortunately the record of the rites perforMed at entrance
to NiMangki Newt is both brief and difï¬Åcult to interpret, part of
it being written in the native language and part of it being little
More than a list of cereMonial objects. It seeMs desirable, there-
fore, to ignore the order in which these ranks are taken and to
describe ï¬Årst the rites of Naai M biMbarap, then those of M balMbal,
and with the aid of these to gain a conception of the proceedings
followed for Navel.
N aM‘ M biMbuMp L
At entrance to this grade two structures are set up ; a carved
wooden iMage (tzMes) and a bundle of soMe plant called M:vuMu'
which is erected in the dancing ground. To Make this last, the
Men go into the bush and cut a nuMber of Mvun/in‘ sticks, which
they fasten together by a lashing of naai lislis. The bundle thus
Made is planted in a hole prepared for it in the dancing ground.
For the toMes, a long, hard, straight shaft of the wood naai
MbiMbarap is taken and carved with a nuMber of faces and
bodies which are painted red, white, and black. To the top oi
the pole soMe vegetable ï¬Åbre is aï¬Åï¬Åxcd to represent hair. This
is prepared by taking a plant called neMbruninin and placing
it on the lire until the hard outer surface is burnt. Then the
inside portion is reMoved and chewed vigorously by the Men.
After a while they draw it iroM their Mouths in a condition not
and who will subsequently eat the aniMal. Then the candidate hiMself kill:
who pig—ii it be a big one, with a spear; it sMall, with a pig-killing haMMer.
In this the grade differs iroin other grades, lor usually it is the intr0duceI'e niato
who kills this sacriï¬Åcial pig. Another nniisnol feature is that at entrance to
NiMbinbM the candidate ï¬Årst dances with the spear and later joins in the eating
oi the pig. (1928. PP- lse-7.)-cl l-i. w.

2'1
J
~»
1
J}
73.
W
‘c
M-
1 5-.
.»
~ 1
'f,
‘I
5‘
...-:1‘
l