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

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THE NIMANGKI AND NELEMEW 365
unlighted torches represent the naamgh pigs that are about to be
given; the lighted torch indicates an animal one grade higher,
in which the tusk is entering the lower jaw. Holding their torches
thus, with bodies tense and crouching, the three men sweep in
circles round the gongs, stamping very rapidly and throwing up
clouds of dust, two moving clockwise, the third going widdershins.
Meanwhile Filin Mal has been all the time dancing up and down
on his side of the ground, waiting so to speak to receive the deputa-
tion from the visiting village. At the end of each circling on the
part of the three men, one of them comes up to Filin Mal and
hands him the torch which he has been carrying. The latter grasps
it, releases it, and then the man returns with it to his party.‘ The
tusker pigs, brought by or for the vinting party are now hauled up
to the front oi the group; each one is borne aloft by two men,
carried round the gongs and u to Filin Mal. Ronglili now steps
forward, holding in one hand the torch and pig tether, and in the
other a‘ sacred ' penis wrapper. Leading the way and still dancing,
he comes up to Filin Mal and gives him all three objects. The
latter takes the torch and penis wrapper, touches the tether, and
directs some man oi the ‘home ’ village to tie up the pig. When
this is being done, niuskets are ï¬Åred in honour of the prized curved
tusker boar. The torch Filin Mal lays against one of the stones.
After this the other two men dance across in tum and present their
pigs in the same manner. When these have been given, the three
donors dance clockwise round the gangs, and, in an inner circle,
moving in the opposite direction, dances Filin Mal, holding the
three torches which he has just reoeived. This is a kind of
ceremonial way of giving a receipt for the pigs.“
“ What is a veritable storm oi all smaller grades of pigs now
flows across the dancing ground to the ' home ’ side, where Filin
Mal is standing. There are various men indebted to him who
are repaying their debts, and ‘speculators ' advancing him pigs
with which to defray the expenses of this Nimangki. Filin Mal,
still dancing up and down on his side of the ground, touches the
tether of each pig as a sign oi acceptance, the animals being then
led away and tied up by men of his village. Vlfhen all have been
given and tethered, there is a pause before the arrival of the next
party oi visitors. During this Filin Mal goes and looks at the
animals which he has received, holding a cycas leaf for a tally,
while his guests sit clown in a group at the far end of the ground.
When his examination of the pigs is finished, the penis wrapper
which Ronglili had given must be paid ior. Filin Mal drags one
of his own pigs out on to the dancing ground, and holding the
1 In one of the ï¬Åeld note irooini it is stated that before these three men
presented their torches to 1-‘ilin Mal, 1 woman with a blackened lace name up
and hiuided a torch to Filin Mil tor hirn to touch, and than retired. Nu mention
of this woman ii Iflada in the Writterrup Wcénunt. It is possible that she was
about to give a pig inr the settling of some old debt. Her presence was almost
certainly not an integral part of the Nmrmigki ritual, lznlt only an accidental
incident.—C. H. W.
I rliir " circling" for the pigs resembles the “ circling " pmeusen in Seniang,
except that the latter always precedes irnraad of following the actual presentation
oi the nnimals4—C4 H. W4