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366 MALEKULA
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penis wrapper in his hand together with the tether, presents the
pig to Ronglili, while retaining the object for which it is being
given. This is called isember maven]: (‘he touches the penis
wrapper '). The pig handed over on this occasion is the only one
actually killed during the ceremonial. The act of killing it is
known as rensavfll on nisit Ilel (‘they wash the sacred thing '),
and there appears to be some idea that the wrapper is supposed
to be washed in the animal's blood, though this was mentioned
very vaguely.
"The next party to arrive was that from Levuvwa, which
included the second principal seller Siul. The proceedings on their
arrival were a repetition of those that had gone before, with the
exception that the number of curved tuskers (naavugh) presented
to Filin Mal was greater.‘ The scene in which they were borne
aloft in procession round the gongs was very festal. Filin Mal
himself dancing up and down on his side of the ground ; the men
pounding and rattling away at the gongs in the centre ; the visiting
party singing for all they were worth in front of the yam towers ;
and, stretching round the dancing place, the procession of pig-
bearers, walking two by two, each pair of men carrying a recalcitrant
tusker. On this particular occasion one of these creatures actually
got loose and for a. few minutes, until it was caught again, the
dancing ground presented the appearance of complete 11'ot.
“ The last visitors to arrive were the bushfolk from the
mountainous country to the south ; the short women with their
petticoats of shredded banana. leaf, contrasting sharply with the
mat skirts of the women of Lamhnmbu in the plains. The bush-
men went through none of the dancing or ceremonial of pig-giving,
but simply handed their animals over to Filin Mal and walked
away to whore their fellow hushmcn stood in a group. This is
the usual thing. They are too ‘shy ’ or ' ashamed ’ to dance or
perform in a Lambumbu ceremony; at home, in the mountains
they would do so, but not when ‘cut visiting '. As has been
mentioned elsewhere,“ the villages of Lamhumbu fall into ï¬Åve
mutually hostile groups. At this Nimangki, each one of the
successive bands of visitors was made up of men and women
from the villages composing one of these groups, and having
presented their pigs they sat down, aloof from other hands of
visitors, near the path leading to their own villages. In this way
when all had arrived and taken their places, the dancing ground
was like a map of the district, with all the mutually hostile groups
marked out on it.
" All contingents having assembled, _the next thing to proceed
with was the distribution of the yams. Before this can be done,
however, they must be paid for. Some days prior to the ceremony
various friends and acquaintances of Filin Mal had brought in
supplies of the tubers, thus contributing to the building of the
towers, and it is these men who are now to receive a return gilt.
1 Siul and his party gave mmg». How many were given by the people of
nlmblg lllliit was not m=ma=a.~.c. H. w. '
I Chap. IV.
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