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

E

THE NALAWAN SOCIETY 4X3
‘V .to his introducer, one for each of the objects which he has just
received, the old man saying the formula: Telmbwir Nimbuns
m'n nimba timmgk <l1'l,gk.“ These pigs are then taken by the
introducer and given to his wife.
The night is passed in dancing lelmgi/a’al and the torch dance
nuhul, and in the performance of the mbwirmbwir ceremony.
As before, banana trees are planted close to the mahmhal and
leaves of the oroton and naari mbal mm cordyline are put
around them, all these being called collectively noumbou nin
nemen matanhal. Then, as in Nalawnm N1'$1lm4> and higher
Nalau/an, introduoers and candidates alike go into the bush and
blow the lemeS naainggal. On this occasion they approach the
matanhal, in front of which the bananas have been planted,
the introducers and other members of the grade alone blowing.
A very large wooden cylinder measuring some seven or eight feet
in length is now brought iorth, and carried up to'the houses of
the village, where the women are within doors. The candidates
gather a heap of grass which they pile up outside the door of one
of the houses, just as a sow docs when preparing her litter, and
in the middle of it they plant a croton. They now pull at the
grass as a sow does when eating, and grunt like pigs to make the
women believe that one of these animals is indeed outside the
house. A conversation then ensues between one of the men
and the supposed sow. " Pig belong mc he carry piccaninny,â€ù
says the man. The pig grunts. " Pig he sing out somewhere
here, me no look out my pig, place he carry piccaninny. Oh,
pig belong me here he carry piccaninny here," continues the
man. Then the sound nemen is blown on the temes naainggol,
the very large instrument being especially loud.‘ The performance
is now over; the temzs are taken back and put at the foot of
the gongs inside the enclosure, where they are blown once and
then left.
The morning has now come, a pig (nituvu) is killed for
breakfast, and all the participants in the ceremonies retire to the
bush to decorate themselves for the last rites. The candidates‘
faces are blackened with charcoal and painted with three red
lines in the usual design. On the body are ï¬Åve vertical rows of
dots i.n black, white, red, yellow, and red, passing from right to
left. Tamas mbal/mbal masks are donned, each man wearing the
The inionnant could arm H0 explanation or this ceremony.—A. B. D.