[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]
ll‘ ll ll l|l ll‘ 492 M ALEKULA and here, too, the knocking out of a woman's incisor teeth seems to be a necessary preliminary to joining it. This rite is hero called naaganien} and it is usually performed for a girl some two or three years after her marriage. When a man considers that his daughter is of a suitable age and that he can afford the expense he arranges for the ceremony and appoints a day tor it. He then goes to the village where his son-in-law is living and informs him of what has been planned. Five days later this young man takes a yam and puts it some distance in front of the house, saying to his wife's father : â€ù nindum i kdt raghop rah, Ieemlz Ian nitu nipm ! " ’ Another ï¬Åve days pass by and then once more the girl's father visits his son-in~law and this time takes his daughter home with him. Here she remains inside her father's hut for ï¬Åve days, during which time she must observe a number of tabus. She may not leave the house and may talk to no one save her father or mother. She may not eat pig or banana and may not step over a root. Were she to violate this last prohibition it is believed that her gums would develop a big sore after the teeth had been removed. On the fourth day of this seclusion the father goes into the bush and collccts~ï¬Åre- wood, coco-nuts, and loaves in which to cook puddings for the morrow's feast. Early next day men from all the neighbouring villages arrive, each bringing with him a pig, just as is done on the occasion of a man celebrating a mlemaw feast. The girl is prepared for the festival. Her body is rubbed with coco-nut oil and SWCCf~Sm8lling nisivung leaves ; and these last are also put in her hair; her face is painted red, beads are slung across her breast ; an armlet at string and shell, similar to the nimbinbzn of a man, is put on her arm and over her head a mat is placed so as to cover her completely down to the shoulders. Thus arrayed she is led on to the dancing ground by her mother or father. Now there begins the elaborate exchange of pigs which is the central point oi interest to the natives attending a nelemew. First the girl's maternal uncle gives an animal to her father. Then the latter takes a nisiuung leaf and while holding it in one hand gives another pig to the girl‘s brother, his own son, saying 1 The knocking out of the incisor teeth of women is no longer practised in this distrlct,0w1ng to the influence of Mr. Oorlette, oi Bushman‘: Bay.—A. B. D, ' These Words have not been translated. It is not clear before whose house the yum is placed, but it is probably out of her lather.—C. HA w. 2 la .
