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

520 MALEKULA
THE FUNERAL Rrrzs or APWIL NAANDU
Apwil Naandu was very old; his teeth had all fallen out
and his toes had decayed away. When men noticed that he no
longer ate well, they came from throughout all the district to
be present at his death. S0 Loorveli was full of people who had
come to see him pass away. As soon as it was clear that he had
only a few hours longer to live, men went to the gongs and beat
out the signal amb mium lmï¬Åwor, or, as it is called for short,
mbei mium, which is SHARED by the grades Numbou Timbamp,
Nevet Nambar, Tambap and Nam Wenoung of the Nimangki,
and Atim Bwitizm of the Nalawan, to all of which Apwil Naandu
belonged. The rhythm for this is four notes struck in slow
' succession, the ï¬Årst on the big “ mother â€ù gong (himzn), the second
on the gong mmbwm, the third on the gong simbesimp, and the
last on the band—gongs lewelep. This scale of four notes is repeated
again and again.
Gradually the old man grew more feeble and it was evident
that he was nearing his last breath‘. The visitors now thronged. .
into his house, where his three wives sat beside him waiting for
the end. As soon as he expired, all those present burst into
paroxysms of wailing. Some of the people carne out and going
to theigongs beat out the rhythms of Nalawan Nimbwilzi and
of the Nimangki rank Naamel, to which they added the battle
signal Mai nivaal, in honour of his having been a great warrior.
The rhythm for naamel is j 1 51 fl '1 j q '1 '1 31 that of naai
nivaal Q 1 Q 1 Q ti " repeated many times.
Inside the house the body lay on a coco-nut leaf mat. The
sons’ and sisters‘ sons rubbed it with coco-nut oil and painted
it white all over, a distinction given to a man of Nimangki N wet
N ambar! The remains were then further decorated with
ornaments. On both arms they put the boars’ tusk bracelets
numbering twenty or more, which he had acquired when
purchasing entrance to numerous Nimangki ranks. To these were
1 According to Layard (p. 206) the washing and painting of the body are
done in the most sacred place behind the amal in order that the women should
not see it. It may be that this is done for certain people, but all Deacon's notes
make it quite clear that at the funerals of which he was told and which he himself
observed the preparation of the body was done ll] the house where the man had
died.——-C. H. W.