[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]
CHAPTER XX TOTEMISM Toternism is a word which has been deï¬Åned in a variety of ways, or used in a vague sense to cover alrnost any relationship between men and animals or plants which has a ritual aspect. If we accept as a deï¬Ånition that totcmism is a special ritual relation between a group oi human beings on the one hand and a species of animal, plant or natural object on the other, then it may be said that the people of at least parts of Malekula are totemic. Most of the data on this subject come from the south-west districts (Seniang and Wilemp), from Mewun and from Lamburnbu, Conccming the other districts there are only very brief notes, but these are sufficient to suggest that toternism is to some extent a feature of all the coastal Malekulan cultures, and very possibly of these of the interior as well. SICNIANG AND VVILEMP In Seniang and Wilemp it is found that every clan is associated in a deï¬Ånitely ritual way with some plant or animal species, most usually with a variety of some edible plant, of some tree, of some bird or some mammal such as a pig or rat. The exact nature of this association varies, but respect for every repre- sentative of the totemic species is always present, and save where the totem is some edible rent, this respect commonly takes the form of abstaining from injuring, killing, or eating it. For instance, the nimbile bird is unmolested by the people of Lu’ha, Tivulemp, and Tunggor} the reason being given that it has the power oi killing men.“ A man of Eviin Ambus may not cut the tree namlms lest he die ; and the people of Loorha refrain 1 Except where two villages of the same clan have different totums (which 4915 sometimes happen), the clan will be referred to by the name oi its principal v'“a§c'1c is not clear whether this refers to the men of these clans only, or to all menr An undcciphorable sentence in the native language follows this statement concerning the flimbile, and than is added the note : " Lisnwnt is the name Oi this mbile = female incubus."-—C I-1, W. Sax
