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

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‘TOTEMISM 603
_!‘.nikakal ngaanew nuonin .ngalam;i> " (" may the nikakal bear,
may its shoots be many ") is muttered by the nimbutin n01:/or.
Young children and babies are then brought and bathed in this
water, after which the nikakal seed-tubers, which are to be
planted, are also dipped into it. They are then distributed and
planted. Similarly the‘ Nemw Nimbaai (yams) of the village of
Rahulemp vlms performed by the nimbatin nowov, who made a
c0nCOCti0l'l similar to that described and poured it over a basket
of seed yams which were then distributed among the villages of
the district and put into the gardens of each clan.‘ For this
yam ceremony a sacred stone is used. Its name is not recorded,
but the story runs that once at midnight a man perceived a stone
flying through the air much like a nivinggaum bird. He shot it,
and it fell to the earth and became the abode of the Imus neerew
nimbaai or " ghost of the yam fertility ceremony ". It is always
in the possession of the nimbatin nowar of Rahulemp (though it
is not stated whether he keeps it usually in the nembrmbrkrm of
that village), and is used in some way, unspeciï¬Åed, to ensure the
iruitfulness of'the yams. What the true history of the stone
may be it would be interesting to know, for in Deacon's opinion
it was almost without doubt shaped by human hands, as is
'sh0wn by its r@1ar cylindrical form and high polish.
: - Pigs were apparently increased by a rite very similar to that
performed for yams. A special liquid was prepared in the sacred
place of the village concerned, and was then either poured over
certain pigs or into certain pieces of the sacred prehistoric pottery
{naamboil which are prcscrved i.n the nembrmbrkon of many
clans which have a pig neerew, such as those occupying the
villages of Tivulemp and Nemep. It seems, however, that the
ceremonies are not always oornpletud in the mrmbrmbrkan, for it
‘is ‘said that when Ates Vinbamp, a former nimbgtin nawor of
Nemep wished to cause an increase oi pigs, he used to go up from
Nemep to Mara'uS, where the naambai of Nemep were kept,
and having performed a rite over them there, he then went down
.l- .
, - I It is not deï¬Ånitely stated, but may probably he inferred by analogy with
the Nearzlu Nimbam‘, um in the mmw Nilzakal these tubers were likewise
distributed to men of all clans and not only to those of Bcunur and its oflspring
villages. This mmw Nimbaai pulorrned by the ninnbatin -rlowoy of Rahulemp
-~ ‘appears to be qulrrl distinct irom the Nearer!) Ruflullmp which is a. iestival involving
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everyone throughout Seniang, and is rather 1 harvest festival and rite for the
_<(§:4?I,l§l1emoration 01 the dead than a lertility ceremony (see Chapter xxu)._
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