[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]
608 MALEKULA
from killing all birds of this species and respect them. All Women
who have married into the villalge regard the mwimgke as a parenta-
in-law and refrain from using its name. t
The only other totem mentioned from Mewun is the tree!
nimismzs, which belongs to the Melpmes clan. This tree sprang
from the head oi the wife of the mythical creator Butwanabaghap
after her death; it burst and brought forth the people oi Melpmesil
If those near Melpmes should cut this tree, or even should its
branches or leaves be torn by a hurrica.ne, dysentry is believed
to break out and cause many deaths.
Each village has, too, a ceremony by means of which it
increases a. certain food-stuff. Such a ceremony is called mgho
in Mewun and from the data available it is clear that it is the
same as the neeraw of the Southem districts.“ There is, unfortu-
nately, nothing like a complete list oi the villages or clans and
their respective nogha objects, but the evidence indicates that,
as in Seniang, more than one clan perform the same nagho. Those
recorded are as follows :——
. Clan. Nagho.
Mbriilies . Nogho Ndam (_- the yam)
Tenemiis . . Nogho Mbmp (= the bread»h-uit)
Lokhbangalou 4 Nogho Nriam and Nngho M betsp
Vencbubu ° . . Nogho N dam
Venepitipndam ' . ,. ,.
Alaviemp ' . , , _
Surnbrlogveo . " Make plenty pigs "
Lambatip . . , , ,
Venelusuwot . , , ,
Lokhtemismokh * . Nogho Nzmugut (man) and N. La¢we
Melprnes ‘ . . , , , ,
Unfortunately, apart from the village of Mclpmes, the totemic
objects of none of these clans are recorded, and it is therefore
not possible to judge how iar there is any close association
between the system of totemism and the nagho in this area.‘
1 Thbrfl is 8'10tl1Gl’ legend concerning the Orlgin hr this C131! which Xbpfeï¬Åehï¬Åfl
it as being descended imih I number DI hidhdi which W610 the grandchildren of
Hutwlnahaghip. (See Chapter xxx.)
= The migrid of Mmvtln is probably the same word as the NHBYIW OX Nflnmw of
Sefliflllg, Since Sï¬Åfliaflg R -> an Of mi in MEWDH ; ct. in vinagd Dames the ‘pl'£ï¬ÅX
Luar- (iii $€l'liaI‘lg] and Lokh- (iii 1/leWlI].
I The mythical K/zlmt are S§SDClB¢Cd with the sacred places OI these villages
as their Presiding Spirits or mm. (See Cllflllfltr XXl.j~A. B. D,
i It IS perhaps iaeidi l'€lflBl'kBbl$ that the my things which are tepflflefl
1: being dhgmi hi I mighh rite flffl yalfli, bread-lruit, pigs, Mid hlllilla-B beings.