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

650 MALEKULA
Melpmes live during the six months that the ceremonies last.
The mmughut noghi; also live here for the ï¬Årst two months, while
the amel of Butwanabaghap is rebuilt or repaired inside the
logho. During this process a rite for banishing sickness is
performed. A spray of the kava plant is laid on each gagha
stone and also on the navel muagh. Then each mmugh/ul nagho
goes up to the stone of his " house " and rubs the twigs and
leaves across the upper part of his body, his head, and chest,
so that “ all thing he come good; some sickness he no come;
wind he no come ; all thing he good â€ù. When the hut is ï¬Ånished
the nemughm nogha who bear the title of Kabul sleep in it, and
with them their sons whom they are instructing so that they
may be ï¬Åtted to succeed to the ofï¬Åcc. During the period of
seclusion the men in this hut wear on their heads a kind of hat
called nimbrdmmde which the women make for them and they
observe certain tabus. Thus they may drink no water but only
coco-nuts, and only those who reside i.n this hut may eat at the
hearth of it, this being the hearth of Butwanabaghap}
Since we arc ignorant of the order in which the rites are
performed during the six months, it will be best to consider
those of which we have a record according to their aim.
That the N ogho Tilnbwe is a harvest festival is stated deï¬Ånitely,
and it is said that before any yam from the new harvest may be
put into a storehouse one yam of this crop must be laid on the
newt muogh. This is all we know of the harvest ceremony,
but such ritual treatment of yams recalls the rites of the N anew
Rahulemp. There is, however, the problem as to whether this
rite is an intrinsic part of the Nogho Tilabwe and takes place
only in those years when this latter is celebrated, or whether it
is an annual harvest festival which becomes incorporated with
the Great Nogho in those years when the two coincide.‘
1 This oprears to be the mï¬Åalllflg of the notes, biir Curtain points are lat
iroiii clear. ( ) Whether the [BBB who reside in the house on the hill iiro only
those or llielimss, or also men lrnrii pflllbf villages in the dl!_£l'lCC who wish to
take phi-r in e e rites. (2) Whethu it is only the Klzbat and T1181!’ sons, or whether
any m8,h at Melpnles is allowed to live in the mi! oi lsiirwiiniihiighnp.
(a) Whether this am! is repaired only eiiloro a. Nflgha Tilablllfl or whenever iii
the intervening periods it rrqiiirisi repair. Deacon ioeiiiii to BS9 uio phrase
" the iiieii or Melpmes " iiiiiiorliiiei to indicate all men of this village, sometime!
as SYIJOIKIKIIIOIIE with the mmrghur iwgliii. ‘rho account given above is the
one Whlï¬Å appears to be the heir interpretation of the nrrves.—C. H. w.
I It certainly seems not impossible that there were two iioprriro rites:
The harvwt festival annually and the Nniho Tilnbwa occasionally. The formal‘
would then Cvfiespflnfl to the zvimn RM!“ mi, the liimi to the extinct CQIBIIGHY