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

584 MALEKULA
and put under a stone slab supported by four uprights at the
end of the club-house farthest from the door. Here it remains
until the next naluuan ceremony is held, when it is carried to the
uzlalv, the sacred place of the clan, in the manner alreadydescribed
(see Chapter XIII).
It seems probable, or at least possible, that the naghamzl tug),
described as "the skull-house â€ù in the ï¬Årst account is a hut
reserved for the skulls which stands in the ut lalo.
Beliefs Concerning the Dead
The ghosts of the dead are regarded as being potentially
dangerous to the living. Those of people who have been killed
are particularly feared, and elaborate precautions are taken to
prevent their visitations. At night in the naghamel mp, a ï¬Åre is
kindled and bamboo roots laid on it. These explode inter-
mittently, and the reports drive away the ghosts. Outside this
building wild canes are thrust into the ground in a row; they
are pushed far in, so as to form a sort of underground fence‘ which
will prevent the ghosts from passing through.‘ Another pr0tec~
tion against these ghosts is ior an old man, who knows the
necessary formulae, to take certain stones called naval Ms, and
in the presence of all the men to charm them. Throughout the
rite the audience must remain with closed eyes. The stones
are then put in the ears and under the knee-pits of those
present, and so protect them against the ghost of him who has
recently died.
All scraps of food left over after meals are always burnt,
since it is feared that should such a ghost devour them the
man whose fragments they are will share the fate of the deceased,
and be killed as he was.
Nevertheless though the ghosts are feared, certain of them
are also reverenced and appealed to with prayers, the attitude
of the Big Nflmbas being in this respect very much like that of
the people oi Lambumbu. Offerings of kava are made from
time to time to the skulls in the skull-house‘ The kava is poured
out from 21 bowl on to the ground in front of the skulls, while the
ofierer of the libation prays with the following words : Nimalikh
mm nggaka, nimalikh nan nut sub, is nam. Nimalikh Men navits
I This statement is taken [rorn the account which represents the naghamal
mp ns the place where the Sm-in BIG kep(:.—-C. H. w.