[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]
CHAPTER XVI THE RITUAL LIFE OF WOMEN The men's society, the Nimangki, is, as has been shown, the same as the Sukwe, Mali, and Mnngge of other islands in the northern and north-central New Hebrides. In some of the districts ofMa1eku.la. there is a parallel society whose membership is restricted to women. This is known in the district oi Seniang as the Lupus and in Lagalag as Langambas. To appreciate the signiï¬Åcance of this women’s association it is necessary to say something further of the Malekulan conception of the idea oi sacredness and of the opposition between the two sexes. As we have seen, one of the words used to express the idea of sanctity is ileo. This is particularly used of those sacred objects which arc connected with the N ulawan, the Nimangki, and the Nevinbur. Thus we have Naamb T flea (the Sacred Fire) as the name of one of the Nimangki grades ; the stones set up by men entering the highest Nimangki and Nalawan grades are said to be very flea ; and a member of one of these societies is also to a greater or less extent ilm according to his position. The converse to things ileo are things igah. Igah is not used with reference to things that are regarded as profane, but rather to those that are possessed of a kind of sanctity which is different from, and indeed oppcwcd to that which is termed flea. The relation between igah and ileo is something like the relation of positive and negative electrical potentials. Things which are strongly igah are deï¬Ånitely feared by the men because they counteract and destroy the {lea property appertaining to males and to men's ritual objects. On the other hand, the possession of the quality of igah or of objects imbued with this quality confers power and prestige upon women. The dichotomy of and opposition between the sexes is a feature of the social life of the Malekulans and is thus reflected in their ritual life also. The term igah is particularly associated with the women’s secret society‘ Every woman who is a member of this institution is herself to a greater or less extent igah, but the Lupus or Langambas is, like the Nimmgki. divided into a number of gmdeswhich must be entered successively, and the higher