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

THE VILLAGE AND VILLAGE LIFE 49
these oaths—that about digging an irrigation channel in the sun-
their signiï¬Åcance is unfortunately not clear There is nothing to
suggest that the m'm'mur dove is a sacred bird, nor the timinhai
a sacred plant, and although one of the geometrical ï¬Ågures,
“ The Path â€ù, is important in the mythology concerning life
after death, it is almost certainly not on this that the oath is
sworn, All the other ï¬Ågures appear to he secular in character
although they sometimes represent sacred beings or things. It
is particularly unfortunate that the exact meaning of the Words
spoken when taking the oaths is not given, for this might have
supplied the clue to their signiï¬Åcance.‘
Not only are these oaths sworn by men making solemn
promises, but they may also be taken by one who is trying to
prove his innocence of some accusation or to establish his
claim in a dispute. It is very doubtful, however, whether
in such circumstances they are given before any tribunal
or in a way which would justify us in regarding them as true
judicial oaths.
Before leaving the subject of the maintenance of law and
order, we must note theimportance of magic in this context.
The belief in the effectiveness of magic is very strong in Malekula,
and every man who has sufï¬Åcient wealth can purchase knowledge
of the rites and formulae which will enable him to protect his
goods from the greed of others and to punish by sickness or
death those who have offended him. Magic can, of course,
be used for anti-social purposes, as, for instance, in helping a
man to commit adultery with a woman without being detected
by her husband, but that it has a function in safeguarding the
individual and his goods from the depredations of his neighbours
must be recognized. As we have seen, the chiefs in the north-
west owe their influence and power, in part at least, to their
opportunities of acquiring greater wealth than ordinary men ;
wealth which they can expend proï¬Åtably on gifts and
feasts. We may add here, that this wealth also enables them
to purchase the services of highly skilled magicians by whose
arts they can inflict damage and suffering on those who oppose
‘ All these oaths are in the dialect of Seniang. Nevertheless, it is certain
that similar oaths are taken in Lambumbu, for a rough note states that in this
district naai mfmbwal is a form of oath taken to strengthen a promise. It is
very probable that they also exist elsewhere in Malakula.—C. H. W.
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