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60 ' MALEKULA
which is described as being." an animal like a snake, which comes
out after rain " ; Naai sang nimetu, a bed for coco-nuts. It is
interesting to note that the objects which give their names
to the clan nambwir are not as a rule connected with either the
totems of the clans, or with the objects over which the clans
have control, nor is there evidence ofr any special bond between
these objects and the members of the clan. With one exception:
it is said that if the men~who have as their gong-beat that
called N iuinggeum Tang, should try to shoot this bird, they would
inevitably miss it. In addition to ithe ‘ritual bonds between
villages belonging to the same clan, there are a number of social
bonds which unite clansrnen.
The clan is the land-owning unit, and though each member
has cultivating rights over his own gardens and resents trespass, his
attitude, if the trespasser be a member of his own clan, is very
different from that if a non-clansman be guilty of the offence.
Further, should anyone take yams from the yam house, or bananas
from the trees of a man of his own clan», he is notconsidered to
have clone anything wrong, and no compensation is asked, whereas
if anyone else did this he would be held guilty of theft}. Other
social bonds and reciprocal obligations between those who be'long
to the same clan will be indicated elsewhere in this.bo0k, but
it is important to notice that the villages of a single clan
may nevertheless have a certain degree of independence from
their “ parent " village. Thus, with reference to the fertility
ceremony for the increase of certain species or natural phenomena,
there are one or two clansvin which the “ parent â€ù and “ offspring â€ù
villages do not control the same thing. ' ‘
On examining the list of clans and their villages on p. 65, it
will be noticed that a great many of the villages in Seniang
have names beginning with L001-, while the preï¬Åx Lakha (which,
allowing for the phonetic differences between the languages of
Seniang and Mewun, is the same word as Loor) is equally common
in the neighbouring district in the north. Further, it appears
that in Seniang all villages of whose names L001- does not form
a part have some quarter or quarters the name of which is
preï¬Åxed by L001-. This is indicated in the following table :—
1 Pigs and stone walls, however, may not be appropriated by fellow-clans:ue|:|
in any circurnstances.——A. B. D.
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