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

284 V MALEKULA
designs belonging to the other “high â€ù Nimangki degrees are '
not recorded. -
The more important paints, which are employed for executing
these designs on the temes, and also probably on the human
beings, are a blue-black called liengk, made from a blue stone V
found in the hush; a‘ green, es, also made from some stone; i
yellow from the seed of a certain grass called nizmg, whose fruit .
when ripe bursts and gives forth the colouring material. White .
is procured by grinding down the soft shell of a species of molusc
and mixing it with water into a paste. The common. name V
for this paint is m'ma1/ut, but because it is ritually important it
has also a secret name, nimbullal. There appear to be three ‘
varieties of red used: one called simply matm memal (neten =
the earth) ; another, which is made in the Maskelyne Islands, _
called ulwongk ; and a third of a brighter hue, known as nemei,
which is made from a kind of earth. This last is very sacred,
and its preparation may not be observed by women. ‘
It is interesting that, in addition to these distinctive decora-
tions which the men assume on ritual occasions, a man's N imangki
rank is also shown by the patterns on the mat-skirt worn by
his wife} No analysis of these patterns has been pI‘6SB1'V6d,l
but the fact of their existence is signiï¬Åcant, for it strengthens
the hypothesis that the Nimangki and the use of the mat-skirt
are two traits belonging to the same culture complex (cf.
Chapter XXV).
There are other ornaments besides the body designs which
are acquired on entering a new grade. Some of these are purchased
at every rise in rank, as, for instance, the penis sheath (aiuiap)
and the hawk’s feather (nimew nominal). At what point in the U
ceremonies the former is given we do not know, but the hawk’s ‘
feather is always bestowed just before the candidate retires‘ to _.
don all his new insignia for the ï¬Ånal rites of killing the pig and
receiving his new title. Another object which is purchased
is an armband called nimbinben. According to Layard there 1
are two main varieties of nimbinben. “One is a string band
made by women with a zigzag pattern representing the chin of
a flying—fox (m"en minggere). This is worn by any child on the W
arm. ~. . . The other object called by this name is the arm
1 Deacon was inforruecl that in the island of Omba. also a woman were on her
matekirt a design corresponding to her husband’s rank in the Hague. _
1