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

310 MALEKULA . »
by all those present dancing lendlend, which they continue to do
until dawn} when they are refreshed with a pig given to them
by the candidate. After the guests have ï¬Ånished eating, there
follows the “ hawk dance " by one of theseniors, who has been
decorated behind the amel- in the manner‘ already described.
The designs with which he is painted on this occasion are the
same as those on the temes which characterize this grade." After
the “ hawk dance â€ù the candidate pays for and is invested with a
nambal feather and the cord netel muluwun."' The latter is not
fastened round the head, but tied to the belt. The candidate
then retires to the amel nimweil, where in his turn he is painted
with the designs of the grade and dons its ornaments, which
include an unopened coco-nut frond cut in thick sections and
thrust into the.belt at the back. Instead of proceeding at once
then to the dancing of the trios, the candidate himself performs
a " hawk dance â€ù, exactly similar to that executed by the senior,
springing out from the stone circle inside which the cycas was
planted (mmggab nimweil), just as the senior had leapt forth
from the niseilu. When this is over the dances of the three
trios proceeds as usual, culminating i.n the breaking of the conch .
against the forehead of the sacriï¬Åcial pig and the spearing and
distribution of the animal.‘ For the ï¬Ånal rite the candidate
goes up to the nonggob nimweil, and one of the seniors pronounces
his new title, Mweil. a
l _ Neten‘Mweli;b p ' I,
There is a third grade which, because it shares certain of
the ritual characteristicsof the entrance ceremonies to Nevelvel
1 According to the-account of the Nevelval rites, the dance lendlend is not
performed for any grade lower than Neveluel; it is possible, therefore, that it
was really tmr and not Izmllaml which was danced at the Nimweil festivities.—
C. H. W. .
' Since the spider’s web head-dress belongs only to Nevelvel and higher
grades, it is probable that it is not worn on this occasion.—C. H. W.
‘ In the account of the N21/elvel rites, it was stated that mtel muluwrm was
only acquired at entrance to this and higher ranks, and that for Nimweil and
others a. ï¬Ållet called mun‘ lislis is used. No explanation for this discrepancy
can be oï¬Åered.—C. H.» W. _ » ‘
4 Layard states that the sacriï¬Åcial pig is killed with the " stone's child “,
that is with the newmin newt, and adds: “ This is the only case I know of in
which the stone's child is used for this purpose.â€ù It is not clear to what pig
Layard is here referring, for later he tells that " the sacriï¬Åcial pig is killed with
a spear ", and this animal is almost without doubt that “ killed for the Manki â€ù,
or what Deacon calls the sacriï¬Åcial pig. ‘Deacon makes no reference to the
wavï¬Åtiin must ever being used in connection with pig-killing, whether ritual or
actual, and we may infer therefore that Layard was mistaken on this point.
(pp. 168-9.)—C. H. W. '
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