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

CHAPTER XV
THE RITES OF THE NEVINBUR, NELENG, AND
NIMBE’EI
The Nevinlmr is the most sacred of all the associations of
Seniang district, and is indeed a true secret society. Women
are wholly excluded from it, and when the dances are being
practised they are sent away into the bush. The people compare
the Nevinbm to the N alawzm, saying that the former is much
more ileo “ sacred â€ù than the latter. It belongs, apparently,
to a different category from the Nimangki, and a comparison
between these two is not made.
The information about the Nzvinbm is very incomplete, for
at the time of Deacon’s visit there were only two men still alive
who had taken part in the ceremonies, and of these the one from
whom the data were obtained fell ill after the preliminary inter-
view, and owing to incessant squalls and storms it was impossible
to reach his village, which was accessible only by sea.
The Nevinbw appears to be bound up with a complex and
extensive mythology, the central ï¬Ågures of which are a male
being called Aiwut Mansip,1 his wives Lieur and Lisivu, his
mother-in~law Nevinbumbaau, and his innumerable grand-
:Ehildr‘en.> By Lieur and Lisivu Mansip had a very great number
~’o'f"si>‘_iis‘. The names of these have been forgotten, but those ot
'ï¬Åla}iy'*6tf'the sons which they in their tum had are remembered,
6t"_which‘the‘following are a few 1 Tara Niew (“ he jumps across â€ù),
Ni‘ap"l/Ilivvili, Lisiel Lemumwengk, Anggor Namap (“ he covers
the heavens â€ù), Nivunggowri, Avungk Mial, Awus Nambangk,
-Ambwir Mbuas, Nepas Mboror (" he sleeps late "), Amet Nisar,
Ates Mial; Airnbwir Niew, Anri Mbuas, Ambwir Ambr’ew,
Ambwir Wor'Les,‘ Aindum Lamp, Nevet Meur (“ the stone that
is alive â€ù), Aimbriil Malum, Temes Mbutwut, Nimbriil Ewei.“
‘ Y/iuyut is the term of address used by a man for his wife's iatlier, and wife's
fit?-llersl ststers son, and by a woman for her husband's father and husband’s
rnothers brother. Why Mansip should be referred to as Aiumt Mansip the
lnioi-tnani: did not know.-—-A. B. D.
* 'T]‘A_e ï¬Årst six of these tame: are in one note classed together as " big ones‘ ".
The signiï¬Åcance _ot this is not apparent. In one of the ï¬Åeld note-books Awizs
Nambangk is said to mean“ Big coco-nuts Anri Mbuas is connected with
the word ann, meaning to “ tea: up " after killing, and nimbuar, meaning " the
pig '; and Ambwir Worles with anthvir, meaning " a dog â€ù.—C. I-L W.
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