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

CHAPTER XVI
THE RITUAL LIFE OF WOMEN
The men's society, the Nimangki, is, as has been shown, the
same as the Sukwe, Mali, and Mnngge of other islands in the
northern and north-central New Hebrides. In some of the
districts ofMa1eku.la. there is a parallel society whose membership
is restricted to women. This is known in the district oi Seniang
as the Lupus and in Lagalag as Langambas. To appreciate the
signiï¬Åcance of this women’s association it is necessary to say
something further of the Malekulan conception of the idea oi
sacredness and of the opposition between the two sexes. As
we have seen, one of the words used to express the idea of sanctity
is ileo. This is particularly used of those sacred objects which
arc connected with the N ulawan, the Nimangki, and the Nevinbur.
Thus we have Naamb T flea (the Sacred Fire) as the name of one
of the Nimangki grades ; the stones set up by men entering the
highest Nimangki and Nalawan grades are said to be very flea ;
and a member of one of these societies is also to a greater or less
extent ilm according to his position. The converse to things
ileo are things igah. Igah is not used with reference to things
that are regarded as profane, but rather to those that are possessed
of a kind of sanctity which is different from, and indeed oppcwcd
to that which is termed flea. The relation between igah and
ileo is something like the relation of positive and negative electrical
potentials. Things which are strongly igah are deï¬Ånitely feared
by the men because they counteract and destroy the {lea property
appertaining to males and to men's ritual objects. On the other
hand, the possession of the quality of igah or of objects imbued
with this quality confers power and prestige upon women. The
dichotomy of and opposition between the sexes is a feature of the
social life of the Malekulans and is thus reflected in their ritual
life also. The term igah is particularly associated with the
women’s secret society‘ Every woman who is a member of this
institution is herself to a greater or less extent igah, but the
Lupus or Langambas is, like the Nimmgki. divided into a number
of gmdeswhich must be entered successively, and the higher