[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]
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it
V RITUAL LIFE or woman 493
as he does so t “ mbues i lap nagh mbendeng rhï¬Ån nési/mxg narhagh,
mbelnp ghon man 1i." 1 He then throws away the nisivung leaf
or thrusts it into his belt at the back. He now fetches yet another
pig, this time a castrated one (miamap), and presents it to h.is
daughter's maternal uncle for him to eat. For this gift the
formula runs: " mbuzs ikalm ugh mstmm be sevivesi lab nagh,
baaï¬Å mil mbalmbal.â€ù “ The maternal uncle receives now yet
two more pigs. One of these is given in return for that which
he presented to the girl's father earlier in the day, and must
be of equal or higher value than this." The other is said to be
given “ for nelemew ", that is for the part the uncle plays in the
naaghunian ceremonies which are the occasion for this nelemew
or pig-exchange. It is thought that if this second pig is not given
to the mother's brother the girl is likely to die as a result of the
operation she is about to undergo. While presenting these pigs
to his wife's brother, the father says: “meten mbues rllsam
evaghan lab nahh mbues i bï¬Ålaas hdnem euagfum."
After sundown, all the pig-presentations and exchanges being
ended, the girl and all the assembled women who choose to
(lo so rctiro inside her father's hut. No man may join them,
for this is women's business. The father, maternal uncle, and
their male friends remain outside, and it is said that the father
and mother weep, fooling sorry for their daughter at the suffering
she is undergoing. The women inside the hut sing songs and
the girl is prepared for the operation. Early in the morning
of that day she had been given a special pudding (-nelangk) which
is believed to have the effect of loosening the teeth and making
them more easy to extract. Now a stick of mir wood is put
transversely into her mouth for her teeth to bite on and an old
woman who is skilled in the art sets to work. She takes a short
stick one end of which she places against the upper incisors.
Against the other end she hammers with a stone, and continues
to do so until, under the force of her blows the teeth give way.
The girl then leans over a leaf which has been placed on the
1 These Words have not been translated. This pig-presentation is tel-i-nea
Mai»; 1luSIIung.~ -c. H. W.
I These won-ls also are untranslated. In the notes it is stated that this
pig is given to " both mother's brothers In Lagalag bimln‘ is the term used
inr 'Ii7ther'S brother and for father's sister's husband and it is very possible
therefore that " both mother's brothers " means “hath ln'mbi", that is their
the pig is given to Lhe maternal uncle and to the husband oi the paternal aunt,
gr, ï¬Åorsvprnbably, that a separate pig is given to each one oi these relatives.—