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

566 MALEKULA
and fowls’ feathers in the hair. It is then painted black all over
in token of the deceascd's high Nimangki status (were he a man
of lower status it would be painted red), and a hibiscus is placed
in the hair, a privilege which is also purchased in the Nimvmgki,
Finally, the remains are covered with a head-mat. The visitors
from the other villages now return, each man bringing a pig
with him for the death-feast (nimasian). The women visitors
sit down in little groups under the yam houses and the men
congregate round the club-house. Then each male visitor in
turn brings forward his pig and presents it to the son or brother
of the deceased, or whoever is acting as master of the ceremonies.
When all the pigs have been given in this manner, the sons and
brothers of the dead man repair to the club-house or to the house
of the chief, and 2. consultation is held, thc object of which is
to discuss what pigs are to be given in return and to whom.
Unless it is the chief who has died, he presides at this gathering,
and his opinion is asked and deferred to concerning the correct
procedure to be followed‘ When these matters have been
settled, these men return once more to the dancing-ground,
and in accordance with what has been decided, the master of the
ceremonies presents with pigs those visitors from whom he has
received them‘ The animal thus handed over in return must,
in general, be largcr or of a rather higher grade of tusk-curvature
than the pig originally presented. Thus the visiting mourners
are normally the gainers. Sometimes one may notice that a
smaller pig is repaid ; this is owing to complications not directly
relevant to the distribution oi funeral pigs, and in all cases,
the visiting moumer gains in his position as a mourner pure
and simple. The largest return pig is always given to the mother's
brother, or mother's brother's son of the deceased. Thus on one
occasion, a guest who was a member of the deeeased’s clan gave
the heir an animal of nimbilil grade and received in return one
of rmdam; while another man, the son of the dead man's
maternal uncle, brought a pig of limsim status and received back
no less than ï¬Åve pigs, one of which belonged to the naamgh
class. Thus at this exchange, the latter was relatively a much
greater gainer. The reasons for this differential treatment oi
the mother's brother are twofold. Firstly it is done in recognition
of the general indebtedness of the deceased to his maternal
uncle throughout his lite; and secondly it ls associated with