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

64¢ MALEKULA
for them will be repeated year after year. In the case of
famous old men who reached the highest ranks, this remembrance
may go very far back, beyond genealogical memory, until it is
only a name and a Nimangki grade that are recollected in
association}
The next incident in the festival is the ceremonial exchange
of yams in memory of the dead. Since all villages do this on the
same day the men of one village (A) will get up before the dawn
and go along to another village (B) with which they are not on
friendly terms or with whose dead relatives, who are about to be
commemorated, they were not friends. Each man of the home
village (B) then takes some of the yams which belong to him,
cuts off their ends,‘ and makes one or more small heaps consisting
of two yams, two coco-nuts, some taro, and bananas. If he have
a father, brother, or close male relative who has died, he seeks
out among the visitors one of the same Nimangke rank as the
deceased and who at least was no friend of his. To this man he
gives one of the heaps, saying as he does so : “ Nelew rmdinduel
in nambug m'n . . . baram etingk " (V " They? give the fowl in
the name of —— unto you ") the name of the deceased being
inserted in the blank space. Generally a man will suggest in a
friendly way to some man whom he does not know well, and who
was not :i friend of the dead relative or his village, to come and
be the recipient of the yams which he will be giving at this mam:/.
The other may say that he was too close a friend of the deceased
and beg to be excused. If after searching a longtime the would-be
donor cannot ï¬Ånd anyone who does not claim friendship with
his dead relative, he will ask one of the men who has refused to
be kind enough to reconsider his decision and oblige him by
accepting the yams. To accede to such a request is a great
concession, for it is felt to be a grave injury to be asked to eat
the yams given in memory of a. friend and in some sense to do so
appears to be regarded as sacrilegious to the memory of the dead.
This presentation of the dead man's yams to one who was not
his friend is strongly reminiscent of the similar presentation of
* Since Women are not members of the Ninlungki they 1516 pi-esunisiiiy
ignored in this rite, nor is fllflfl any indication that any of the commemorative
rites concern Ell but the male population ni tliu cnmmimitim of the living and
the dcAd.—C. w.
I No explanation is given for thus cutting oï¬Å the ends, but it will have been
noticed out yiiui used for ceremonial purposes are Often treated in till! way.
-c. H. w.