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

F1‘,
MAGIC 685
to candidates for N alawan Vinbamp are also tabu to those making
nimesian. The tabus are primarily of two types: those which
prohibit contact‘ with women and all that is connected with
them; and those which prohibit contact with water and all
things associated with it. Thus a sorcerer must not cohabit with
any woman ; he must not even approach a woman lest he should
“ smell â€ù her. Indeed a married man cannot ever make death-
magic very effectively on account of his association with his wife,
even if he avoids having anything to do with her for a time before-
hand. Further, he must not eat anything short or round in shape,
for this is connected with the female sex. Some six or seven
varieties oi yams and bread-fruit are thereby prohibited him,
and if he wishes to drink coco-nut milk he must not husk the
coco~nut,_ for that would make it round, but must pierce a hole
through the husk and shell. Nor may he eat any kind of banana
save that called mmggut morot ; this is permitted to him because
it is generally tabu to women. With reference to the second
group of abstentions, we ï¬Ånd that nothing living in or belonging
to the sea may be eaten ; nor should a sorcerer eat anything moist,
and he should himself keep as dry as possible. Water is wholly
prohibited as a drink, and for a few days before‘ the actual
performance of the magic he must take no liquid at all, Finally,
no man making death-magic may eat any pig. These are the rules
observed by sorcerers of Seniang. In Lambumbu they seem to be
the same, except that water may be drunk if it has been charmed
previously. It is, moreover, particularly interesting to note that
a man will ivilval only if he is going to perform magic which is
native to Lambumbu. If he is going to make any form of
nambangsian, which was introduced to Lambumbu from Seniang,
he need not observe these rules of abstinence.
The length of time that a man will ivel depends in part upon
the potency with which he wishes to invest his magic, upon the
intensity of his wrath or desire for vengeance, for the more
rigorous the m'-velizm the more powerful the sorcery. Thus in
Seniang, for a matter of no great importance he might observe
the tabus for a month, but if he had vowed undying vengeance
he would {val for one or two years before wreaking it. This refers
primarily to the observance of the food tabus; those which
concern women being probably of rather shorter duration. In
Lambumbu ten days appears to be the normal period to ivilval,
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