690 



During this time the mourners (Mdf/i/ raf/iui'i) supervise 

 the business side of the mortuary proceedings. I was informed 

 definitely that these, rather than the deep mourners, manage 

 things during the first stages of mourning. Thus, immediately 

 after the man's death, they bring a certain quantity oi 

 coconuts to be distributed amongst all the houses of the village. 

 This custom is quite analogous to the small coconut feast, 

 given by the owner when he wishes to establish a Gora over 

 his nuts, and this small distribution of nuts after a man's death 

 is the beginning of the Nehuru, or mortuary taboo on coconuts, 

 kept when a man dies. Before distribution the coconuts are 

 piled in front of the dead man's house. This coconut feast 

 is called Lele hdu. 



The burial took place very soon after the man's death,, 

 and it was never done at night. Thus if a man died in the 

 evening, or so late in the afternoon that there was no time 

 for all the preliminary proceedings, he was buried next morn- 

 ing. If, however, a man died before noon, or soon after, he 

 would be buried the same afternoon. In the case of an 

 important man there might be greater delay in the burial, 

 as there was more to be done in the way of preparations. 



The corpse was washed with Gorogoro (coconut cream, 

 of sec. 1, chap, iii.) and decorated, the more valuable orna- 

 ments being removed before burial. After a time, when the 

 interment was about to take place, the body was placed upon 

 a Tsinau, or large tray of plaited coconut .leaf (cf. sec. 7, 

 chap, iv.), and as a rule two such trays were placed under- 

 neath and one above the body. A plaited mat (Eh'a) of the 

 same kind as is used for making sails (sec. 4, chap, iv.) is 

 used to cover the body, being placed between the TsinauSy 

 and the whole of this arrangement is v/rapped in a pandanus 

 mat (EJal'i). The bundle so constituted is now again put 

 between two TsinauSy and thus placed upon a board — usually 

 one obtained by breaking up a worn-out canoe. The corpse is 

 laid upon two poles, to which it is tied, and it is carried by 

 four men, each supporting one end of the pole. The men whO' 

 carry the body (called Gdhi aiai tsid'uj are kinsmen of the 

 dead man (Emegi goina), belonging to the Mdgii ragud'i class ; 

 but they do not include any of the deep mourners. The body, 

 thus carried, is brought out of the house and placed in the 

 middle of the street, the four men holding it on the bier. 

 The principal Nandma man — the eldest surviving ''brother'*" 

 (own or classificatory, as specified above) — addresses the 

 departed by his name : — 



"Matdu ga aieni 

 Gana in^ura aieni!" 



