| caption: |
Chapter three - the Ram or village community |
| caption: |
the individual's relations with the kienga |
| caption: |
participation of old men in dormitories |
| note: |
footnotes indicated by boxes within square brackets |
| text: |
As a katsingmi a Central Nzemi villager continues to use (75) the hangseoki as a club, as he did when a young married man; he still participates so far as his strength allows in kienga activities, and when a house is built or the kienga pipeline is repaired it is the special task of the katsingmi to prepare the strips of bamboo used for tying. In the hangseoki itself the katsingmi are treated with great respect. When one enters the hall the youths vacate the fireside benches and retire to those along the wall. They remain silent or talk in low voices as long as a katsingmi is present. Hangtingmi do not join in a katsingmi conversation unless addressed, nor do they sit with a group of katsingmi unless invited. The katsingmi are responsible for disciplining the boys and are the only people to punish them, beating with a stick or with nettles being the usual methods. |
