THE YAM CULT
(Part 2)
At harvest time the largest and longest of the yams of each clan is decorated with wooden or cane masks, painted with red, yellow, black and white
pigments, together with bright orange inedible fruits, shell ornaments, valuable shell money rings and brilliantly colored feathers, particularly those
of Birds of Paradise. When decorated the long yams represent the most important spirits , the nggwal. These spirits have some of the qualities of ancestors.
Usually the long yams are tied to poles and displayed on the place in front of the cult house. The men who have grown them exchange their yams with a partner
from the same village or another village. To give a larger yam than you receive demonstrates your superiority over your partner. In this exchange men gain prestige.