Maolimu is one of the graded Tambaran spirits of Ilahita, ranking above the junior tambarans and below the two Nggwal grades. Like the other tambarans it possesses its own paraphernalia, songs and prohibitions, and its unveiling marks a distinct stage in the long sequence of male initiations. The tambarans are described as an ascending hierarchy of spirit-beings through which men pass over the course of a lifetime, each grade more secret and more dangerous than the last.