Ritualistic and Explanatory Myths 181 



He ran his horse at full speed, but the spirit was gaining when the lasta l 

 on the saddle caught on a dead limb and was jerked away. "Very good 

 that you leave that or I would take your life," said the spirit. Then 

 the man ran his horse until he got to Solay. When he got there, he 

 could not get off his horse, for his legs were stuck very tight to each side 

 of the horse, so a man had to pull each leg loose and lift him from the 

 saddle. That is why we know that the spirits of the dead men some- 

 times do harm and go places. 



49 



A man and his wife were living in the field where they planted corn 

 and rice. When they were there, the man died. The woman did not 

 want to go to the town, because there was no one to watch the dead 

 man. She could not bury him. The Ibwa 2 noticed that there was a 

 dead man in the house. He sent one of his sons to get the dead man. 

 When the Ibwa came in the house, the woman took the headaxes and 

 cut him in the doorway. The Ibwa went under the house. His 

 father could not wait for him; he sent his second son and his third son. 

 The boys could not take the body, because they were afraid of the 

 headaxes, for the woman had one in each hand. The Ibwa went there. 

 He said to his sons, "Why do you not take the dead man?" His sons 

 said, "We could not take him, because if we go up in the house the 

 woman takes the two headaxes and tries to kill us." Ibwa went up 

 into the house; he broke the door of the house. He said to the woman, 

 "Now I am your husband." The Ibwa took the two ears of the dead 

 man; he ate one and gave the other to the woman to chew, like betel- 

 nut, to see the sign. The sign of the saliva was good. He made the 

 woman's two breasts into one in the center of her chest. He took her 

 to his house. 



50 



The stems of the alanglin are good charms against the spirits of the 

 dead, and are often worn concealed in the hair or hat. 



There were two brothers, and one died. The other went to hunt 

 and killed a deer. While he had it over the fire to singe, his dead 

 brother's spirit came to him. 3 Then the man began to cut the meat into 

 small pieces, and as fast as he cut it up, the spirit ate it; and as fast as 

 he ate it, the meat came out of his anus. When the meat was almost 



1 A rope lasso. 

 * An evil spirit. 



3 People in the house with the dead and the relatives must observe the kanyau 

 (taboo) for ten days or they will meet the spirit of the dead person and it will harm 



them. 



