And what is so strange about using maize for brewing? 
Practically all of the cereals have been used for brewing 
in practically all parts of the world where the art of brew- 
ing has been practiced. It would be much stranger if the 
Assamese, ‘“‘conservative’’ as they are said to be, did not 
use maize for this purpose. 
Or does the feeding of maize to pigs call for an expla- 
nation? Given both maize and pigs, the problem quickly 
becomes one which the pig itself is likely to solve with- 
out much help from man. Domestic pigs have shared in 
man’s principal carbohydrate foodstuffs since time im- 
memorial and no great amount of ingenuity on the part 
of man is needed to establish this relationship. 
The use of maize as an article of trade is too obvious 
to need comment. 
A special use of maize in religious rituals is also re- 
garded as a measure of antiquity. For example: ‘‘the 
dance of the Lakhers, the use of maize in funeral rites 
among the Lushais in deliberate preference to rice, its 
importance as a votive offering among the Monbas, the 
part it plays among the agricultural ritual of the Rengma 
Nagas, and the existence of aspecial tutelary deity among 
the Chang Nagas, all point to its being a well-established 
crop, the more so since primitive peoples with animistic 
religion are invariably shy of incorporating new crops 
into their agricultural ritual.’’ Nor is negative evidence 
allowed to weaken this case: ‘‘I have asked members of 
the [Monba] tribe if they have any special rites, dances 
or festivals for their maize, and in all instances this was 
denied. I would not, however, like to state categorically 
that my informants were accurate. In dealings with tribal 
peoples knowledge of religious custom can only be got 
by long and close acquaintance or direct observation. ”’ 
And, as the author himself admits, ‘‘ My notes on the 
religious aspect are particularly scanty.’” How unfortu- 
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