78 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I42 



of the bride take her to the appointed field, where the groom and his 

 friends come and capture her and take her away. Probably this goes 

 back to real marriage by capture in earlier days. In case of divorce 

 caused by the bride and her relatives, the bride-price is returned to 

 the family of the groom. Women are quite precious, so that the 

 groom and his relatives are not likely to bring about a divorce. The 

 reason given is that when women are irritated they may commit sui- 

 cide, whereupon the groom and his family must pay to the wife's 

 mother, and generally in addition to the grandmother on her mother's 

 side, a sum of money or make a gift equal in value to the original 

 bride-price. Lolo women are well treated. 



Family or clan feuds and intertribal wars are very common among 

 the Lolos — an injury must be revenged. Cruelty and bravery are much 

 admired. Every man carries a knife or a sword if possible, and a 

 gun if he possesses one. Without weapons a man feels very unsafe. 

 Any time of day or night his enemies may surprise and kill him. Rob- 

 bing, and especially robbing the Chinese and taking them captive, is 

 a respected occupation. 



Disposal of the dead is by cremation and takes place in one of the 

 sacred groves. The trees of these sacred groves can be used only for 

 cremation. The body is burned to ashes with elaborate rituals, and 

 then the ashes are covered with dirt, making a small mound. During 

 each funeral ceremony a cow or a sheep is killed and offered to the 

 gods and spirits, then eaten by the mourners and guests. 



The bi mu or bi mo is a priest, wizard, and wise man. Among the 

 Lolos he is regarded as an educated person and an official who under- 

 stands the sacred books and can read Lolo characters, and also under- 

 stands religious doctrines, ceremonies, and magic. He becomes a 

 teacher and passes on his learning to pupils who in turn become 

 bi inns. The word bi means doctrines, learning, moral principles, and 

 religion, and mu means old. The two words mean old man who 

 understands moral and religious doctrines, teachings, and sacred 

 books. Sometimes they are called by the Chinese Tao Ssu or Mien 

 Ba, meaning Taoists, shamans, or fathers of black magic. In short, 

 they are scholars of hidden mysteries which have been handed down 

 from generation to generation. 



The work of the bi mu includes repeating the sacred books, teach- 

 ing future hi mus, exorcising demons, healing diseases, bringing 

 peace and prosperity, divination including the determining of lucky 

 and unlucky days and the fortune or misfortune to be expected in 

 certain occupations or undertakings, fortunetelling, performing cere- 



