IDEAS OF THE SOUL 33 



sent by them as tokens of kindly remembrance to 

 their departed friends, who are believed to be able 

 to recognise by smell the hands that made each 

 bundle. During the whole period the dead man is 

 attended continuously by at least two or three 

 mourners, either relatives or, more rarely, hired 

 mourners, who from time to time throughout both 

 day and night wail loudly, renewing their wailing at 

 the arrival of each party of friends or relatives. 



These parties come in from neighbouring villages 

 in response to news of the death sent them by 

 special messengers, and in the case of an influential 

 chief several thousand men and women sometimes 

 congregate in this way to do him honour. 



Upon the arrival of any person of importance, 

 gongs and drums are beaten, and the dead man is 

 informed of the fact by the Dayong or by a relative. 

 The visitor is led to a seat near the coffin, where he 

 will sit silently or join in the wailing, until after a 

 few minutes he enters into conversation with his 

 hosts. When all the expected guests have arrived, 

 pigs are slaughtered and a feast is made. 



While the coffin lies in the house all noises other 

 than the wailing are avoided in its immediate 

 neighbourhood, and the children, dogs, and fowls 

 are kept away from it. The Dayong will sit beside 

 the coffin occasionally brandishing a sword above 

 it in order to keep in check the Toh who, attracted 

 to the neighbourhood of the corpse, might grow 

 too bold. 



On the day appointed for the removal of the 

 corpse it is the duty of the Dayong to instruct the 

 dead man's soul how to find his way to the other 

 world ; this he does, sitting beside the coffin and 

 chanting aloud in doleful tones. For (curiously 

 enough in view of the theory implied by the soul- 

 catching ceremony) the man's soul is regarded as 

 remaining in, or in the proximity of, the body so 



