XV ANIMISTIC BELIEFS 65 



offended if it brings no message from those who 

 killed the pig, and he sends it back to carry off 

 their souls. 



On many other occasions also pigs are killed ; 

 thus, on returning from a successful attack on 

 enemies, a pig is usually killed for each family of 

 the household, and a piece of its flesh is put up on 

 a pole before the house ; and during the severe 

 illness of any person of high social standing, pigs 

 are usually killed, and friendly chiefs may come 

 from distant parts, bringing with them pigs and 

 fowls that they may sacrifice them, and so aid in 

 restoring the sick man to health. On the death of 

 a chief, too, a great feast is made, and many pigs 

 are slaughtered, and their jaw-bones are hung up 

 on the tomb. A pig is sometimes used in the 

 ceremony by which a newly-made peace is sealed 

 between tribes hitherto at blood-feuds, but a fowl is 

 more commonly used. 



The wild pig which abounds in the forest is 

 hunted by the Kenyahs, and when brought to bay 

 by the dogs is killed with spears, and it is eaten 

 without ceremony or compunction by all classes. 

 The wild pig is never used as messenger to the 

 gods, and its liver is not consulted. The lower 

 jaws of all wild pigs that are killed are cleaned and 

 hung up together in the house, and it is believed 

 that if these should be lost or in any way destroyed 

 the dogs would cease to hunt. 



The domestic fowls are seldom killed for food, 

 and their eggs too can hardly be reckoned as a 

 regular article of diet, though the people have no 

 prejudice against eating them. And it would seem 

 that the fowls are kept in the main for ceremonial 

 purposes, and that their table use is of very 

 secondary importance. 



Fowls are killed on many of the occasions on 

 which pigs are sacrificed, and, as we have seen in 



