NELSON] GREAT FEAST TO THE DEAD 369 



As they came in, tliey stooped over and crept softly and humbly to 

 their places in the open space around the sides of the kashim as though 

 trying to avoid being seen. The wearing of old clothing and their 

 coming into the room in this way was to express humility and to show 

 how little they value their offerings. It is said that if one did not 

 enter in this manner, but should hold up his head and afterward not 

 be able to give as much as some of the others, he would be ashamed 

 and become the subject of ridicule; each feast maker is emulous to give , 

 more than his fellows, and as no one knows how much the others have 

 to give, they come humbly so as not to assume any credit they may 

 subsequently lose. During all the rites of this festival, even in danc- 

 ing, they kept their faces cast to the floor to express their humility. 

 From this time forth throughout the festival, the feast makers wore 

 the filthiest and most miserable clothing they had, putting on the fine 

 garments in the grass bags only while performing certain dances. The 

 feast givers are expected to enter the kashim in the humble manner 

 described only when rites are being performed; at other times they 

 come in walking erect and moving briskly. 



It is customary for the guests and others aside from the givers of the 

 feast to enter and leave the room slowly and with as little noise as 

 possible, so as not to attract attention, thus showing their respect for 

 tlie feast givers. 



Having ranged themselves around the two sides and back of the 

 room, the feast givers took out the suits of new clothing from the grass 

 bags and exchanged them for their old garments. The wolfskin and 

 ermine fillets, already described, were put on, and the women held in 

 each hand a wand about two feet in length. These were slender sticks, 

 having the quill feathers of the golden eagle bound along their length, 

 and projecting from their tips were three bare vanes of large featbers, 

 each tipped with a tuft of downy plumes. 



The drummers began to beat in measured time and sang the song of 

 invitation to the shades as if coming from the mourners. The song, 

 translated, is as follows, each person being supposed to invoke the rela- 

 tion he or she was honoring: 



Come, mj' brother, 

 Return to us again; 

 We wait for you ; 

 Come, brother, come. 



(Chorus) 

 Our mother, come back to us. 

 Returu once more. 



(Chorus) 

 Return, our father; 

 We wait for you; 

 Come back to ns, 

 And we, who are lonely, 

 Will give you food — etc. 

 18 ETH 24 



