426 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Ball. 175 



monia," and "rheumatism." He was single, and, at the time of his suicide, 

 which occurred around 1896, both of his parents were still alive. 



The case of Tama :rahue is a rather puzzling one. According to Hama : Utce., 

 "he was a good man, who never bewitched anyone." My other informants were 

 likewise unable to say precisely why various people, including even his own 

 relatives, kept on accusing him of witchcraft. According to Pulyi : k, Tama :- 

 rahue's chief accuser appears to have been Ahwe: Tcukiev Hinok (enemy to- 

 gether human-spider),^^ a warrior and a witch killer. Another of his accusers 

 was Pakutce ( = "brainy," a wise person) . 



Tama :rahue "was getting tired of it, although he was not afraid (of being 

 killed)." One afternoon he therefore dug up some ismaly katuh (Jimson 

 weed, or datura), soaked it in water for a while, and then drank almost a 

 gallon of this liquid. Then he headed for the Colorado River, in- 

 tending to drown himself. Some people, who found out what he was planning 

 to do, promptly pursued him, hoping to prevent him from killing himself. 

 However, Tama :rahue had so much of a headstart over his pursuers, that he 

 reached the river at around 6 :00 p.m., and, before anyone could catch up with 

 him, jumped into the water and drowned almost immediately. His corpse 

 floated from Parker. Ariz., all the way to Avi: Vata :y (Riverside Mountains) 

 where it ran aground. Eventually some people found his body and brought 

 it back to Parker for cremation. 



Comment 



Tama : rahue's suicide is remarkable in several respects. Since the Mohave 

 are not malicious people, it is unusual for them to accuse anyone of witchcraft, 

 unless the witch practically confesses his misdeeds (Devereux, 1937 c). The 

 use of Jimson weed is also atypical, partly because, imlike the Diegueiio 

 (Toffelmier and Luomala, 1936), the Mohave do not use Jimson weed in 

 shamanistic practices (pt. 4, pp. 208-212), and partly because this is the only 

 recorded Mohave instance of acute Jimson weed poisoning. The drowning is 

 also noteworthy, partly because most Mohave are competent swimmers (Deve- 

 reux, 1950 e) and partly becau.se this is the only recorded case of suicide by 

 drowning."^ The.'ie unusual details suggest that T:'ima: rahue must have been 

 so deviant a personality that he arou.sed suspicion even in Mohave society, 

 which is notoriously tolerant of personal eccentricities. 



The main importance of this case history is, however, the fact that Tama :- 

 rahue's behavior can best be described as jumping from the frying pan into the 

 fire. He committed suicide, in order to avoid being killed, whereas other witches 

 cause themselves to be killed in order not to have to commit suicide. It is for 

 this reason that his case history is included in the chapter on vicarious suicide, 

 and is only briefly referred to in the case material on actual suicide. (See 

 Supplementary Case C.) 



VICARIOUS SUICIDE OF BIbWES 



The Mohave warrior's vicarious suicide appears to be a link con- 

 necting the suicide of relatively ordinary persons with the vicarious 

 suicide of witches (pt. 7, pp. 387-426). According to various inform- 

 ants, .suicidal braves sometimes deliberately strayed into enemy terri- 

 tory in order to be killed.^® Since Avarfare is now obsolete, the in- 



" The word "hlnok" was also translated as "human-animal" meaning presumably a 

 mythical spider, animal, or creature which Is a person (Ipa :). 



'^ Sahaykwlsa :'.s death was at first mistakenly believed to be due to accidental drown- 

 ing (i.e., perhaps to suicide). (Case 105). 



^ The existence of this practice was first brought to my attention by Dr. A. M. Halpern 

 (1938). 



