CONTENTS 



Page. 



Introduction 1 



Means of defense 3 



Chiefs and wars 7 



Causes of the wars 8 



How the feuds and wars are carried out 16 



The head trophy (tsantsa) and its preparation 28 



Numbuimartiti y u, '* the washing of the blood " 35 



Suamartinyu, "the feast of painting with genipa (sua)" 43 



The tsantsa feast — cvisupuni 48 



Tile dance wuimenshi 51 



The preparation of the manioc beer (nihamdnchi) and the manioc 



wine (sangucha sfiiki) 56 



The first day of the feast : Vtsandowai, " The feast is opened " 62 



The second day of the feast : Nat^ma umdrtinyu, " The drinking of 



the natema " 70 



The third day of the feast: Nihantsa nihdrtinyu, "The washing of 



the tsantsa " 73 



The slaughter of the swine: Cuchi achiktahei mdtinyu 80 



The last day of the feast: Nambera shidkma, "The feast is con- 

 cluded" 83 



Concluding remarks on the tsantsa feast 87 



Index 91 



V 



