34 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 79 



of the animal, and succeeded in killing it. They thereafter made a 

 trophy of its head, and a victory feast was celebrated in the ordinary 

 way. 



As to other rules of precaution wliicfi the warriors have to observe 

 after the victory the following may be mentioned : In the evening 

 of the day the enemies have been killed all warriors who have taken 

 part in the massacre slightly prick themselves over the whole body, 

 the arms, legs, shoulders, breast, and stomach with a pointed arrow 

 of the kind the Jibaros use for tlieir blowpipes. This is believed to 

 protect them against the spirit of the killed enemy. In the dream the 

 slayer meets the spirit, who says to him : " Come, let us dance to- 

 gether." The warrior's own soul or spirit then answers : " No ; I 

 can not dance, for I have my body full of sores." If in the evening 

 he has not pricked himself in the way mentioned, he will in the dream 

 obey the exhortation of the inimical spirit to dance with him, and 

 the consequence of this will be that the warrior will soon die. The 

 Jibaros therefore say that they prick themselves in the way de- 

 scribed " in order not to die." 



In regard to the diet of the Jibaro warriors, there is nothing pre- 

 scribed for the.time they are preparing for and marching to the war. 

 They may then eat whatever they like. But as soon as a Jibaro has 

 killed an enemy the fasting begins. All those who took part in the 

 killing of the enemy are, during the return home, allowed to eat 

 only boiled and mashed manioc, a dish called nau?na. This food has 

 to be cooked exclusively by the slayers themselves. No other man, 

 and still less a woman, may prepare it. When the warriors eat they 

 never touch the manioc with their fingers, like the Jibaros generally 

 do, but they use small wooden pins to eat with. Their hands having 

 been polluted with the blood of their enemies, the food would become 

 impure if they touched it, and they would expose themselves to 

 death. 



Moreover, the warriors are not allowed to bathe or to wash them- 

 selves in any way until they reach home. Dirty and soiled with 

 blood, as they departed from battle, they should arrive home. This, 

 of course, also holds good for their clothing, their loin cloth (itipi) 

 and other clothes, as well as their weapons, the bloody lance with 

 which the enemy was killed, and the knife with which his head was 

 cut off. It is not until later, at the general ceremonial purification 

 at home, that the warrior himself and his weapons can be washed. 



Ever since the hour when the warrior killed his enemy, and up to 

 the feast which is called siuijiiartinyu, and which is celebrated some 

 months later, he is not either allowed to have sexual intercourse with 

 a woman or even to sleep in the same room with a woman. 



