KARSTEN] BLOOD REVENGE, WAR, AND VICTORY FEASTS 37 



singing a sort of conjuration, Avhich mainly consists of the following 

 phrase : 



Whuea heingi ikdski numlnmarmai ihambratinyu ; that is, " The 

 lohuea^ together with the oltaha {ikdski), paint you with blood to 

 start the fasting." 



As Ave shall see, the ceremony nuTrhbuirnartinyu introduces a time 

 of very strict fasting for the slayer. 



The slayer now in his turn does the whuea the same service, draw- 

 ing with his index finger two streaks with the chicken's blood upon 

 both his legs. 



The blood-painting ceremony having been finished, the piece of 

 broken clay vessel, together with the blood left in it, is immediately 

 thrown away into the forest. It is an impure and harmful substance 

 which need no longer be kept. 



The whuea asks the wife of the slayer for water, and she brings it 

 in a clay dish (pitiinga). The old man takes a little water from the 

 dish with his hand and puts it upon the head of the slayer. There- 

 after he does the same with the wife and daughter of the slayer, put- 

 ting with his hand a little water upon their heads. All three are 

 subsequently sent down to the river to bathe. 



That even the wife and the daughter of the slayer have to pass 

 through this purification procedure and afterwards also have to take 

 part in various other ceremonies is partly due to the close relation- 

 ship existing between them and the slayer, but especially to the role 

 they have played at the dance ihidmbrama. By touching the still 

 bloodstained hands and clothes of the slayer they have likewise been 

 polluted with the blood of the murdered enemy, are consequently 

 exposed to danger from the revengeful spirit, and have to be purified 

 from the blood and observe other rules of precaution. From this 

 moment up to the time for the celebration of the final great victory 

 feast they have thus to fast in the same way as the slftyer himself, 

 assisting at the said feast again at the dance ihidmbraTna, which then 

 will be repeated. 



If the slayer has two wives they generally assist at the dance men- 

 tioned. If he is quite a young man, who has not yet married, it is 

 considered obligatory that he should look for a bride for the feast. 

 The part of the other woman in this case is played by some near 

 female relative of his. 



In the river the slayer carefully washes his whole body, as well as 

 his clothing, soiled with blood in the battle, and lastly his weapons, 

 the still bloody lance and knife. Together with his wife and daugh- 

 ter, who have also washed themselves, he then returns to the house. 



On the way they break some twigs of guayusa (Ilex sp.), called 

 weisa by the Jibaros, a tree the leaves of which are used for the 

 preparation of an aromatic and tonic drink, with which tlie: Jibaros 



