48 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bui.i,. 79 



THE TSANTSA FEAST— EIN8UPANI 



The general Aame for a feast among the Jibaros is rumiheia^ which 

 word, however, particularly signifies a drinking feast. The tsantsic 

 feast is, therefore, sometimes called nanihera tsantsa.^ The tech- 

 nical name for this feast is elnsupani^ from einftjsu, " folk," 

 "people," and the word ''■pant,-'' which also seems to mean "feast," 

 but is only used in this and a couple of other words.' " To cele- 

 brate a feast" means ihidinhrama^ whereas the verbal substantive 

 ihidmbrat'myu signifies the person Avho makes the feast, or in whose 

 honor it is held. The principal person at the tsantsa feast — that is, 

 the slayer — is also entitled mangertoma ("the one who has killed"). 

 As a host at the feast he is called heindlnyu. 



The fsanfsa feast is also sometimes called tsantsa ynoina — that is, 

 "the eating of the tsantsa'''' — which expression especially has ref- 

 erence to the series of conjurations through which the spirit of the 

 killed enemy is trodden under foot, mortified, and enslaved. When 

 the Jibaro is speaking of an enemy whom he particularly hates and 

 wants to kill he says of him: '^Yuotahel^'' — "I Avill eat him." This 

 expression may be a survival from a time when the Jibaros were 

 cannibals, and as a matter of fact at the head feast, as we shall see, 

 a ceremony has formerly taken place which may be regarded as 

 cannibalism. 



The final tsantsa feast generally takes place about one and a half 

 or two, sometimes even three or more, years after- the suamartinyu^ 

 according to the thoroughness with which the victor wants to pre- 

 pare himself for the same. One or two months before the prepa- 

 rations proper begin the slayer returns to that life of a penitent 

 which was prescribed for him during the period between numhui- 

 mart'myu and sua7naitmyu. He thus is not allowed to wear other 

 clothes than his loin cloth, keeps his hair untied, resigns all orna- 

 ments and facial painting, does not bear a lance, does not go out 

 hunting or fishing, abstains from sleeping with his wife, etc. His 

 diet also is much the same as then. From now until the feast is 

 over he eats only fruits, manioc, bananas, sweet potatoes, etc., but only 

 boiled, not roasted. 



All preparations for the feast are made by the slayer himself, 

 who also acts as host at the feast. In this quality he has to attend 

 to several representative duties. 



One and a half or two months before the feast the women com- 

 mence to make the many clay vessels needed-, a work which they 

 continue for some Aveeks. Among these clay vessels there are large 



•The word hixtii, which is now most fiequently usod for a fpast (tsaiitfia ]iis1u, etc.). 

 Is borrowed from Spanish {fiinta). 



'• Kusiipaiii, " tlie feast of the men," and Yaurdiifini, " the feast of ihe dogs."' 



