KARSTEN] 



BLOOD KEVENGE, WAR, AND VICTORY FEASTS 



55 



In the ceremonial language the Jiharos often make use of certain 

 Quichua words, which are very rare in their language. The word 

 sinchi is Quichua and means " strong " ; and likewise the word aya^ 

 which means "soul," "dead man." In the formula mentioned the 

 soul of the enemy, materialized in the tsantsa, is directly spoken to. 



The phrases are in most cases recited quite monotonously or nearly 

 as when one speaks. In other cases they are sung in a special melody, 

 as in the following chant directed to the maikoa^ the most important 

 narcotic drink of the Jibaros : 



" Maikoa malt'e sinchi,- maikoa make sinchi.'''' 



" Make the mmkoa strong ; make the maikoa very strong." 



I 





El 



^ffi 



* w 



Ma\-Ko-a Ma-ke sin-chi.mal-ko-Q ma-ke sin-chi.mai-ko-a 



i 



r f M )i ) \ \ -jL_X^i 



^ 



ma -He sin-chi ,mai-ko-a ma-ke sin-chi.mai-ko-a 



ma -ke s in -chi . mai - ko-a 



ma-ke sin-chi 

 Rep. ad-lib. 



During the days that the dance wvmnenshi takes place the tsantsa^ 

 enveloped in a cloth, is kept hanging over one of the fires in the house 

 in such a way that it is continually touched by the smoke from the 

 fire. The object of keeping the trophy in this way is partly to kill the 

 microbes which are likely to destroy it, partly, as it seems, to mortify 

 the spirit of the dead enemy. The spirit (wakdni), according to the 

 idea of the Indians, always keeps in the neighborhood of the tsantsa 

 and now and then approaches the head in the ghostly, invisible shape 

 of a man. During the dance and the conjurations the Indians at 

 times move away from the chonta pillar round which they dance and 

 make a tour of the house, when they also approach the trophy hang- 

 ing over the fire and chant to it. 



The slayer himself does not take part in the dance, but he is not 

 allowed to sleep at all during the night. Sitting on a sort of chair 

 of honor specially made for him, he merely looks on at the perform- 

 ance, only now and then giving the young men a sign to stop dancing 

 or to begin again. Outside the ring some old women take their 

 stand, offering manioc beer to the dancing men and women, who 

 by turns step out from the ring to empty a pininga of the drink. 

 As a rule, the women only take part in the beginning of the 

 dance ; the men, on the contrary, have to continue with it until dawn. 

 At 6 o'clock an older Indian comes and gives three strokes with a 



