KARSTBN] BLOOD REVENGE, WAR, AND VICTORY FEASTS 69 



During the dance certain words and phrases, adapted for the occa- 

 sion, are also pronounced. Thus the name of the killed enemy is again 

 and again mentioned, as are also the names of his relatives and the 

 name of his native place. Similarly details of the war and of the 

 battle, the lance with which the enemy was killed, or the knife with 

 which his head was cut off, and even the canoe in which the victors 

 went down, etc., are repeatedly mentioned. This dance, with short 

 intervals, is continued until dawn. The men, however, do not take 

 part in the dance the whole time, but sometimes leave the women 

 alone. The latter, who are headed by the priestess, and among whom 

 the wife and daughter of the slayer are the most active, first of all 

 have to attend to the dance. The slayer himself also dances nearly 

 the whole time, with the tsantsa hanging on his back. He is not al- 

 lowed to sleep during the night. 



Whereas even young girls of 8 or 10 years of age take part in the 

 general dance, the half-grown boys seem to be excluded from it. These 

 have another task confided to them. When the older men and women 

 arrange themselves for the dance, the boys are placed within the 

 ring, and when the dance commences they engage in a savage wres- 

 tling match, continually throwing each other to the ground, again 

 rising, again wrestling, etc. This wrestling is continued for about an 

 hour in the same violent manner, but is not repeated later during 

 the night. As to the significance of this wrestling, the Indians only 

 gave the explanation that it is " part of the feast." The boys, as a 

 matter of fact, had previously been instructed by an older Indian. 

 The wrestling thus is of a ceremonial nature, and forms part of the 

 general conjurations. 



The dance hantsemdta is continued without interruption until 

 about 1 o'clock, when there is a short interval. The flesh of the 

 swine slaughtered in the afternoon of the day before has now to be 

 cooked. According to the ritual of the feast, as already mentioned, 

 the flesh of the swine slaughtered at the feast can only be cooked at 

 midnight. On several large fires, made in different parts of the 

 house, large clay pots are placed, which are filled with the flesh 

 cut into pieces. During the preparations for the cooking, and while 

 the flesh is being boiled, the dance hantsemdta is continued with more 

 vigor than before, all men and women who are not tending the fires 

 being engaged in it. Likewise some chickens are killed and their 

 flesh is boiled. The Indian who conducts the dance is seen dancing 

 for a while with two or three recently killed chickens tied round 

 his waist. The dance is supposed to hurry on the cooking of the 

 flesh, and probably also to exert a favorable influence upon the 

 augmentation of the domestic animals in future. As soon as the 

 flesh is sufficiently cooked the pots are taken off the fires and lifted 



