78 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 79 



The men now make themselves ready to march back into the 

 house. The slayer receives juice of tobacco from the priest. Then 

 he, with the aid of the latter, takes the trophy hanging on the 

 chonta stick and hangs it over his breast. Behind the slayer the 

 other men, as usual, arrange themselves in a long column, all armed 

 with their lances and guns. The priest takes his stand behind the 

 slayer, holding his hand upon his shoulder. Some other older war- 

 riors also place themselves at the side or in front of the slayer, 

 one of them holding the small pot containing juice of tobacco, of 

 which a dose is repeatedly given the slayer. The women have pre- 

 viously returned to the house and made themselves ready to receive 

 the slayer. 



The procession now starts to move forward, the slayer walk- 

 ing slowly and solemnly, followed by the other warriors, con- 

 tinually striking the hair of the trophy with his hands. An old 

 warrior goes in front of him, holding the comb, with which the 

 trophy had l)een combed after washing, before him. The comb, by 

 having been in contact with the victim's hair, is charged with spir- 

 itual energy, and is therefore supposed to possess the power of keep- 

 ing off the spirit of the slain enemy, which according to the belief 

 of the Indians is coining to meet the slayer Avhen he approaches the 

 house, trying to kill him. 



The slayer stops at the door of the house. The priest helps him to 

 take off the trophy, ties it to a lance which he quickly passes in 

 through the door, again takes out, and passes in once more, where- 

 upon he fixes the lance in the ground at the door inside. Within the 

 house, meanwliile, the women have arranged themselves for the dance 

 ihidmhrama, which the slaj-er again has to perform* with the women 

 in the way described before. 



After the dance the priest takes the slayer around inside the house 

 to manifest that he can move about in it without danger. 



The object of this ceremony, the "washing of the tsantsa,''^ is to 

 " wash off " the malignity still maintained by the spirit of the slain 

 enemy, and definitely to make it the slave and will-less instrument 

 of the victor. This effect is first of all supposed to be brought about 

 by the sikhnuro solution, oAving to the magical properties ascribed to 

 the s'iknnvro root itself. 



Again, the object of the dancing and chanting of the women while 

 the washing of the trophy takes place, as well as of the ceremony 

 yaktinyu performed by the four warriors, is partly to keep off the 

 malicious spirit, who is being mortified and definitely enslaved 

 through the washing ceremony and is more eagerly than ever trying 

 to revenge himself, partly to give more emphasis to the ceremony 

 itself. The refrains ochoylrurnha-yamdyuiiibd^ etc., belong to an 



