KARSTEN] BLOOD REVENGE, WAR, AND VICTORY FEASTS 85 



spitting it out thereafter. The priest makes the wife and daughter 

 wash their mouths with the guayusa in the same way. All three are 

 now properly purified to receive food. 



Different kinds of food are brought on large banana leaves: on 

 one leaf there is some swine's flesh, fish, and manioc, as well as a little 

 salt and aji^ or Indian pepper. On another banana leaf an entire 

 boiled liver of one of the swine slaughtered has been placed. The 

 priest gives juice of tobacco to the victor through the nose and to 

 his wife and daughter through the mouth. Then he takes cautiously, 

 with two fingers, a small piece of swine's flesh, muttere a conjura- 

 tion over it, spits upon the ground, and gives the piece to the victor, 

 who swallows it without touching it with his fingers. The latter 

 subsequently receives from the hand of the old man a small piece of 

 fish, a little manioc, as well as a pinch of salt and pepper. Thereupon 

 the priest, with the same ceremonies, gives a little of the said dishes 

 to the wife and daughter of the victor. 



In return, the victor gives to the priest the swine's liver placed upon 

 the other banana leaf " as a tribute of gratitude for what the priest 

 has done for him at the feast." He handles the liver as carefully as 

 possible, touching it merely with the tips of his fingers, and gives it 

 to the priest, who bites off a mouthful of it. The rest of the liver is 

 kept by the priest, who takes it to his home. 



While these ceremonies have been going on the women, headed by 

 the priestess, have been dancing and chanting around the principal 

 persons in the way described before. 



The victor having been dressed and having broken his fast, the 

 drinking of the manioc wine, prepared with so much care, takes 

 place. This ceremony is performed in the same way as the drinking 

 of the manioc beer after the washing of the trophy on the previous 

 day. The men range in two rows from the door inward, standing 

 according to age and dignity, the oldest ones nearest to the door. 

 The wife of the victor takes her stand in front of them in the middle 

 of the house, holding the pot containing the wine in one hand and a 

 small gourd in the other. The victor first steps forth to the woman 

 and takes a draught from the gourd which she hands him. Then he 

 goes back and fetches the priest and makes him drink in the same 

 way from the gourd which the woman has meanwhile filled with 

 wine. The same is repeated with each of the older warriors, who 

 step forth by turns. After them the younger ones follow. However, 

 according to the ceremonial only the older warriors, who themselves 

 have killed some enemies and celebrated a victory feast, are allowed 

 really to drink of the wine. The younger men certainly step forth 

 to the woman, but only niake a show of drinking from the gourd 

 she holds forth and in reality do not touch it with their lips. They 



