234 BEYEB AND BARTON. 



their legs. Ijarger bands of the same sort were also worn by the brother 

 upon the crown of his head and b}' the women around their necks. 

 Earrings made of small cross-sections of runo stalks were placed in 

 their ears, and the widow also wore a necklace made of the same 

 material. The faces, arms, and legs of all three were then rubbed with 

 a mixture of soot and ashes, and in this condition they remained for 

 the next three days. During that time thej' ate no food and drank 

 very sparingly of water. The widow and mother were prohibited from 

 bathing for a full month after Bahatan's death, and the brother for 

 ten days after the burial. Certain articles of food were also taboo 

 to them during this period. They might not mix much with other 

 people nor go on long journeys from home. Neither were festivities 

 of any sort to be held in the house nor participated in. For her full 

 twenty-eight daj'S of mourning, the widow continued to wear her coarse 

 clothing, and also wrapped around her head (in the manner shown in 

 Plate VI, fig. 3) a striped blanket.^^ 



A number of the other relatives and very near friends of Bahatan 

 also removed their ornaments and wore ear-rings or necklaces made 

 of pieces of runo stalk. These people also ate little and did not bathe 

 until after the burial. However, in their case it seems to have been 

 purely a voluntary and personal matter. Continence is maintained 

 among young and old throughout the clan district of the beheaded 

 man during the three days between the death and burial, and by some 

 of the nearer relatives during the six succeeding days. This taboo is 

 said to be very rigidly adhered to. 



After everything had been prepared, conditions remained practically 

 unchanged during the following two days. Fifteen or twenty men, 

 with their spears and shields always within easy reach, remained under 

 or around the house at all times. They were relieved at frequent in- 

 tervals, and there was a constant coming and going. Many people came 

 simply to view the body, to get first hand information regarding the 

 fight, and to learn what revenge was planned. The calling on the 

 soul of the dead man never ceased. At intervals of every two or three 

 minutes, both day and night, an old woman approached the body and 

 poking at the severed neck with a slender stick about 80 centimeters 

 long she cried to the soul to return and avenge itself. Several old 

 women relieved one another in this duty. Occasionally, an old priest 

 approached and addressed the body with a long tirade to the same 

 effect. Once in an hour, perhaps, the widow or mother emerged from 

 the little hut where she sat, and throwing her arms around the corpse 

 wept most piteously, crying to the soul to "come back ! come back !" ; 

 or, shaking the body violently, she cried ; "Wake up ! Bahatan ! "Wake 



"Called liapi. Tliis headdress when thus worn is called halu. 



