CH. XII SONGS AND BOMANCE IN OLD MINAEASSA 315 



classical mythology, but one will be sufficient to illustrate 

 the point. 



Nisos, king of Megara, had upon the top of his head a single 

 hair, which was purple in colour, and upon which, according 

 to the oracle, his life depended. His daughter, ScyUa, was ac- 

 quainted with this secret, and when the city was besieged by her 

 lover, Minos, king of Crete, she pulled this hair out, so that 

 Nisos died and the city was taken. 



In these two examples, from the Old Testament and 

 classical writings, we have two important variations. In 

 the former we have the belief that the man's strength 

 is in some mysterious way connected with his hair as a 

 whole; in the latter, that a man's life is in some way 

 dependent upon the safety of a single hair growing on the 

 crown of his head, which is of a curious or particular 

 colour. 



Both of these variations are to be found in Minahassa. 



I have already referred to the boto, or locks of human 

 hair, which are stirred up in boiling water to extract the 

 courage, and the water is subsequently drunk by the 

 warriors to give them courage. This ceremony is un- 

 questionably due to the belief that courage^and in the 

 savage mind physical strength is regarded as an accessory 

 of courage — is in some mysterious way connected with the 

 hair of the head. 



The single-hair variation of the belief is seen in the 

 Bantik story, ' Kasimbaha and Utahagi ' {vide p. 264). 



Here is a story told by the Alfurs of Minahassa, showing 

 another variation of the same : — 



A certain Mamanua came across a woman named Luma- 

 lundung in the course of a hunt, and straightway proposed to 

 marry her. ' Very good,' she said, ' but you must promise me 

 jiever to touch my head, for if I lose a single hair of my head, 

 then am I lost to you.' Mamanua promised that he would not, 



