18G6.] Karen feasts for the Dead. ' 22 



to prevent the spirit of the living from staying behind with the spirit 

 of the dead. 



After the funeral, the grave-digger washes his clothes, or the neg- 

 lect to do so renders him unfortunate. Married children may dig the 

 grave for a parent, but young ones are prohibited. They must hire 

 some one to do the work, and give him five rupees. 

 Feast for the Dead. 



Like the Chinese, the Bghais make annual feasts for the dead, for 

 three years after a person's death. The feast is made at the new 

 moon near the close of August, or the beginning of September ; and 

 all the villagers that have lost relatives, partake in it. 



Before the new moon, they prepare food, plantains, sugar-cane, 

 tobacco, betel nuts, betel loaves, and other articles of consumption. A 

 bamboo is laid across one ang'le of the roof of the room, and on it are 

 hung up new tunics, new turbans, new petticoats, beads and bangles ; 

 and at the appropriate time, when the spirits of the dead are supposed 

 to be present, having returned to visit them, they say : " You have 

 come to me, you have returned to me. It has been raining hard, and 

 you must be wet. Dress yourselves, clothe yourselves with these new 

 garments and all the companions that are with you. Eat betel 

 together with all that accompany you, all your friends and associates, 

 and the long dead. Call them all to eat and drink." 



After dark, all the people eat bread made of boiled rice beaten in a 

 mortar. The bread is spread down, and the people are invited : " All 

 who are hungry, eat bread here." 



Next morning, the first day of the moon, which is deemed the 

 proper feast day, the previous last day of the month being regarded as 

 the day of preparation, all who have Kyee-zees hang them up, and 

 beat them. Then they kill a hog, and make thirty bottles of bamboos. 

 Into one bottle, they put honey, into another water, in a third whis- 

 key, in a fourth salt, in a fifth oil, in a sixth chillies, and into the 

 seventh tumeric. The other twenty-three are laid aside. Loopholes 

 are made to each bottle through which a string dyed yellow is tied. 



After setting apart the seven bottles that have been filled, the re- 

 maining twenty-three are filled with food indiscriminatively. Some 

 with pork, some with boiled rice, some with bread, some with whis- 

 key, and some with betel. When these are filled, j-ice bread is rolled 



