ABORS AND GALONGS. 57 



comparative scarcity of women and is rigidly enforced by communities in which men 

 are in a marked majority. By exchanging brides and so adjusting the proportion of 

 the two sexes, polyandry, which is common amongst certain hill peoples, appears to 

 have been avoided. It has not, as yet, been ascertained whether this custom of ex- 

 change is followed by the more northern tribes of the Dihang valley. 



I have not been able to discover any definite religious rites connected with either 

 „ , . marriage or birth amongst the Abors and Galongs, but as 



Taboo in pregnancy. ° ° ° 



these notes do not pretend to be in any way exhaustive, it 

 does not follow that such ceremonies do not exist. The Subansiri Daflas put up long 

 chain-like charms over the house in which a newly-married couple are living to keep away 

 malevolent spirits. The house warming appears to be celebrated with more than 

 usually heavy drinking. When a woman is pregnant she must not drink water from 

 the leaves of the wild potato, otherwise the child will be born with defective 

 eyesight. For this, the Abors hold, there is no antidote. The Doric pheasant is taboo, 

 for it is believed that the flesh of the bird produces spots and markings on the body of 

 the infant; if, however, a Doric is sacrificed the unfortunate effects of the injudi- 

 cious repast are said to be avoided. Nor may a pregnant woman kill either snakes 

 or frogs lest the child be born with a darting, snake-like tongue, or crooked limbs. 1 

 In corroborating taboos during pregnancy the Rotung Abors added doves, jungle fowl 

 and Pitta nepalensis. Women may never eat the head of any creature. Infanticide is 

 unknown. 



Twins are very rare and are, for superstitious reasons, unwelcome; double plan- 

 • . , „ , „ . tains and other fruits are supposed to produce them. So, 



Birth Customs and Naming. rr r ' 



until the approach of old age makes the precaution un- 

 necessary, double fruit is shunned by both sexes. If a woman, when pregnant, 

 dreams that she is given two knives it is held to be a sign that she is about to give 

 birth to twins. When in labour Abor women cling to a horizontal bar and are 

 delivered in a more or less kneeling position. If there is any difficulty in 

 parturition the woman stands up, and she is then assisted by any women who 

 are supposed to be at all skilful; it has not been discovered that there are 

 any professional mid wives. If the labour is difficult pigs, fowls and sometimes 

 mithan ire sacrified to Xipong. The mortality of women in child-birth is heavy. 

 It has been learnt from Minyong sources that string is tied round the umbilical cord 

 in two places and that a bamboo is always used to cut the cord. The placenta and 

 umbilical cord are not, according to evidence gathered at Rotung, actually buried 

 in the jungle : they are thrown into the forest for, so I was informed, there is 

 a Minyong superstition that the child would die, and be buried too. This, the Pasis 

 affirm, is a Miri superstition and that they themselves bury the placenta and cord 

 under the house. But since I was told, the year before, in Balek that they were buried 

 in the jungle some uncertainty arises. At the same time the two different customs 



1 These details were given me in Balek by an exceptionally reliable witness. In the course of his evidence he 

 volunteered statements about Galong and other communities that I knew by observation to be correct : this evidence 

 may therefore be regarded as satisfactory. 



