| caption: |
history of feuds and head hunting near Houpu |
| text: |
Houpu has played a role in the history of several raids during the last decades. Some years ago Sema from the village Melahomi and Lizotomi attacked Houpu and captured nine heads. As that had been an easy exploit they thought that this would be a comfortable way of getting heads and they soon wanted to repeat their heroic act but this time Houpu was prepared. The attacking Semas were allowed to take the lower khel without resistance (192) as the inhabitants retreated apparently fleeing into the upper part of the village. When all Semas were in the lower khel into which they had found entrance through a small gap in the wall, suddenly Yimsungr friends of the Houpu men appeared behind the houses and cut down many of the Sema who could not retreat quickly enough through the narrow hole. The fleeing men were chased into the forest by the Houpu men who now appeared and were cut down in great numbers. The entire forest is supposed to have smelt of rotten corpses after that. Since then the Sema leave Houpu alone. |
