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journey to Chingphoi , food offerings to skulls |
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Around half past eight I started accompanied by Metlou and Yongem. The sun had already come out between the clouds and even before we reached Chingphoi the sky had been swept clear. On the way to the lower khel we heard the typical sound of mourning wails coming from the skull place. A woman was bringing food offerings (125) to her deceased father, husband or son, as it is customary at the Oulingbu, and in a wailing tone she asked them to eat. Some of the skull urns are still covered with cone-shaped wrappings of bamboo and palm leaves, others are standing open and the bleached skulls peak out of them |
