| caption: |
Chapter Four. Religious Beliefs and Practices |
| caption: |
sacrifice and capture of dead personality to help in hunt |
| text: |
In Wakching I watched an incident which illustrates the nature of the 'mio.' The Thepong morung was being rebuilt, but the people had been pursued by ill-luck in the ritual hunt which formed part of the building ceremonies. They decided therefore to sacrifice a cock on the skull cist of Shouba, the father of Shankok, who had been the richest member of the Thepong and had died that year. They cast a fishing net over the skull cist in order to catch the 'mio' attracted by the sacrifice, and carried the net, believing it held the soul substance, to the morung. When the chase was resumed, an antelope fell to the spears of the hunters and none doubted that this success was due to the beneficial influence exerted by Shouba's 'mio.' |
