________________
OCTOBER, 1899.]
NOTES ON THE NICOBARESE.
261
destruction of the hut-post, as just described, the itaha is broken up, and the materials of which it is constructed are thrown into the jungle. This act necessitates the removal of the pomal-ork which is then rolled away and stored under another but until the time arrives for celebrating the entoin feast.co
The ceremony mentioned in footnote 56 (ante) takes place before dusk; and after sundown on that and the two following days a fire is kindled near tbe head of the grave by means of fire-sticks, and kept burning throughout those three nights by one or more of the mourners who undertake this duty. The usual occupants of the hut sleep therein after the funeral and may in fact sleep in no other.
As has been already mentioned, mourners are not allowed to tastest anything except hot water until about 24 hours have elapsed since the demise. It is not thought necessary to draw water specially for their consumption, but any that may happen to be in the hut at the time is used. No idea of its defilement through the presence of death seems to have croesed the Nico barese mind. Evidently some sentiment of the kind, however, attaches to the state of the hut and the persons of the mourners, as it is obligatory early on the morning after the interment that a thorough hodse-cleaning be undertaken. After everything has been removed from the walls and floor of the hat, the former are swept with a broom (yiht-hanga), and the latter washed with hot water (et-shēch-oal-fit). The mourners then wash themselves by pouring water over each other. This is known as the keolaich-i-dnh-hare, implying purification by ablution. After they have dried themselves, they, have, in order to be completely purified from their recent contact with the dead, to be anointed with an unguent, termed danun-ánha,65 by the menliana who, moistening his fingers therewith, performs the act of lustration (enliana) by anointing each mourner in turn on the head and shoulder, uttering meantime repeatedly the mystic term " epsh" or "čush," which to the people of the present day conveys no precise meaning, but is regarded either as an injunction to the Evil Spirits to keep away, or as conferring some sort of cbarm or protection against their machinations. Meantime a man takes a short lighted torch, made of dry COConnut leaves, which he waves in all directions inside the hut with the object of driving away any Evil Spirits that may be lurking therein. This act is termed koho-ni-oal.
With the farther object of disguising themselves so that the departed spirit may fail to recognise them, and may do them no mischief, all the mourners shave their heads (ikoah-ko1), in addition to which the women shave their eye-brows (ikoah-puyöl-okmdt), and the men eradicate with tweezers any hair they may have on their apper lips and chins (itosh-enhòin).86 It is also common for a mourner, for the same reason, to assume Bome now names for him or herself, which, in a great measure, accounts for the fact that some individuals have borne several different names in the course of their lives. This dread of the disembodied spirits of their departed relatives and friends87 is induced by the conviction that they so keenly desire to return to the scenes and associates of their earthly existence that they are utterly unscrupulous as to the means and methods they adopt for the purpose of attaining their object.
80 At some villages this feast takes place on the 3rd, 5th or 7th day after the interment, but generally not till 8 or 5 months have elopeed. In the latter case a dark night is selected.
* The reason for this fast from solid food is that if a meal were eaten in the presence of a corpse, the ghost might inadvertently be swallowed at the same time.
# For this parpose they we brush-like object, called fanndh-zah (or hannah-ah) (ante, Vol. XXIV. p. 49], consisting of a Pandawu drupe after the pulp has been extracted. Old rage of Backs, eto, are afterwards used for wiping the planke. (Jourt, Anthrop. Inat., Vol. XV. p. 67.]
65 This consists merely of the pounded leaves of a certain tree mixed with cocoannt-oil.
# Some have been observed to shave all but a single lock of hair on the crown, after the manner of Hindus. It should, however, be mentioned that this custom of having is optional in the case of & menlliana, most of whom affect long hair. Journ. Anthrop. Inat., Vol. XV. pp. 73 and 99.
#6 In cases of sudden death, as from a fatal accident, anako-bite, or other cause, the same measures are adopted by all the follow-villagers of the deceased, and the tourning they observe is the herhudea-hamwishe (vide note 89).
86 Journ. Anthrop. Inst., VOL. XV. p. 73.
11 The natives of Car Nicobar affirm that among them this feeling extends only to the spirits of bad men and of those who met their death by foul means. These do not become less dangerous until many years have elapsed
