WINTER CEREMONIAL DAN CES 99

Towards evening he summons the kukusiut to the Can-
nibal’s house. As before, X starts to beat time, but swiftly
goes into a wild frenzy of pounding from which he is soothed
by repeated cries of hoip. Then the singers take the stick
from him and sing over a new song which they have composed
for him; this being the fourth time that the kukusiut have
assembled, it is X’s fourth song, with the usual Cannibal theme.
At dusk food is given, the marshals admonish their associates
and the gathering breaks up.

Presently, as night is falling, the kukusiut return. When
they have taken their places, they call the uninitiated, who
enter, but remain standing near the door. X passes to and
fro around the fire, not completing the circuit, but stopping
and retracing his steps when he has passed as far as the upper,
upstream, side of it. He assumes a threatening appearance,
holding his arms stretched out to their full length, his fists
clenched, while, as if to prevent him running amuck among
the non-members, two Aukusiut go constantly with him, one
on either side, uttering the cry of hoip at intervals. At
times these two guardians simulate an attempt to shove him
into the back-room, but he always eludes them and continues
around the fire. Meanwhile the singers, with the kukusiut,
sing over X’s songs; as each is finished the Cannibal’s ferocity
appears to rise within him so that he growls, and his guardians
call out, hoip at the back of his neck, accompanied by the
emission of considerable saliva. This is repeated four times,
after each of the songs. When these are finished the unini_
tiated are sent out and the kukusiut eat together while a mar-
shal functions; then they too depart.

A number of kukusiut always remain with X to act as
guardians; they replace one another at intervals without
specific order, and there is no compulsion upon anyone to

assume the task. When the kukusiut have departed, one of |

these attendants takes the leading part in forcing downwards
from X his sgioés, the muzzle-_like power which binds his mouth
against ordinary food. All the guardians crowd around ax.