WINTER CEREMONIAL DANCES 89

through the village announcing what has taken place. Mean-
while X, maddened by the taste of blood, dashes from the
house, closely guarded by a number of Aukusiut. Growling, he
enters the lowest house of the village and, to the uninitiated
there, it appears as if the restraint of his guardians is all that
prevents the biting demon from breaking loose among them.
This is repeated at every house in the village, and then X
returns to that in which gothm is taking place, where he is
guided to his usual corner and a Ausiut throws cold water over
him. Any senior kusiut, often one who is also a shaman, calls
on those present to beat time, and the frenzied orchestra of
sticks sounds forth. X remains quiet and more water is thrown
over him. This pounding of sticks is four times repeated, and
after each more water is thrown over the Cannibal, until at last
his temporary fit of frenzy is stilled. Then the kukusiut eat in
comfort and leave. It must be remembered that the unini-
tiated hear the beating of sticks from adjacent houses, and
their awe is perhaps increased by the fact that they cannot
actually see what is taking place.

This liability to madness lasts throughout the ceremonial
season, effectively suppressing any venturesome uninitiated,
and at the same time serving as a bond of union among the
kukusiut themselves, who must sink individual differences of
opinion in face of the absolute necessity of upholding X’s
prestige. A Cannibal novice can likewise become frenzied at
any time during the summer following his initiation.

The Cannibal dance entails a considerable amount of phy-
sical and mental effort, while if X bites many individuals, as
he likes to do as a means of demonstrating his prerogative, he
is forced to expend a considerable amount of goods as “Ban-
dages.” These two factors often deter a man from performing
this dance. A Cannibal who has just been initiated as a
kusiut at once begins to bite, and is carried away to the upper
regions. He is required, moreover, to give his ceremony the
following winter, like any other novice. During the summer
he generally remains hidden within his house, and when he goes