WINTER CEREMONIAL DANCES 33

The following morning the kukusiut alone are invited to X’s
house. The marshals meanwhile superintend the laying and
lashing of planks across two river dug-outs to form a dancing
platform. On this the singers take their places, in addition to
as many kukustut as can scramble aboard. The craft is slowly
poled either up- or downstream, according to the direction of
X’s repository,and more kukusiut accompany it along the bank;
the uninitiated watch with keen interest from the background.
X and his companions proceed towards the river and on
meeting the lashed-together canoes are taken aboard. The
singers strike up any well known usiut tune, and in time to
it as many kukusiut as possible dance on the platform sur-
mounting the craft. Each uses his own style of dancing ac-
cording to his prerogative, so that the scene is strikingly varied
and animated. X himself cowers in the centre, practically
concealed from the uninitiated by the dancers. On reaching
the village the whole party hurriedly runs to X’s house, from
which the uninitiated are rigorously barred for the rest of the
day. Those kukusiut who accompanied the party along the
bank of the river have preceded them and, as X enters, the
droning cry is raised which always heralds the appearance of
one who has been in close contact with supernatural beings.

If X is considered trustworthy, he may be allowed to go
alone to his repository, although this is only customary when
he takes a second or third prerogative. If this procedure has
been followed, X tells those present what he has seen; other-
wise his companions do so. The uninitiated listen eagerly
from the adjacent houses, wondering anxiously what is taking
place. Several kukusiut blow, or use bellow-whistles to in-
crease the awe of the hearers. Presently a herald is sent out.
He goes first to the lowest house"? of the village, then in suc-
cession to those above, announcing in each that:

“Something strange has happened to the son of the chief.”

X’s name is not mentioned; if his father is not a chief the

a em a aE TF ana As as eRe Ih ee ep Sh

"That is, to the one farthest downstream. By always going to each house
inorder from bottom to top of the village the herald avoids any danger of omissions.