Stones and thorns are heaped on the top of the grave to prevent pigs
and dogs scratching up the earth, and a low fence is built round it.
Two bamboo posts are then put up, one at the head and one at the foot,
with a cross-bar between them. In the case of a man’s grave a basket
containing a gourd of “madhu,” a little boiled rice and six pieces of
meat is hung on the post at the head. His wooden dao-holder, and
bear’s-hair wig, cloth, cowrie lengta, ivory armlets, etc., are hung on
the cross-bar, and his spears are stuck upright on the grave. In the
case of a woman’s grave only the basket is hung at the head, containing
five instead of six pieces of meat. A fire is lighted on the grave. For
six days after the death of a man and five days after the death of a
woman no member of the household must speak to a stranger or kill any
living thing. When this period of “genna” is over the man’s possessions
are removed from the grave, and imitation spears, or very old ones, put
in their place. On the cross-bar above the grave round bamboo basket
balls are put to represent the number of times the deceased has done
the head-taking “genna.” Sometimes roughly carved wooden heads are
used. Tigers made from a short length of bamboo, with short bamboo
“legs” and “tail,” commemorate his prowess in the chase. [163] On this
day the wings of the “death chicken” are taken down from the wall, and
cut with a dao on the step between mpongki and lhurhui, six times for a
man and five times for a woman, and a prayer is offered that the dead
person will not haunt the house, and in the case of a man who has taken
heads a mithan and a pig are sacrificed by his clan. For a woman, or a
man who has not taken heads, only a pig is sacrificed. The fire is kept
alight on the grave and the offerings of food are renewed until the
tuku emung, when the dead man is supposed finally to take his departure
to the Land of the Dead, and all ornaments being removed the grave
becomes part of the village street again.