whole building is dismantled and the site cleaned and re-levelled. The
work of rebuilding is then begun. This again the Puthi initiates by a
formal act. Beginning with the humtse tachungo he digs a little hole
with the butt of his spear at the places where the three carved posts
are to be set up, and pours or spits a little “rohi madhu” into each
hole. The posts are then put up, new ones being substituted for any
which may have decayed, and the champo is rebuilt as quickly as
possible. Before leaving the work for the night the Puthi places a
little ginger sprinkled with “madhu” on two crossed leaves at the foot
of the humtse tachungo in order to keep away evil spirits, to whom
ginger is particularly obnoxious. Thatching alone is left till next
day, which is a day of less work and more play. Everyone feasts and
puts on his best clothes, the men wearing full dancing dress. The first
bunch of thatch having been put in place by the Puthi, the braves of
the village dance, some on the ground and some on the roof of the
“morung,” all singing the pangashari, a slow chant in which the
war-like deeds of the village in the past are recounted. This song goes
on all the time the thatch is being put on. A similar dance on the roof
is performed by the Konyaks of Namsang and Tamlu when a “morung” is
rebuilt. The thatching being finished the oha stones are replaced by
the Yenga at the foot of the humtse tachungo. All the men, led by the
Puthi, then slowly dance in a rough column of fours formation round the
village, ho-hoing as they go. The chant is called yanungshari. The
carcases of the pig and cow are taken out of the little hut in which
they have been kept and cut up and distributed to all males, the Puthi
receiving as his share half the head of the cow split longitudinally. A
feature of this, the second day of the ceremonies, is the dog-killing
which takes place. Every champo in the village kills a small dog. That
belonging to the champo which is being rebuilt is carefully fattened up
beforehand and tied up in front of the Puthi’s house. When the time
comes to kill this dog an admiring throng gathers round while the
oldest man of the “khel” sits by the dog and gives it a bone to keep it
quiet. He then covers it with his cloth. Opposite to him stands the man
reputed to be the finest warrior in the “khel,” and the following
dialogue takes place. Warrior: “Move away.” Old man: “Will you take
care?” Warrior: “I will take care.” Old man: “Do not hurt the dog.”
Warrior: “I will kill it quickly.” At these words the old man uncovers
the dog and moves aside. The warrior then attempts to split its skull
exactly in two with one blow of his dao. When the dog falls about a
dozen bucks and boys dance round and round it chanting, “He has killed
it, he has killed it.” The head is cut off and brought to the champo,
where it is carefully examined to see if it has been well and truly
split. If the blow is found to have been a crooked one, the man who