n CLANS INFLUENCED BY LUSHEIS 139

birth is that the Ui-ha-awr sacrifice is only performed if the
child's hair has a reddish tinge and the whites of its eyes turn
yellowish.

The Sakhua sacrifices are very elaborate, and consist of a
series commencing with the Vok-rial, which is necessary when
a new house has been completed. A sow is killed at the head
of the parents' sleeping place, and whatever portions of the flesh
are not at once consumed are placed beneath it till the next
day. The house during this time is " sherh." No one may enter
it, and the occupants must not speak to strangers nor enter the
forge. Later on a boar is killed in the front verandah, and the
heart, liver, and entrails, known as " kawrawl," are placed under
the parents' sleeping place for five days, and are eaten by the
parents, the father sitting with his back to the partition wall
and the mother facing him. During these five days a hrilh as
above is observed. This sacrifice is called " Vok-pa"—i.e.t
" Boar "—and is followed by the " Hnuaipui"—i.e., " Great
Beneath "—a full-grown sow being killed under the house, and
its head and sherh buried at the foot of one of the main posts.
The flesh is cooked beneath the house, but eaten in it. A three
days' hrilh follows. The series concludes with cc Hnuaite "—i.et>
" Lesser Beneath"—which is similar to the former, but a young
sow is killed.

These sacrifices are performed as the necessary animals
become available.

A dead Fanai is buried in the usual Lushai way, but no
rice is placed in the grave. An offering of maize, however, is
suspended above it. It may be noted that in the Zahao country
rice is not cultivated, the staple crop being maize. The Fanai
do not kill tigers, giving as the reason that a former ancestor
of theirs lost his way, and was conducted back to his village by
a tiger, which kindly allowed him to hold its tail.

This clan is found scattered in the Lushai villages to the The
north of Aijal, in which neighbourhood there are also one or
two villages under Ralte chiefs. I have already—in Part I.,
Chapter V, para. 1—given the legend regarding the repeopling
of the world and the closing of the exit from the Chhinglung
owing to the loquacity of the pair of Ralte. The names of
these mythical ancestors were Hehua and Leplupi. Their two