n CLANS INFLUENCED BY LUSHEIS 147

younger brothers. Like the Vuite, the Rangte claim that
sodomy is unknown among them. In their religious beliefs
they employ the nomenclature of the Thados, though there
is a little variation. The place of Pupawla on the road to
Mi-thi-khua is taken by an old woman, named Kul-lo-nu, who
is evidently the same as the Thado Kulsamnu, who troubles all
except the Thangchhuah. Thlan-ropa is known as "Dapa/'but the
legends regarding him are similar to those told by the Lushais.

On the birth of a female child, zu is drunk, but should the
child be a son, a pig and a fowl have to be killed, and three
days later the puithiam comes and sprinkles the mother with
water, muttering charms as he does so, after which ceremony
she can go out. Immediately after a death everyone present
seizes the nearest weapon and slashes wildly at the walls, posts,
shelves, and partitions, shouting, " You have killed him! We will
cut you limb from limb, whoever you may be." The young
men then go out in search of wild birds and beasts, the bodies
of which are hung on posts round the grave. The corpse is
adorned with the head-dress of hornbilTs feathers, as among the
Vuite and most of the Old Kuki clans. The corpses of
ordinary persons are buried without much ceremony close to
the house, but the Thangchhuah are carried round the
village, as among the Khawtlang, and then enclosed in hollow
tree trunks, and kept for periods varying from two months to a
year in special sheds, with fires smouldering beneath them, after
which the bones are buried. In this it will be noticed that the
Rangte custom is a composite of Lushei, Vuite,, and Khawtlang.

Lukawng is only paid if the deceased has been a great
hunter or warrior. In their marriage ceremonies the Rangte
differ but little from the Lushais. The " Khal " sacrifices are
omitted, but most of the others are performed.

Thangchhuah honours are attained by giving only two
feasts—the " Chong," at which a hen has to be sacrificed1 and
two pigs and a mithan killed, and the " Mai-thuk-kai," at
which two mithan, three pigs, and a hen have to be killed.
The guests hold hands and form a circle round the house of the
giver of the feast, who has to anoint the head of each of them
with pig's fat. The Buh-Ai is unknown, but the Ai of wild
animals is performed as among the Lushais.

L 2