Language Name goes here

1a

A taboo marker, consisting of one or more arrow-grass canes, bilāu.

Typically three or four top leaves of the cane are tied in a knot, leaving two leaves, one on either side, below the knot; all other leaves are stripped off. Placed on or near something, it indicates that something is forbidden, either the taking of something or the passage through or entry into or near an area. Typical situations in which a taboo marker is used: to guard crops, hamleng; placed in a ritual field, puntonā'an, during the post-transplanting holiday season, ulpi 1; placed along a trail of entry into a village, to prevent entry by visitors during worm eradication holiday, ālup; placed on the front eaves, hibuy, of a house to prevent non-family members of the village from coming into or under the house the day baby chicks are brought down from a nest, lo'ah; placed on the front eaves during the transplanting of seedlings in the owner's field, as a sign that no one is to visit the house or come to borrow something; placed on property such as a fruit tree, a stack of firewood along a trail, to warn would-be thieves; placed on pond-field dikes where rats pass, to prevent them from eating the grain. A taboo marker over which a crop-guarding prayer, hamleng 1, or taboo-marker enforcing prayer, pūdung 3, has been recited, appeals to a spirit to enforce the taboo. Not always, however, are prayers recited. In such cases, if it is known or suspected that no prayer has been said, it appears that there is little fear that spirits will enforce disobeying the marker; however, if one is caught disobeying the taboo, the fine imposed is more severe than if no taboo marker had been displayed. Crossing the canes, awel, warns violators that prosecution will be more severe if caught.

ludho' 1

1b

For someone (agent muɴ-; s agent maN-) to mark something (loc ref -an) as taboo with a taboo marker (theme i-) by placing it on or near that marked as taboo, as described above.

pamūdung; mamūdung

For someone (agent) to use a particular arrow-grass cane (inst paN-) for a taboo marker.

2

A guard spirit, or class of guard spirits.

A sub-class of Skyworld spirits, abuniyan; they guard crops, animals, houses and against certain sicknesses. People who own certain crop-guarding prayers, hamleng 1, invoke these spirits to act as crop-guarding spirits, hamleng 2. They are known as the `teeth' of the pūdung and hamleng prayers. They relate to, and are named after, various poisonous snakes and insects. Their `bite' causes swelling of the limbs of anyone whom they punish as, e.g., one who disregards a taboo marker or even accidentally brushes against it.

3

A guard-spirit prayer.

This short prayer, also known as abuniyan, see abuniyan 3, essentially consists of naming various guard spirits described under 2, with a concluding appeal appropriate to the occasion for which the prayer is recited. It is recited on various occasions, as during a major blessing ritual, pāhang; minor blessing ritual, tūngul; ritual for a sick person, ma'āyiw; in preparation for a dispute-settling contest, haddā'an; during the post-transplanting holiday season, ūlpi; during harvest. It is also prayed over a taboo marker before erection, by one who does not possess a crop-guarding prayer, hamleng. It is recited to enforce taboo markers, pūdeng 1, especially as a protection of crops against theft, or rice stores from becoming quickly depleted. It is included whenever ritual prayers are recited. It is also prayed to appeal to the pūdung spirits to heal a person whom they may have inflicted with a swelling in some part of the body.

abuniyan 3