Volume 14 Australasia - dana ward's homepage

214 AUSTRALASIA.In Timor every village has its temple bid away in some sacred grove andsurrounded by a stout enclosure. Each petty state has its special sanctuary, aballowed spot wbicb the profane dare not approach, for in it dwells the lulik, ortutelar genius, seated in the centre of the edifice on a stone cast down fromheaven by the Lord of Light. There are also evil spirits, to which are sacrificedblack victims, the animals with red coats being reserved for the protecting deitios.The Timorese tattoo various parts of the body with thorns, file the teeth to apoint, and often dye them red " in order not to look like apes." The usagesFig. 80. — KuPANO.i-'oale 1 ; 30 '.000.connected with marriage and inheritance differ greatly in the different districts.In some places exogamous, in others endogamous rites prevail. In one tribe thesuccession is from father to son : in another through the female line. The youngmen in some communities can neither marry nor enter the public assemblies" untilthey have carried ofp one or more heads, as in Borneo, but only in open warfare orelse at funeral ceremonies. The penal code is very severe, death being thepenalty for most crimes ; but as ransom is allowed, the poor are the chief victims.As in many other places, the rulers, " children of the sun," never die, but only