Cleanse

Quote

If a man kills another in a fight between two villages, or in a private quarrel, he leaves his village and goes to live by himself in the jungle, where he must stay for some weeks, or even months. His wife, and one or two of his friends may live with him or visit him and attend to his wants. For some weeks the homicide must observe a rigorous tabu. He must not handle a bow or arrow. He must not feed himself or touch any food with his hands, but must be fed by his wife or a friend ... If he breaks any of these rules it is supposed that the spirit of the man he has killed will cause him to be ill. At the end of a few weeks the homicide undergoes a sort of purification ceremony. His hands are first rubbed with white clay...and then with red paint. After this he may wash his hands and may then feed himself with his hands and may handle bows and arrows.

• Source: Radcliffe-Brown, A. R. The Andaman islanders: a study in social anthropology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1922.
• Culture: Andaman
• Location: Asia