The blood covenant : a primitive rite and its bearing on scripture / by H. Clay Trumbull.

  • Henry Clay Trumbull
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The blood covenant : a primitive rite and its bearing on scripture / by H. Clay Trumbull. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    covenanting parties, and, having mixed it with water, each to drink, in this way, the blood of the other. Mr. Barenstein [one of the missionaries] having consented [for both] to the ceremony, they all took off their coats, and two officers came forward with small knives, to take a little blood out of the arm of each of them [the two missionaries and two Dayak chiefs]. This being mixed together in four glasses of water, they drank, severally, each from the glass of the other; after which they joined hands and kissed. The peo- ple then came forward, and made obeisance to the missionaries, as the friends of the Dayak King, crying out with loud voices, ' Let us be friends and brethren forever; and may God help the Dayaks to obtain the knowledge of God from the missionaries!' The two chiefs then said, ' Brethren, be not afraid to dwell with us ; for we will do you no harm; and if others wish to hurt you, we will defend you with our life's blood, and die ourselves ere you be slain. God be witness, and this whole assembly be witness, that this is true.' Whereupon the whole company shouted, Balaak ! or ' Good,' ' Be it so.' Yet another method of observing th^s rite, is re- ported from among the Kayans of Borneo—quite a different people from the Dayaks. Its description is from the narrative of Mr. Spenser St. John, as follows: Singauding [a Kayan chief] sent on board to request
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