to keep it a secret, they announce it in public. This system of marriage is known as "kaligisunam".

(2) Sometimes, the lovers themselves do not announce their love affairs, but it is conveyed by the mediators to their parents. In such cases the parents of both sides may contact each other and propose the marriage. This way of marriage is called "yam ne tannam".

(3) The most common way of marriage is "midang". In such a type of marriage, only parents wish is important. The parents of either side search for a suitable match and the girl and the boy accept their wish and will.

(4) Another way known as "duglanam" can be compared to the "gandharva" system prevalent in ancient India among Aryans. The Missing marriage ceremony is an affair of pomp and show. Pigs and fowls are sacrificed to the gods and cooked. The relatives and the village members of both the sides are invited. The bride and the groom eat in the same dish. After that the couple seek the blessings of the elders. The participants eat, drink, sing and dance for two days. At the end, the party of the groom is sent off with offerings. The bride comes to the groom’s house.

12. Like most of the tribes, the Missings are animists. Out of fear of natural forces, they believed that due to displeasure of "uyu" spirit of the nature, many sufferings were caused. Thus the worship of "uyu" came into being.

First of all there was "keyum" (nothingness). The following folk song vividly describes the status of "keyum" and the emergence of this world.

Free translation of the song :    There was neither man nor animal. Neither the sun, the moon and the stars were there nor was there this earth and water on it. "Sedi" and "melo" made them all. He made the sun and the moon, he made the earth, fire and air, animals and creepers and at last he made men and women. We are men and women, the descendants of "Abutani" (the first man made by Sedibabu). We descended from "Regi-regai (Heaven)".

Thus, Sedi and Melonan are the creators of this world. Abutani was created by the union of Mother Sun abd Father Moon. Doying-babu was created as the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, who differentiated the speeches of different animals and gave them the senses to differentiate things, so that each object was given its respective name.

The Missing bury their dead.

The Missings do not believe in rebirth. The souls, after death, are worshipped by them. They have a belief that if the souls of the dead are displeased, calamity will befall them in the shape of illness, death of a family member or in other similar ways. Apart from this, there are many superstitions that the Missing believe in. They believe that every where, there is ‘uyi’ (evil spirit) which causes untold sufferings if it is not appeased with sacrifice of pigs and other animals.