Yan Hukunala, Gewagit taun. Used to be one of my Sunday School pupils in Lian. Worked for me as informant for three weeks during September of 1992, at Luhukais' parsonage, beside Gereja Gideon. Here is his 1992 description of the sihit: SIHIT. Sihix do du sihix neten. Umpama fene ma sihi neten naa la musun pito dii teme, la tonal exnafan telo-paa teme ma rogo la ma tatix sihix di, teme ma rogoh la ma mancari hama tonal tu fafu. Pee tuu du siux geba dii, paa da iko dae paa da pkere sihix. Du sihix neten pii du sihik e i dikax pii, bu sihix do fene du sasi. Du siux geba msian pii rua p i telo pii, bu du siux geba yaq biasa da gau hatux pii, nake kanwake repo-repo ada pii, geba gam di ta. Fene, "Ku iko la ku taqak e nam hatut," pii, "Ku iko la ku taqax nam kanwakex repo-repo q naa," pii, "dae neten di, la ma sihih eta musun pito pi musun etrua pi musun polo pii, teme ma rogo ma defux mua sakix supaya bisa tonal fokon telo-paa oli la du ptea. Fafu pee bu gam dii. Fafu fokon paa-lima oli. Minjaqan pee bu gam dih e. Du seer supaya bisa neten da memo ro-roin. Pee tuu geba di iko dae, si geba msian pi si geba rua pii, du iko pa du pkere sihit. Kere sihix gam aq naa sepe du pkere sepuh e, du egu mislokax, paa du tahuh, emhisin po du tahuh. Pee tuu fene du nei hatut e, do du pinaux hatux di fene, "Iqax tu ku jaga neten eq naah molae fi kiq na wae naa eta da toho suba lawe wae wae di naqan, paa da lepa sakik e kaku dii eta da suba saka kaku dii tinan paa da fasa sakix wae di olon eta da suba aq naa kaku naa sepe da suba gam di wae ha di a bareqa le-leux dih." Pee tuu du pinaux hatux di fene, "Ku jagah. Jaga na nax batas-bataso dih." Do geba di da keha pi da hapu unex pii, da rohi pii, sepe da suba di batas dii poo da oli. Eta moo, do da rogo gam dae, do iqax la da barogo rahex, bu fen moo tuu la da keha kau pii, da hapu unex sa pii, do watix!" Pee tuu du pinaux toqi hatux di fene, "Ba na ka namu jagax elen naa, do lalen naa eta geba di rogo pa d baiko baa gam dih e, do bole, tu ku bara puna nam ii laga xboho-xbohox sa qei geba di moo, tu da baiko dofo-dofo tu muqkin nax tohon pa d baiko pii. Pokoxnya nama geba ik dihleun. Eta da baiko dihleux rahex pa d puna ii sa moo. Pii geba sasa xnewat e. Geba sasa xnewax pa riq tewa salax sihix na moo pa da xmata tonal emsian pi rua pii, do bole. Bu ku jaga fene geba naa geba xnewax haix, bu ri nax akal boho, pa riq tewa haix sihix naa, bu ri nax akal paa nax boho fidii paa da suba dii paa riq kita tonal paa riq keha, nax akal la da keha pii, riqe rogo la da hapu unex bu riq tewa sihix na haik e, ku gosax-gosax-gosax-gosa geba di ta la ku fae fukan, la ku kaah, la da baoli baa tu skoho gisa, la suba lawe, pee tuu gebar batefax baa tinan." Gam di pee tu kanwake repo-repo. Du pinaux gam dih e fene, "Mam geba di nax akal boho pii, la da suba naa la da keha kau pii, da xmata tonal pii, riq tewa haix sihix naa bu riqe nax akal la da keha la da xmata tonal sa pii, da hapu unex sa pii, do ku gosax-gosax-gosax-gosax-gosax-gosa geba di ta, la ku fae raman, la da baoli suba la huma, do repo-repo pehe trapex raman, la eta da bapuna geba ram sia, la kfaex raman kahan la da baii dae kako. Bu eta geba dii fene riq baiko dihleux baah, paa ri nax tohon pa da kixleux, bu nax akal boho la riq kita tonal pii, po riqe exmatah moo, artinya geba xnewat e, pa riq kita tonal bu riqe exmatah moo, tu riqe fen, 'Bara. Geba nax sihix,' do ku barah. Geba xmeqen saa, geba di tewa salax sihix na mohe-mohe-mohe-mohe, geba breman eee, pa d badihleuk e, pa riq keha tonal sa paa da xmatah e, barah, tu geba di do geba xmeqen. Riqe tewa salax sihix na mahede. Bu asa bara geba xnewax la riq coba-coba la riq ba-... riq tewa haix sihix naa, bu riq tewa haix fen kae jagah naa, bu ri nax akal baa xboho la da bakeha kau sa, ku xgosa-xgosa-xgosa la ku fae raman." Pee tuu gebaro mtako. Fi di pa geba sa tewa rogo fi di moo, geba sihix duan bu da ka lai sa moo tu da bakaa baa utan, bu da te rogo moo. Ramax eta musun pito pii, musun polo, ramax fene fi doo esnegen e, sihix di nake jagan esnegen e, teme iko dii paa du ix tatix sihix dih. Pee tuu du polik e mislokax di be dii, du polik e emhisin ha dii, teme du keha tonal dii i haro rua pi telo pii, paa du eguh fi dii, paa du kaba fene, "Egu la ii da bajaga di nax bageaq la da kaa. Pee tuu du xmata tonal fi dii, fi dii, paa du hafu sepu folon, pee tuu du badurah. Du badura tonal di pee, tu du bataqax di kau tuen di. Pee tuu du oli. Eta beton pito teme saki dii, teme bisa pa ku bapuna huma ledax-ledak e, ku basaki la ku bakeha led-ledax beka, la ku fuka sihix di beka. Bu selama sihix dii geba sa fukah mahede, geba sa kasmakaq e i jagax nax bageaq mahede, do bara, moo do ku bara coba-coba moo do i exdakun di, hatux di kaa ka pii, repo-repo di fae ramam. Sihix di nake enjagan. The above description was poorly delivered, and leaves questions unanswered, but here is an abbreviated translation: SIHIT. A sihit is used to place a taboo on a hunting area. The sihit may put an area under taboo, or it may put some particular item under taboo. The Ambonese word for such a taboo is a "sasi." For example, we might declare an area off limits to hunting for seven years in order to give the cuscus possums a reprieve of three or four generations, after which we might enter the forest to take down the sihit and to hunt cuscus and pig. Up to two or three men may be sent into the forest to raise the sihit, but these men must be men who are known to control hatut spirits, kanwake repo-repo spirits, etc. They are told, "Go raise your hatut spirit," or "go rais your kanwakex repo-repo spirit up there, and place a taboo on that place for 7-10 years, after which we will enter the forest to camp and hunt, thus allowing three or four generations of cuscus possum to return." The same thing is done for pigs and for deer. Four or five generations of pig are allowed to return. The idea is to make the area secure from hunters for awhile. So these one or two men go up and raise the sihit. Parasitic plants are positioned at the place. The guardian spirit is given detailed spoken instructions concerning the boundaries of the taboo, and what to do to those who tresspass. The spirit is also instructed not to harm passers by, or those who unknowingly breach the taboo. So people are afraid. People will not enter the area, and even the owner of the area himself will keep a vegetarian diet rather than entering the area to hunt. But after the seven or ten years have passed, they will go and take down the sihit. They will return the parasitic plants to their places, and climb the trees and kill two or three cuscus possums to make an offering to the guardian spirit. They will pluck the fur from the possum carcasses, and skewer them, and position them over the stump. Then they will return home. A further period of seven days is observed before people will be free to enter the area to camp and to hunt.