On northern Nias a complete stop was put to native dancing at tile instigation of the missionaries. Only in the southern half of the island did some of the old war dances, snake dances, and graceful round dances survive.

Of the numerous dances of the Toradja the best known -Are those per formed at funeral ceremonies. The ritual, with its strange and often grotesque customs, attracted attention already at an early date. And when a distinguished person was snatched by death, the 'festivities' were complicated and lengthy. Their climax came with the sacrifice of several buffaloes and the burial of the corpse in a grotto set high up in a sheer cliff face. An important element in the death i ties was the round dance, or ma'badong

On northern Nias a complete stop was put to native dancing at tile instigation of the missionaries. Only in the southern half of the island did some of the old war dances, snake dances, and graceful round dances survive.

In our survey of music we have already mentioned that the musical Culture on the island of Flores is particularly varied. and here the dances arc also quite different in type. In addition to masculine war dances and ritual sacrificial dances there are several round dances, and also dances performed by young girls, which are characterized by an exquisite grace.

As mentioned before, dancing, like music, was greatly modified by external cultural influences, both in form and in manner of execution. This is very evident, for instance, in south -eastern Borneo. The instruments which are common there belong to the ancient eastern Javanese gamelan; and we find the same Javanese influence, dating from the Madjapahit era, in the dance,; performed by young girls.

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