**21. Receiving the Spears**

The following sequence dealt with accepting the spear carriers who will enact the sacrifice. The spear-carriers, led by the uncle-in-law, were his from the matrilineal side of the family. Three generations were represented, the uncle-in-law (the first-born male and all brothers of the host's wife), the sons of the wife's brothers (her nephews), the wife's uncle(s), and if alive, any great-uncle(s). Traditionally, Miao farm communities were known for large families, with the spear carriers numbering from a few to more than a dozen.<sup>27</sup> For the La Yi demonstration, neighbors were enlisted to play the "uncles" and spear carriers.

Historically, spears had metal heads atop maple poles. The La Yi reenactment did not sacrifice the water buffalo and instead performed the actions with non-lethal maple poles (Peng 2018c).

As the community gathers for the killing, a ritual "joking" between the host family and the uncle's family occurs for the community's entertainment. It releases tension before the taking of a life. The uncle's family pretends they want to kill the bull, and the host family will not let them do so. "It is a kind of joking, pretending, a kind of performance before it is killed" (Peng 2018c).

The host family pulls the bull away from the uncle's family, and then each pulls the bull in opposite directions with a pretend verbal fight ensuing. The host family threatens to take the animal back to their house, and the uncle's family threatens to take it away to theirs, and a performed physical challenge, fighting, and verbal sparring occurs. Other Miao rituals, such as the Huan Nuoyuan, include similar comedic tension breaks and distractions before or following sacrificial actions or moments of seriousness. *Before the sacrificial killing, the water buffalo was then brought back to the altar and the gods*.
