Page 80 - The Tigris Expedition

Problems Begin
a V'T a"' lx t" discussion about this ceremony The Marsh
«d rhem’,'ac° T she with sir. bcautS,,leepTh"
1 1 A \ Cn^d and 1 was supposed to hand-print their
blood on the bow of the nCw vessel. This I refused to do. Kon-Tiki
had been baptised in South American coconut milk, Ra I and II in
mi k from Berber goats. I could not even propose the use ofbuffalo
milk which would seem an insult to the Marsh Arabs. They insisted
on the local custom of animal sacrifice as adhered to since the days
of Abraham. They always hand-printed blood on any new build-
ing, whether house or boat. The marshmen blankly refused to let
the ship enter the river unless the proper sacrifices had been
performed, and Gatae insisted they would do it themselves if I
would not. They were so dead set on this rite that even our educated
Baghdad friend Rashad refused to come along on the voyage unless
the customary ceremony was performed.
We found a compromise. The marshmen should be allowed to
carry out their own rite beforehand, but the naming ceremony
should be the way 1 wanted it.
November 11 was the day that had been set for the launching. In
the late morning I found Gatae by the ship in his spotless white
kaftan with a blood-stained right palm. He was still stamping red
hand-marks on the golden bow from the last sheep sacrificed, while
his men sat happily squatting on the ground devouring roast lamb
with no effort to conceal that this was to them the most important
part of the ceremony.
By midday the dignitaries had arrived from Baghdad, bringing a
white silk ribbon and scissors to be used by the Director-General of
the Ministry in a proper bridge-opening ceremony in front ot t e
bow. Then it was our turn; Gatae’s beautiful little grand-daughter
was to name the vessel. Gatae stepped up from the river s edge
leading this tiny black-haired lady in colourful cost“me, \C £
hand. Little Sekneh struggled to carry a traditional MarshArab
bottle-gourd dripping full of river water that was to give^thc shipus
name. With sparkling eyes she splashed it success u ) lcj
bow, forgot all her lessons, and only those who stood c
hear her mumble ‘Di'dgle’, the local name fb.f &£*£&
father never let go her hand as he took over an
f God and
‘This ship is to enter the water with the, P ^ ’
the blessing of the Prophet, and will be callc • rumble
No sooner had these words been as if in
of thunder was heard in the south. All heads were

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