Mourning Custom of members of a northern tribe of central Australia. Widows of a recently deceased man would cut off their hair, daub themselves with clay and build a shelter of boughs away from the main camp. They would use a digging stick with a pointed end to cut open their scalps as a sign of their sorrow. The women were forbidden to speak again until the conclusion of the mourning ceremonies which could last for months. From Customs of The World, published c.1913.