not permitted, for example, for men to divide their counters between two or more women, so multiple marriages did not take place If a man wished to take another wife, he had to wait until he had accumulated more nngs, and any Fremen suspected of inviting challenge solely for that purpose was considered ridiculous and made the laughingstock of his tnbe It should be noted, also, mat Fremen women who killed an enemy (an outside enemy, invariably, since women could participate in the formal challenge ritual only via a champion) were not awarded the combat water or its nngs These were turned over, instead, to the tnbe s Reverend Mother and were believed to confer Shai Hulud s Special blessing on their donor Following the death of their owner water nngs were returned to the tribal store or if worn by a woman remained with her until her death FUNERAL RITES No memorials were held for out-freyn killed by the Fremen their water was simply reclaimed and the dry remains discarded For their own, however, the Fremen be heved it necessary to conduct a formal me monal service in order that the shade of the departed one would leave in peace and visit no harm on the tnbe The ceremony always took place at the nsmg of the sunset on the evening of the death, after the body had been run through the deathstill under the supervision of d Sayyadma All the members of the sietch would gather around a mound made up of the dead man's or woman's belongings and the water bag containing the fluid released by the deathstill The naib would speak first reminding the others mat the moon rose for their lost comrade and would summon the spint away that night He would then declare himself a friend of the deceased, describe a time when he had personally been helped or taught by the dead person (in such a small, tightly bound community, such occasions were common) and take one item from the pile This would be followed by the Naib's claiming certain items for the deceased's family and by his claim of the cryskmfe, which would be left with the remains in the desert The other members of the tnbe would then come forward, declare their friendship and its reason, take an item, and return to their places When nothing remained of the mound except the water bag a Sayyadma came forward to venfy its measurement and to turn the water nngs over to the appropriate person The tnbe then chanted a prayer committing the spint of their comrade to Shai Hulud and recommitting their own destinies to that god as well The sietch watermasters took FREMEN WATER CUSTOMS 255 FREMEN WATER CUSTOMS charge of the bag following the prayer and, with the entire tnbe serving as -witnesses, poured the now liberated water into the com munal basin, ending the ritual WATER BONDS Among the Frcmen, water was abo s.