If one were to venture forth into the forest, they would be at the mercy of the spirits, which may follow that person back to the village to bring sickness or some other misfortune. Upon returning to the village, that person is expected to pass through the village gate in order to exclude any malicious spirits. Occasionally, there would be a rash of sickness running through the village, and this would be interpteted to mean that the spirits are running havoc on the community, which requires an offering to be made to appease them.