place where two roads meet. They decorate themselves
with black beads as a sign of mourning, and if they can
afford it dress in black clothes. The death of a person
of importance is never considered natural, but everybody
among his surroundings has to go through the poison
ordeal. It is only in the case of such a man that the full
ceremonies I have described are gone through, and that
the body is buried inside a hut. Common people and
slaves are thrown into the river, or deposited in holes
among the rocks.
Three months after a death the friends assemble for a
great feast. Preparing large quantities of native beer,
they go to the hut where the tomb is. Digging a large
hole outside it they set down a pot of beer, cover it with
a plate, and drop on the plate a little flour. They then
enter the hut, taking with them a sheep. They remove
the urn which was placed above the head of the body,
dig a little hole, and pour in beer ; they then kill the
sheep, and let the blood also drop into the hole. Then
they take out the sheep, shut the door, and feast on the
meat, after which they wash their hands in the pot of beer
which they have left outside. When the feast is over they
leave the house with a very curious ceremony. One of
the wives of the dead man is carried away on a man’s
shoulders, and the whole company follow her, clapping
their hands. This woman they call “ musimo,” or the
spirit. She has her head covered with a piece of stuff,
and as the procession goes on they call for beer for the
spirit, and take it to her. She drinks it under the veil.
All proceed thus to the hut of the most important widow,
where a hole has been dug and cemented inside. Into
this they pour the inevitable beer, and all lie down on
their bellies to drink of it. A great feast follows with
dancing and music, and then the dead man is done with.
The heir enters into possession of his property, and the
mourners resume their ordinary attire.
Witchcraft, and especially exorcism, are highly de-
2 3 4
veloped. Another very curious ceremony is gone through
in case a dead man’s heir should fall ill. It is called
“ arungo.” The sick man sits on the ground, and a
female doctor passes her hands over his leg and pretends
to throw that which she takes from it into a
basket placed at her side. This is the “ musimo,” or
spirit of the dead man, which has been withdrawn from
the heir’s body. The whole family assembles and goes
through the same pantomime. They then take a piece
of stuff and wrap it tightly over the basket to prevent
the spirit from getting out. The next day the doctor
comes back and says to the basket, which has been left
in the hut of the invalid, “ You are quite well, are you
not, and have slept well?” The spirit replies with a
whistle, which the medicine lady translates thus. Yes,
I have died onCe, and I am very well.” “ Are you
comfortable in this basket ? ’ the doctor then asks.
“ Will you stay there?” Another whistle. “ Yes, y e s !”
answers the spirit, “ I am comfortable, and I wish to stay
here.” After that follows a process called “ marombo,”
which is pursued in all cases of illness alike. The
doctor dances, and, during the dance, places a piece
of stuff over the head of the patient and a gourd
on the top of that. In this uncomfortable posture
the patient is expected to wag his head from side
to side while the dance continues. Presently he also
gets up and dances himself, a sign that the evil
spirit within him wishes to leave. Upon this the doctor
pretends to faint, breaking off short in the middle of
the dance and clutching at his heart—or more generally
hers, for most doctors are women. When she comes to
she kills a kid and mixes its blood with beer, and
the sick man drinks it. Thus the evil spirit is satisfactorily
driven out. The next day the man is well
—or ought to be.
These illustrations will give a sufficiently clear idea
of the chief religious beliefs of these tribes, if religion
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