the ghost of a slain man haunts his murderer and brings misfortune on
him. Hence it is necessary to drive away the ghost with shrieks and
the beating of drums. The model of a canoe laden with taro and tobacco
is got ready to facilitate his departure.”[131.4] So when the Bukaua
of German New Guinea have won a victory over their foes and have
returned home, they kindle a fire in the middle of the village and
hurl blazing brands in the direction of the battle-field, while at the
same time they make an ear-splitting din, to keep at bay the angry
spirits of the slain.[131.5] When the cannibal Melanesians of the
Bismarck Archipelago have eaten a human body, they shout, blow horns,
shake spears, and beat the bushes for the purpose of driving away the
ghost of the man or woman whose flesh has just furnished the
banquet.[131.6] The Fijians used to bury the sick and aged alive,
{132} and having done so they always made a great uproar with bamboos,
shell-trumpets, and so forth in order to scare away the spirits of the
buried people and prevent them from returning to their homes; and by
way of removing any temptation to hover about their former abodes they
dismantled the houses of the dead and hung them with everything that
in their eyes seemed most repulsive.[132.1] Among the Angoni, a Zulu
tribe settled to the north of the Zambesi, warriors who have slain
foes on an expedition smear their bodies and faces with ashes, and
hang garments of their victims on their persons. This costume they
wear for three days after their return, and rising at break of day
they run through the village uttering frightful yells to banish the
ghosts of the slain, which otherwise might bring sickness and
misfortune on the people.[132.2]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account