Logo
Prev
Bookmark
Rotate
Print
Next
Contents
All Pages
Related Articles
Browse Issues
Help
Search
Home
'
National Geographic : 1919 Oct
Contents
353 CURIOUS CUSTOMS OF CENTRAL AFRICAN TRIBES that meat for the Bambala is simply a bonbon, much as chocolates are for us. Once I killed an ele phant, which the na tives were at liberty to consume-b 1o o d, skin, and bones, if they pleased. After they had eaten as much as they wanted they came and asked for their dinner. Goats and pigs are slaughtered by being clubbed so as not to lose the blood; but the former are also skinned alive and die under the knife, which is of iron, home-made, and as sharp as a razor. CANNIBALISM A COM MON PRACTICE Cannibalism is an every-day occurrence, and, according to the natives themselves, who display no reti cence except in the presence of state offi cials, it is based on a sincere liking for hu man flesh. Enemies killed in war and peo ple buried alive after the poison test, or dy ing as a result of it (see text, page 342), ar are slaves, and farther the river these are kille sions to provide a cannit latter case the body may couple of days and a fi over the grave. The fl in the ordinary way with I have never been al magical or religious basis customs. Vessels in wh has been cooked are bro away, and this rather sug ical idea, but the men say SHE WEAR S HER BADGE OF SORROW ON HER ARMS Mourning in the Congo may be expressed in different ways ac cording to the tribe to which the bereaved belongs, and also according to the degree of relationship to the deceased. Sometimes the whole body is besmeared with clay of a certain color, sometimes only the chest or the arms. It is usual for mourners to let their hair grow until the period of mourning is over. e eaten; so, too, is only adopted to prevent women or north and near other prohibited persons from using the ed on rare occa- same pot afterward. On the other hand, )al feast. In the this prohibition against using the pot sub be buried for a sequently suggests that there was in the re kept burning past some idea of possible magical effects, esh is consumed though women are at the present day de manioc flour. barred from human flesh, as they are ble to trace any from goat's flesh, only in order that there for any of these may be a larger supply for the men. ich human flesh There is only one way of abolishing )ken and thrown cannibalism in these countries, and that *gestssome mag- is not by making laws against it. On one that the custom occasion I gave one of my boys a tin of
Links
Archive
1919 Nov
1919 Sep
Navigation
Previous Page
Next Page