Africana, Vol. 1 (of 2)

About this eBook

Author

Macdonald, Duff, 1850-1929

Title

Africana; or, the heart of heathen Africa, Volume 1 (of 2) : Native customs and beliefs

Original Publication

London: Simpkin, Marshall & co., 1882.

Credits

Peter Becker and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

Language

English

LoC Class

DT: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Africa

Subject

Africa, East -- Social life and customs

Category

Text

Project Gutenberg

eBook-No. 76362

Release Date

June 23, 2025

Copyright

Public domain in the USA.

Contents

1. 1.AFRICANA.
2. 2.PREFACE.
3. 3.CONTENTS OF VOL. I.
4. 4.LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. VOL. I.
5. 5.INTRODUCTORY.
6. 6.INTRODUCTORY. — DIFFICULTIES. — IMPORTING EUROPEAN IDEAS. — NATIVE POLITENESS. — NATIVE IDIOMS. — DISTRACTING CIRCUMSTANCES. — ROMANTIC INFORMATION. — THE VALUE OF STUDYING NATIVE CUSTOMS AND BELIEFS. — I. IN THE SCIENCE OF THE HUMAN MIND. — II. IN ETHNOLOGY. — III. IN THE SCIENCE OF RELIGION.
7. 7.Chapter I. FIRST IMPRESSIONS. — A.—DRESS, TATOOS, ORNAMENTS, &C. — B.—WEAPONS. — C.—HOUSES. — D.—CLIMATE AND PRODUCTIONS. — E.—FOOD AND COOKING. — F.—WORK. — F².—RACES AND CHIEFS. — G.—TRAVELLING AND SALUTATIONS. — Native Roads. — Grass Fires. — Salutations. — The Inferior Position of Women.
8. 8.Chapter II. NATIVE ARTS AND LITERATURE. — H.—TRADES AND MANUFACTURES. — Work in Iron. — Wood-work and Basket-work. — Bark Cloth, &c. — I.—THE LEARNED PROFESSIONS. — The Physician. — The Sorcerer. — K.—MEDICINES AND CHARMS. — L.—TRADITIONAL LITERATURE. — Relation to Tales of Other Lands.
9. 9.ETHOLOGY.
10. 10.Chapter III. BELIEFS ABOUT GOD. — ARTICLES 1-107. — 1.—THE NATURE OF MAN. — 2.—IMMORTALITY. — 3.—WHO THE GODS ARE. — 4.—WHERE THEY ARE FOUND. — 5.—HOW THE GODS GIVE EVIDENCE OF THEIR EXISTENCE. — 6.—DISTINCTIONS AFFECTING THE GODS. — 7.—THE PRIESTS. — 8.—VILLAGE GODS. — 9.—MONOTHEISM, POLYTHEISM, OR PANTHEISM? — 10.—NUMBER OF THE NATIVES’ GODS. — Key to their view of the Spirit World. — Nature of Offerings. — 11.—LOCAL DEITIES. — 12.—SUPERIOR DEITIES. — 13.—THE CREATION—COSMOLOGY.
11. 11.Chapter IV. ON WORSHIP AND OFFERINGS—OCCASIONS FOR WORSHIP. — STARTING ON A JOURNEY (ULENDO), WAR, OR HUNTING EXPEDITION. — 14.—PRAYERS AND OMENS. — 15.—CEREMONIES OBSERVED BY THE WIVES OF TRAVELLERS. — 16.—KICKING AGAINST THE STUMPS. — 17.—ILL-OMENED SNAKES. — 18.—THANKOFFERING. — PUBLIC REJOICING. — 19.—SICKNESS. — REJOICING ON HIS RETURN. — 20.—PUBLIC SUPPLICATION FOR RAIN. — THE NATURE OF THE OFFERINGS. GENERAL OFFERINGS. — 21.—THE NATIVE FLOUR. — 22.—NATIVE BEER. — 23.—THE EFFECTS OF NATIVE BEER. — 24.—BEER AS AN OFFERING. — 25.—SPECIAL OFFERINGS. — 26.—OFFERING OF A FOWL. — 27.—OFFERING OF A GOAT. — 28.—OFFERINGS OF HUMAN BEINGS.
12. 12.Chapter V. CEREMONIES CONNECTED WITH DEATH. — 29.—TRANSITION FROM THE SUPERNATURAL. — 30.—ILLNESS. — 31.—DEATH. — 32.—SLAVES ESCORT THE DECEASED. — 33.—WAILING AT THE DOOR. — 34.—THE UNDERTAKERS—THEIR DUTIES AT THE HOUSE. — 35.—PROLONGED WAILING. — 36.—DEATH IN WAR. — 37.—JOURNEY TO THE GRAVE. — 38.—DIGGING THE GRAVE. — 39.—OFFERINGS AT THE GRAVE. — 40.—TAKING DOWN THE HOUSE. — 41.—CANONISED. — 42.—CONTINUANCE OF MOURNING. — 43.—END OF MOURNING. — ENTERING ON INHERITANCE.
13. 13.Chapter VI. CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH. — 44.—BIRTH. — 45.—THE INFANT. — 46.—NAMING. — 47.—NAMING EUROPEANS. — 48.—THE DESTINY OF THE CHILD. — 49.—INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD. — 50.—BOYHOOD. — 51.—AMUSEMENTS (1) TALES, AND CONUNDRUMS. — (4) TOPS. — (5) DRAUGHTS (NJOMBWA). — (6) SKIPPING ROPE (CHIWEWE).
14. 14.Chapter VII. MYSTERIES. — 52.—“LITTLE-GO” FOR THE GIRLS. — “LITTLE-GO” FOR THE BOYS (NDAGALA). — 53.—THE “GREAT GO” (UNYAGO WA CHIMBANDI).
15. 15.Chapter VIII. MARRIAGE. — 54.—WAYS OF PROCURING A WIFE. — 55.—RANKS AMONG WIVES. — Plurality of Free Wives. — 56.—ADULT MARRIAGE. — Day of entering the house. — 57.—WOMAN’S KINGDOM. — 58.—MARRIAGE CONTRACT ( chikulundine ). — 59.—SEPARATION. — Marriage with Slaves. — 60.—PECULIAR POSITION OF A FREE WIFE. — Family Relationships.
16. 16.Chapter IX. SOCIAL LIFE. — 61. MAN IN SOCIETY. — 62. FOUNDING A NATIVE VILLAGE. — 63. INCREASE OF VILLAGE. — 64. VILLAGE LIFE AND WORK. — 65. THE WORKERS. — 66. A DAY’S WORK AND A DAY’S FARE. — 67. COOKING AND MEALS IN COMMON.
17. 17.Chapter X. GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. — 68. VILLAGE POLITICS.—THE HEADMAN OR VILLAGE CHIEF. — 69. THE KING OR CHIEF OF THE COUNTRY. — 70. GOVERNMENT OF THE COUNTRY. — 71. HEADMEN. — 72. DUTIES OF HEADMEN TO THE CHIEF. — 73. COURTS OF JUSTICE. — 74. TRIALS. — 75. EVIDENCE. — 76. DISCOVERY AND GENERAL TREATMENT OF CRIME. — Caught in the Act. — SUMMARY. — Detection. — Proof. — Punishment.
18. 18.Chapter XI. PERSONAL RIGHTS AND OFFENCES AGAINST THEM. — 77. PERSONAL RIGHTS—SLAVERY. — 78. KILLING SLAVES OR WARDS. — 79. KILLING ENEMIES. — 80. PUNISHMENT OF MURDER. — 81. PUNISHMENT OF HOMICIDE. — 82. PUNISHMENT OF UNCHASTITY.
19. 19.Chapter XII. RIGHTS OF PROPERTY AND OFFENCES AGAINST THEM. — 83. PUBLIC PROPERTY. — 84. LAND. — 85. TIMBER. — 86. ROADS. — 87. MINERALS. — 88. BUILDING MATERIALS. — 89. STREAMS AND RIVERS. — 90. HUNTING. — 91. TRAVELLING. — 92. PRIVATE PROPERTY. — 93. BORROWING AND LENDING. — 94. PETTY THEFT. — 95. THEFT AND ROBBERY. — 96. MISCELLANEOUS CRIMES AND PENALTIES.
20. 20.Chapter XIII. INHERITANCE AND INTERNATIONAL LAW. — 97. INHERITANCE. — 98. SUCCESSION TO THE CHIEFTAINSHIP. — 99. INTERNATIONAL LAW. — 100. GENERAL REMARKS ON NATIVE LAW. — 101. WAR.
21. 21.Chapter XIV. A SLAVE GOVERNMENT. — 102. THE MAGOLOLO. — 103. GOVERNMENT OF SLAVES. — 104. PROOF AND PUNISHMENT. — Ordeals. — Crimes and Punishment.
22. 22.Chapter XV. WITCHCRAFT. — 105. THE POISONED CUP (MWAI.) — 106. WITCHCRAFT (USAWI.) — 107. THE WITCH-DETECTIVE (MAVUMBULA). — Midnight Feasts. — Death by mwai. — Divination.
23. 23.Chapter XVI. AFRICAN ETHNOLOGY. — EAST CENTRAL AFRICA. — SOUTH AFRICA. — WEST CENTRAL AFRICA. — NORTHERN CENTRAL AFRICA. — RACES OF ANTIQUITY.
24. 24.Chapter XVII. AFRICAN PHILOLOGY. — A. THE VOCABULARY. — B. GRAMMAR.
25. 25.Chapter XVIII. AFRICAN PHILOLOGY.—( Continued ).
26. 26.Chapter XIX. ESTIMATE OF NATIVE CHARACTER.
27. 27.APPENDIX.
28. 28.APPENDIX. — 1. PEOPLE. — 2. THE SUN. — 3. THE MOON. — 4. STARS. — 5. [27] CLOUDS. — 6. [27] WIND. — 7. RAIN OR LIGHTNING. — 8. THE BOW OF THE LIGHTNING. — 9. MOUNTAINS AND RIVERS. — 10. COOKING POTS AND MORTARS. — 11. HOES, KNIVES AND AXES. — 12. BASKETS. — 13. CLOTHING. — 14. DEATH. — 15. MORTALITY, [34] THE CHAMELEON (NALWII) AND THE SALAMANDER (MLALU). — 16. OFFERINGS. — 17. BOWS AND GUNS. — 18. CANNIBALISM. — 19. MEDICINE. — 20. FLEAS. — 21. FISHES. — 22. BIRDS. — 23. ELEPHANTS. — 24. LIONS. — 25. THE SERPENT. — 26. BABOONS. [41] — 27. OTHER ACCOUNTS. — 28. ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF MAN. — 29. NTEMBE, THE BROTHER OF THE “SPIRIT”. — 30. THE THREE WOMEN.
29. 29.FOOTNOTES

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