134 PHALLUS CULT AMONGST THE 15ANTU. 



your Chief." They are taught to regard him* as their God. 

 Whenever they see a Chief they must all kneel down, clapping 

 their hands and shouting the necessary greeting: Moriba. and 

 looking down as if not worthy to look at him. All men, meeting 

 them, must also be greeted in nearly the same way. Certain 

 fixed formnlie are used, for this greeting as well as for the 

 answers from the men. 1"he men usually answer the followin.g": 

 Tsikaiia. cti rara ca iiiatcnua, ka tif<a niadi a falaUi, hti vi: _^(( sc 

 iinidi ao ki malakapctki modi a basadi a bO'iiniiaocuii li dikgai- 

 tslicdi." Which sentence signifies that they are not to think too 

 much of their blood, it being only blood like those of women, 

 their mothers and sisters. After some days they are given some 

 feathers (ostrich or pigeons) and driven into a pool of water 

 to wasli and soften the wounds. All this is accompanied by 

 thrashings. When the sores are healed, there commences tlieir 

 eternal roaming round about, under chosen leaders, accompanied 

 by elder boys with rods. Then they are compelled to sing all 

 their old hymns and songs, all kinds of manners and customs 

 being also thrashed into them, all that a man could and should do, 

 especially in relation to women. They are often thrashed on the 

 soles of their naked feet, with the words : " A man ought to have 

 shoes" (sandals). Further thrashing: "Always obey your 

 father, never obey your mother." Before eating, morning and 

 evening, they receive lashes on their fingers : " A man does not 

 eat with unclean hands," coinjx'lling them to wash their liands. 

 They receive lashes on the tips of all fingers of their left hands 

 joined together, to teach them how to commence using the female 

 parts. \\'ith a hot burning rod they are thrashed between the 

 parts of their posteriors.tto teach them cleanliness there, and not 

 to use open places or near their hoines for defilement, liood and 

 bad teachings are strangely mixed ! An instance of a good one : 

 An elder boy says to the Madikaiia. " 1 am going to sleep with a 

 girl or woman " — then all must cry out : Matsocro !$ spitting out 

 before him, as before a nasty filthy thing. When crossing foot- 

 paths, where women usually go or have just passed, all cry out 

 the same bad word. It seems to be impressed upon them, both 

 the use of women, and at the same time to despise all women as 

 a lower, unclean class. Another teaching is called : Mogano. 

 They receive cruel wounds in their neck, to teach them to have 

 done with all impudence, disrespect and flisobedience, in fact, to 

 teach them humility before elders. Uncircumcised boys are 

 called Mashiboro, which means: quarrelsome, disrespectful ones. 

 Another cruel practice with their fingers, to teach them no longer 

 to steal milk, when milking goats, is called : Go aiiiiisha dipudi." 

 Besides these cruel and often immoral and indecent lessons, 

 they have to roam about in the hills to catch game, or to cut 

 poles for the Chief's use, or other work done for the Chief. 



* Who is often called the Poo, the bull of their home. 



t They call it : Go roka, to sew. 



X An infamous word. j j 



