THE BAGAXAXOA UK AiA-LABOCH : NOTES ON 

 THEIR EARLY HISTORY, CUSTOAIS, AND CREED. 



By Rev. Noel Roberts. 



(Plates yy.) 



The Ba(janaiioa. 



The Bagananoa, or 3»Ialaljoch, are Bantus speaking a lan- 

 gtiage akin to Scpedi. They occupy a strong position on the 

 ijlaauwljcrg Mountain, in the Northern Transvaal, which they 

 liave licld lor about a century and a half. 



riie information in this paper has been gathered almost 

 «fntirely from the natives themselves, chief among whom may be 

 mentioned the present ruler of the tribe. Kgalushi Malaboch, 

 and one of his head indunas. l^special mention should be made 

 of Mr. C. A. T. Winter, who has not only acted as interpreter 

 on several occasions, but has done everything in his power to 

 hel]) me in getting information. 



The Bagananoa, like other Bantu triljes, regard themselves 

 as a distinct species of the genus Bantu, and the conception of 

 a Specific or Tribal Spirit or Soul, uniting all members of the 

 tribe, is strongly developed. Further, it is believed that this 

 Tribal Spirit is boimd by the closest ties of kinship to the Spirit 

 uniting all individuals in a species of animal, the particular 

 species in each case being known as the Siboko, or Totem of 

 the Clan. In the minds of most natives there is considerable 

 confusion between their conception of the human Tribal Spirit, 

 and it< animal counterjjart the Siboko, and it will be found that 

 the two are regarded as identical, or, at least, co-incident. Their 

 real relation can best be illustrated Ijy means of a diagram as 

 follows : — 



Individual mem- 1 united by A\- 

 hers of Malaboch - cestral Spirit 

 Tribe | of Tribe. 



Collective Life of 

 which Siboko. 



unitmg 



All animals of the 

 Species Duiker. 



to form \ 

 Malaboch * 

 Tribe, a unit in 

 the 



Individual mem- united by An- 

 bers of Alalabolo I cestr.^l Spirit 

 Tribe, of Tribe 



All animals of | CoUgctive Life of 

 the Species Wild ,- which=SiBOKO, 

 Pie:. 



1 



uniting to form f 

 M A M A B o L o 

 Tribe a unit in 

 the 



Bant i- 

 Race. 



S e k u k u n i 

 people etc. 



Porcupine or 

 other Totem 

 animals. 



Ancestral 

 Tribal Spirits. 



I 



unitmg 



Tribal Sibokos. 



to form 

 S E K u K u N I or 

 other Tribes, 

 units in 



