242 THE UAGANAXOA Ok Al A-LAIJOC Jl. 



Since all members of a clan in communion with one species 

 of animal are regarded collectively as a unit in the Bantu race, 

 it naturally follows that the tribes should be distinguished from 

 one another by their Siboko. As an interesting illustration of 

 this, it ma}' be noticed that the system of divination most widely 

 practised among the Bantu peoples is that of Astragalomancy. 

 If a witch-doctor's set of " bones " be examined, it will be found 

 to consist very largely of the huckle-bones of dilterent animals. 

 Each astragalus represents the animal from which it was taken, 

 and therefore the tribe of wiiich that animal is Siboko. In a 

 case of theft, for example, the signs pointing to the huckle-bone 

 of a pig w'ould be quite sufficient evidence in the eyes of a native 

 to lav the guilt at the door of a nieml)er of the " pig " tril)e. 



]\loreover, certain hgures, rej^resenting the motions of the 

 sibokal animal, are performed in the course of their ceremonial 

 dances, so that the triljal origin of a man ma}' be known by his 

 dance. Therefore, when a native wishes to know the tribe of 

 a stranger, he will invariabl}' ask: "What dance do you dance?" 



There is an apparent confusion w'ith regard to the Siboko 

 of the Bagananoa, for if this question be addressed to one of 

 the people of Malaboch, he will reply: " Di c'lociic" (i.e.. the 

 Baboon). A further question, however, will elicit the infor- 

 mation that the Baboon is not regarded as the Siboko of the 

 tribe, and this is proved by the fact that the Bagananoa eat the 

 flesh of a Baboon with relish. Their Siboko, he will tell you. 

 is the Piiti. or Duiker ( OeplialopJius Griiiniti Gray). In ex- 

 planation of this the present generation sa}' that the nickname 

 " Baboon " was applied to them on account of their inaccessible 

 position among the rocks of the mountain, and that the name 

 has clung to them.* The totemistic position of the tribe is 

 further complicated by the fact that though the Duiker is treated 

 wdth all the honour accorded to a Totem {i.e.. it is Taboo to all 

 members of the tribe) the animal whose spirit is believed to be 

 in communion with the Spirit of their forefathers is the Kueiia. 

 or crocodile. An image of this animal is actually worshipped, 

 as I shall presently show, and I was told by 'Sir. Key that when 

 he was Sub-Xative Commissioner at Blaauwberg. great oftence 

 was given by one of the police there who killed a crocodile, 

 and hung the skin up on his verandah as a trophy. This puzzling 

 position is partly explained by ]\Irs. Franz, who tells me that it 

 is usual for a clan leaving the parent tribe to adopt a new Siboko 

 — the first animal seen on arriving at their new home. 



The facts are not without value as they provide evidence 

 in confirmation of some of their traditidus, and helj) us to trace 

 the evolution of the tribe. 



* According- to Stow, the Baboon was the Siboko uf the Ba-!uirutsi, 

 from whom the Bagananoa are probably descended. 



