-^ Anthropology : Social 



abundantly ; let health prevail ; drive war far away ; let 

 witchcraft be kept in abeyance,' etc. During his continuance 

 of office the Bodia resides in the Te-kai house, built by all 

 the people. He keeps the public grigris and idols, and feeds 

 them with rice and oil every new moon. In making sacrifices 

 for the town to departed friends and demons, he officiates as 

 high priest. He cannot sleep in any other house but his own ; 

 he may not drink water on the highway ; he may not eat while 

 a corpse is in the town ; he must not mourn tor the dead. 

 If he dies while in office (the ring put on his ankle at his 

 inauguration having been previously taken off" and placed on 

 that of some member of his tamily), he must be buried in 

 the stillness of night, none but the most important public 

 functionaries hearing of it, and none mourning for him when 

 his death is made public. All Grebo Bodias, too, must be 

 buried on the island off^ Cape Palmas if they have died a 

 natural death. If they have been killed by gedu (sassy-wood), 

 they must be buried beneath a running stream of water. 



" The noyninal power of the Bodia is very great, but in 

 practice is very limited, tor he dares not act contrary to the 

 public will, which he is, therefore, very careful to ascertain. 

 Whenever adversity of any kind befalls the country, the Bodia 

 is held responsible for it — ••' he has made witch ' — and many 

 a poor incumbent has paid the penalty with his lite. 



"The two remaining offices, Tebawa and Ibadia^ appertain 

 to the Sedibo, and on a vacancy occurring are filled in the 

 same manner as that of the Bodia, These, too, are hereditary 

 in families. In the assembly of the Sedibo their assent must 

 be obtained to any measure before it can be carried into 

 eff'ect ; though, as in the case of the Bodia, this assent is 

 rather the expression of the popular will than the direction 

 of it. The most important duties of these officers devolve 



1077 



