256 



SOME TRIBAL CUSTOMS IN THEIR R?:i,ATION TO MEDICINE AND MORALS 



Charms worn 

 chieHy by 

 males 



As I liave already remarked in discussing the "Theory of Disease," it is primarily 

 against l^ril. Sjnrits that these charms are directed, and secondly against the Evil Eye. 

 Thirdly, one must include also protection against the active violence of men and beasts. 

 As regards men no doubt this belief is justified, such charms being, as I have quoted, 

 no mean safeguard to the weak and helpless or to the stranger, whose "unknown gods" 

 and unknown amulets form invaluable allies. 



The wearing of charms is chiefly confined to the male, wliich is here, as among wild 

 animals and birds, the ornamental sex. The females are very unadorned and unadorning. 



Each amulet is pierced with a brass or copper ring and hung on a band round the 

 neck, wrist or waist in company with other beads and trinkets. 



Clussijicatiiiti iif cimrtiis 



The neatly bound Koranic and mystic writings which form the chief talismans of 

 the Arab (vide Third lieport, Wellcoine Tropical liesearch Lahoratories, Khartoum, page 284) 

 are replaced among these illiterate people by common objects, which may be classified 

 under three heads : — 



(a) Substances possessing a supposed medico-magical value. 



(6) Objects, pleasing, bizarre, or mysterious, which are of attractive value. 



(c) Conventional or specific charms having a recognised reputation and value. 



To discuss these more in detail : — 



A pharma- 

 cology of 

 magic 



(i;) Suhataiices iif medico-tibayical value 



As distinct from the recognised drugs (to be described later) are, like them, usually 

 the roots, branches, bark and fruit of trees, plants, etc., or animal substances, such as 

 scraps of flesh, certain organs, bone, etc. Among them may be mentioned : — 



1. Tokai (Gour). Two nearly equal sections (about 4 inches long) of the branch 

 and root of a certain tree carried on the person of either sex, scrapings being eaten 

 with the food to ensure the birth of a male child. 



Here the root and branch probably are held to possess a sexual relationship one 

 to another (a fact noticed by me amongst certain charms in Kordofan) as also do the 

 adjacent iron and copper or brass bindings in many of their love charms. 



2. Aloko {Nyaiii-nyam). A section of root carried to prevent, and scrapings taken 

 with water to cure, general "stomach" disorders. 



3. Lejo {Xyaiii-iiyaiii). The leaves of a tree carried in a small leather bag, infused, 

 and the infusion drunk and applied externally as an aphrodisiac. 



4. Cane Root ((four). Small segment of cane root carried by the Gours to prevent, 

 and scrapings eaten to cure, snake-bite. Among the Nyam-nyam the same charm acts as 

 an aphrodisiac. 



5. Discs of Skin ((roar and Xyam-iiyn m). Small discs of dried pig, cow, crocodile or 

 lizard skin (Plate XVIII., fig. 14) worn round the neck to prevent and cure skin 

 diseases, a custom common also to the Dinkas, Shilluk, and Kederu people. 



6. The pudendiB of the male crocodile carried on the person and administered in 

 small quantities as an aphrodisiac. (This is a very universal custom in the Sudan). 



7. Kunga {Nyam-nyam). A polished disc of tortoise-shell. 



8. Koka (Nyam-nyam). A disc of buffalo horn. 



9. Zunbo (Nyam-tiyani). A disc of antelope horn. 



10. Gugaga (Nyam-nyam). A small segment of cane root. 



