UANTl" MK'l lions (iK 1 v|\ I N AllON . 40I 



signs these positions are sup}«)secl to correspitiul \o the positif^ns 

 of the objects they represent, and therefore to inchoate the con- 

 dition of the ** princijial " of each object. l"or. just as an animal 

 is usually seen U])(.n its feet when alive and well, it lies upon its 

 side when asleep or sick, while a dead Ixxly is often found uj>on 

 its back with feet up]:)erniost. so the object in the di\iner's set, 

 beino^ <•;/ rapport with its " ])rinci])al," is ex])ected to assume the 

 same attitude taken up b}- its " ])rincipal " at the time. 



The various positions assunuMl ])\ rlic " bones "' may be 

 generally olassitied as follows : — 



1. Anterior position: head facing awa\ from tlie operator 



:= " lost," " strayed," etc.. generally nccjativc character. 



2. Posterior position : head facing towards the operator 



= " will be found." etc.. generally affirmative character. 



3. Dorsal aspect: back ujjjjermost. indicates "health," etc., 



and. by a grouping <if ideas. " -^ticcess." " pr(^sperity." 

 etc. 



4. Ventral aspect: l)ell\ u])permosi. re])resfnting ■"death." 



" failure," etc. 



5. Right pectoral aspect : right side uppermost. 



6. I^eft pectoral aspect : left side uppermost. 



Eitlier pectoral aspect may represent " sleep," 

 " sickness," " uncertainty," and hence " try again."' 



R. H. Nassau'" records the same custom in the Congo: 

 " After the ceremony, an elderly man or woman who has Ijeen 

 a twin is called upon to split the kola nuts in order to find out 

 whether the children will live or die. This is their way of 

 asking the god or goddess to answer their reijuests (and it is 

 singular that this throwing of kolas may be done repeatedly 

 until the re})ly is favourable to the inquirer)." 



In addition to the above positions, the directio)i of a lost 

 object may be indicated by the direction in which a given l)one 

 faces. Thus the astragalus of a goat pointing directly at the 

 huckle-bone of a pig would be conclusive evidence in the eyes 

 of many natives that a lost goat had been stolen b\- a man of 

 the pig totem. Sometimes a Ijone is included in die set, whose 

 sole function is that of a " ])ointer." 



Once these general principles are grasped, their ap])lication 

 is left in a large measure to the ingenuity of the witch-doctor, 

 but throughout the system we see the influence of imitative and 

 contagious magic. Hence if the three carapacial plates of tor- 



" It a reply be unfavoural)k'. or not what the querent desires, he will 

 often repeat the process indclinitely till lie gets t:ie desired answer. To 

 our '"Western'' minds this is a proof of charlatanism. I imagine, how- 

 ever, that the Bantu witcli-d.>ctor regards the interaction of his "bones," 

 and the objects they represent, a-- a mutually rellex one. Not only does 

 the principal affect its vicar. Inn t!ie latter acts reflectively on the former. 

 Hence if the representative of a lost goat can lie persuaded to fall in 

 such a way as to indicate its recovery, the result is more than .1 mere 

 prophecy— it is a magical act which will assist in the restoration. 



"' I'Vtichi^m in W. .Africa."' J07. 



