MASAI, TURKANA, SUK, NANDI, ETC. 883 



vegetable. He makes up amulets, which he sells to warriors before going 

 to war, and which, if swallowed by them in porridge, are supposed to impart 

 reckless bravery. The witch doctor tells people when to commence planting 

 their crops ; he obtains rain for them in seasons of drought ; and it is 

 believed that he can bring on a hailstorm at will. This last service is 

 rendered by him during a raid, so that his own people may drive off the 

 cattle while the enemy, from fear of the hail, keep inside their huts. It 

 is also believed that at night a medicine man can detach his head, which 

 goes off on a raid on its own account. Sometimes a medicine man 

 will come out of his house and shoot an arrow into one of the posts of 

 his verandah. Blood will then be seen to ooze from the post. This is 

 said to be the blood of a cow belonging to the people he is proposing 

 to raid. After drinking this blood on the following night his head is 

 believed to leave his body, and go off by itself to fetch the cow from 

 out of the enemy's kraal. In the morning the strange cow is found 

 tied up outside his house. On occasions the medicine man orders the 

 people to go and dance under certain big trees on the hill-tops. These 

 dances are acts of worship to the deity, and are supposed to ensure the 

 planting season resulting in good crops. The people also dance at weddings 

 and circumcision ceremonies. 



Omens. — The Nandi have much the same bird omens about starting on 

 a journey as the Kavirondo. In starting on the journey it is a bad omen 

 for the bird to cry out on the right -hand side. On the other hand, on 

 returning it is a good omen if the bird sings on the right hand, and bad 

 if it sings on the left. It is a very bad sign if a black snake crosses the 

 path. On the other hand, it is a very good sign if a rat crosses the road 

 in front of the traveller. If on the warpath one of the warriors strikes 

 the little toe of either foot against a stone, it is a good sign. They divine 

 by means of an examination of the entrails of freshly killed goats. If an 

 ox with big horns is killed, the horns are fastened up over the door of the 

 cattle shed. No agricultural work is done the day after a hailstorm (as in 

 Kavirondo), or after an earthquake. If an ox is killed by lightning, the 

 meat must not be taken into the house, but be eaten in the bush. 



All the Xandi-speaking races believe in a shy god, who is of much 

 the same vague nature as the " Angai " of the Masai. Perhaps, however, 

 the belief of these people in the personality of this deity is more exact 

 and trusting. Mr. Isaac states that the Mutei people of the Elgeyo 

 Escarpment offer up prayer to God every morning. They believe that 

 what they ask for in this way will be granted. He also informs me that 

 the Kamasia make the following tribal prayer to the Deity in times of 

 adversity: The people meet together, bringing a sheep, some flour, and some 

 milk and honey. Three holes are then dug in the ground, one for the oldest 



