chapter XIII 



MWININYAGA, THE GREAT WHITE SPIRIT 



The old conception of Africa as the great dark Con- 

 tinent peopled with savages "dwelling in the shadow 

 of death" is an extravagantly false conception. Never- 

 theless it is a conception which too often still exists. It 

 may be that in the past we have failed to understand 

 because we have not taken pains to study things from 

 the African point of view. We have had too many Stan- 

 leys and too few Livingstones; too many men of the 

 dashing explorer type ready to cater for a sensational 

 public, and too few quietly observant scientists and 

 practical students, intent upon knowing the country, 

 its people, and their religious and social outlook upon 

 hfe. 



The simple inhabitants of the Highlands of Kenya, 

 some of whose religious beliefs I will now tell you, live 

 very close to nature, and if you want to understand 

 them it is absolutely necessary to put yourself in their 

 place and try to regard things from their point of view. 



Little is known to us of the origin of these peoples 

 and still less of the source of their religious beliefs, and 

 since invasion of Western ideas it is difficult for the 

 student to separate the indigenous beliefs from the ex- 



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