Through Ruanda to Lake Kiwu 49 



ling, the avenging of blood has usually to be carried out by 

 secret murder. In those districts, however, where the clans live 

 apart with their chieftain, it often assumes the character of a 

 war. From Czekanowski's investigations it would appear that 

 a certain number of clans unite together and form a tribal race 

 possessing one common name and characterised by one common 

 language, in which, however, the feeling of a general community 

 of interests is exhibited in very varying degree. Thus, for 

 instance, whilst Czekanowski later on found this feeling to exist 

 very strongly amongst the Azande, other races, such as the 

 Bakumu-Babira, were hardly sensible of their bonds of union. 

 Czekanowski affirms that the number of clans of which a race 

 is composed varies from twelve (like the Bakondjo) to seventy 

 (as amongst the Banjoro, who are nearly related to the Wan- 

 jaruanda). 



As already mentioned, every clan reveres a totem, which in 

 Kinjoro is called nmuzimu. Should the totem take the form 

 of an animal, it is forbidden to kill or to eat such animals. 

 This interdiction is called uniuzini. It is closely connected with 

 the widespread belief of transmigration of souls, for their creed 

 teaches that the spirits of departed relatives enter the body of 

 their object of adoration. The uncertainty obtaining as to which 

 special totem the spirit of the deceased has entered makes it 

 appear more prudent to the natives to abstain from slaying or 

 eating any animals revered as totems. And doubtless this con- 

 sideration gave rise to the prohibition. 



In Ruanda the souls of the deceased rulers are believed to 

 dwell in the leopard and to continue to torment their people 

 in that shape. 



The following are a few clans of the Wanjaruanda, with their 

 totems : 



The most widely distributed and most feared of the clans is 



that of the Bega ; they have taken the toad as their umuziimi. 



Another, the Wanjiginga, reveres the crested crane ; the Bagessera 



worship the wagtail, or dish-washer. Farther away there is the 



clan of the Wankono, whose totems, I understand, are sheep and 

 H 



