170 PRIMITIVE PATERNITY 



nation, some saying they turn into the object from 

 which they derive their name, as their fathers and 

 relations have before them ; others, again, into some 

 other animal not their totem-animal. . , . This idea 

 of reincarnation does not appear consistent with the 

 well-known fact that all these tribes are manes- 

 worshippers ; and neither is it, if one associates the 

 idea of transformation of the body with that of trans- 

 migration of the soul The soul, mzimu, does not 

 enter into the animal ; and the animal which is looked 

 upon as the reincarnation of the dead relation does 

 not have any human attribute whatever, and does not 

 concern the native in any way. He does not pro- 

 pitiate it or appeal to it at any time, as he does to the 

 mzimu or spirit which comes back to live in the hut 

 in which it had its abode when alive ; only he will not 

 willingly eat it or destroy it." 1 So we are told 

 concerning the rites on the death of a king of the 

 Bahima, a Bantu people though by no means of pure 

 blood, that the body is taken to Ensanzi the burial- 

 place of the kings, where it lies in state until it swells 

 and bursts. Ensanzi is a forest inhabited by sacred 

 lions " said to be possessed by the spirits of former 

 kings of Ankole." " In the forest is a temple; and 

 attached to it are a number of priests whose duties are 

 to feed and care for the lions, and to hold communi- 

 cations with the former kings when necessary." 

 While the body is lying in state the priest "has to 

 find a young cub to present to the people, because the 

 swelling and collapse of the corpse represent pregnancy 

 and the birth of the lion-king. Directly the collapse 

 takes place a lion-cub is produced and the priest 

 1 Raffray, 178, 198. 



