MOTHERRIGHT 275 



even among converts the acceptance of the new faith 

 is superficial. A Kunama husband never avenges his 

 wife's death unless the murder be committed in his 

 presence. That duty falls in the first place on 

 her children, failing them on her brothers by the 

 same mother or on her sister's son. Conversely, neither 

 a man's father nor his children are responsible for him, 

 but his brothers by the same mother or his sister's 

 son ; and they pay or receive as the case may be the 

 price of blood. The father who kills or sells his own 

 child is brought to account by the child's uncle on the 

 mother's side. 1 



On the other side of the continent in Gaboon and 

 in Ashanti we are told that when a woman gets into 

 a ''palaver," or lawsuit, her own family and not her 

 husband becomes involved. 2 In German South-west 

 Africa the old matrilineal organisation of the Herero 

 in oma-anda (pi. of eanda\ or clans, is in process of 

 supersession by a corresponding patrilineal organisation 

 in otuzo (pi. of oruzo), which has taken over most of 

 the characteristic rights and duties of the oma-anda. 

 The blood-feud, however, remains in the eanda, and 

 has not yet passed to the oruzo. Consequently if a 

 father neglect a child so that it dies nay, apparently if 

 his wife or child die without any fault on his part he 

 is compelled to pay compensation to his wife's kin. a 

 Further north, among the Mundombe the husband on 

 his wife's death, whatever may be the cause of death, 

 pays a blood-fine to her relatives. Among the 



1 Munzinger, 488, 490, 499, 503. 



2 Bowdich, 437, 260. 



* Dannert, 10; Kohler, Zeits. vergl. Rechtsw. xiv. 307, quoting 

 authorities. 



