MARITAL JEALOUSY 195 



promptly seeks refuge with another man of his 

 "age." Nor is she subject to any punishment for 

 this escapade when she is returned to her husband ; 

 for the latter " fears that he will be cursed by the 

 members of his * age,' " which would entail a fine. 

 A Masai on a visit to another kraal enters the hut 

 of a man of his own "age." The host relinquishes 

 his wife to him for the night and goes elsewhere : to 

 refuse to perform this act of hospitality would be a 

 disgrace ; he would be cursed by his age-fellows. 

 Moreover men sometimes make a temporary exchange 

 of wives. Children borne by a woman while living 

 with another man belong to her husband, though they 

 may also call their actual begetter father. 1 Com- 

 munity of wives would thus appear to be almost 

 complete between men of the same " age." 



The Wakamba, neighbours of the Masai, are 

 reported neither to expect nor to value chastity among 

 women before marriage. " After all dances in which 

 young men and girls unite promiscuous connection is 

 indulged in and connived at by the parents of the 

 latter. In the same way all married women have 

 lovers, which is easily understandable when one bears 

 in mind that nearly every man has two wives and the 

 average number is three or four to each mutumia or 

 elder. Rich men with eight or nine or even more 



1 Merker, 70, 334, 82, 44, 49, 50; Hollis, 261, 292, 312, 304, 

 287. The customs of the Wanderobbo are the same; but a wife 

 finding herself pregnant after a temporary exchange of the kind 

 above referred to returns to her husband. In any case the 

 exchange lasts no longer than from six to twelve months (Merker, 

 222, 231, 232 ; cf. Johnston, Uganda Prof. ii. 824, 825). The 

 customs of the Nandi are similar (Hobley, 38; Jiollis, Nandi, i 

 7<>, 77) 



