6o NOTES ON WEST AFRICAN CATEGORIES 



2. Anyone who leads one astray by making false 

 pictures, prevents production, and is as evil as the 

 Mbambingombi monitor lizard. 



3. Xibika-Bakolu silence as to the name of the 

 King and God is figured by the spitting viper Mpili, 

 who kills those who by their noise and foolish talk 

 disturb his rest. 



4. The restless fowl or cock Susu 1 is said to remind 

 the chief to rest on the fourth day. 



5. And Bed, the silver fish, possibly owing to the 

 damage it does to the net of its master fisherman, has 

 become the sign of resistance to parental authority. 



6. The shark Nkwimbi reminds them that it is 

 wrong to murder. 



7. Nvuli the water buck is like the woman who 

 listens to the adulterer who would ruin her. 



8. Ngulubu is the pig that steals food in the market 

 place. 



9. Nkufu is the tortoise, who is always throwing the 

 blame of his own evil actions on to his neighbours. 



10. Nvubu is the greedy hippo, who appears to 

 the Bavili to covet all he sees. 



Things like the actions of these creatures they 

 must not do. 



The order above is that of the Ten Commandments 

 as given by Moses, and I have adopted it so that we 

 may readily compare the moral ideas of the Bavili with 

 those of the Israelites. 



1 See pages 214 and 245 "At the Back of the Black Man's 

 Mind." 



