~—" 
TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION H. 635 
If there should be established the presence of a sun cult as the main under- 
lying purpose of the secret societies of Oceania, the correspondence of their 
distribution with that of megalithic structures would provide evidence of great 
value in relation to the unity of the megalithic culture. It must be noted, how- 
ever, that we have no evidence of any cult of the sun in Tonga, the megalithic 
structures of which resemble most closely those of other parts of the world. 
7. The Bori Cult in Tunis and Tripoli. 
By Major A. J. N. TRemearne, M.A. 
There are several kinds of bori. Each Hausa has a familiar of the same 
sex always with him and another of the opposite sex from puberty until 
marriage; but there is another kind, not so intimately connected with human 
beings, and more or less hostile to them. These bori (pl. boruruka, but rarely 
used) are also known as aljannu (jinns), iblisai (devils), or iskoki (winds). 
They are everywhere, and though not necessarily evil spirits, a human being 
has to be exceedingly careful lest he offend any of them. There are two 
principal divisions—those of the city and those of the forest—the former being 
mostly Mohammedan marabuts and Arab jinns, the others pagan nature-gods 
and ghosts of ancestors, all being regarded nowadays as disease-demons. Allah 
is above all, and the bori resemble the courtiers around a Mohammedan throne, 
since it is better to bribe them first than to address a direct request to the 
Sovereign. 
The Hausa idea of the bori is very vague, but, generally speaking, the spirits 
have human forms with cloven hoofs, though they can assume any form at will, 
one (Uwal Yara) being supposed to fly about with the body of a fowl and a 
human head. Amongst the pagan Hausas, Kuri is the chief bori after Magiro, 
but since the jinns have been incorporated into the cult many of the Moham- 
medan spirits rank above the old nature-gods. Magiro, a corn-spirit, is the 
grandfather of all the bori, however, and after him comes the Leper, usually 
known as Chief of the Gate (of Jan Gari), or Master of the Horse, so that he 
may not feel hurt by any reference to his deformities. All bori move like the 
wind. 
The bori live in Jan Gari, the Red City, which is alleged to be situated 
between Asbero and Aghat. No living person has ever seen the city close, 
though all travellers across the Sahara are said to know of its whereabouts. 
Should anyone enter it he will never be heard of more. ‘Often when in that 
district in the early morning travellers have heard the crowing of cocks and 
other sounds of a city awaking, but on rising they have seen nothing.’ 
Soothsaying is one of the functions of the masu-bori, though, except as 
regards sickness, it seems to be dying out. Each member of the sect specialises 
in certain spirits, and it would be very dangerous for him (or her) to try to get 
any other bori to ‘ride’ him. The male performers are known as ‘horses,’ 
the female as ‘ mares’ of the bori. 
Each temple in Tunis and Tripoli is a long, narrow room in an Arab house, 
in which are hung the trappings of the dancers and offerings to the bori, those 
for the young spirits (which give their victims skin complaints and sore eyes) 
consisting of toys and sweets. Kuri’s private apartment is screened off, and 
must not be entered except by the Arifa, the chief priestess, being a veritable 
holy of holies. When a new temple is dedicated it is prepared by incense, and 
fowls are sacrificed. Then the trappings are moved in, and the bori are con- 
sidered to have taken up their abode. 
At the dances an altar is erected and a he-goat (after having been censed 
and specially fed) and a cock are sacrificed in front of it. Then the bori ride 
the mounts, and the dances begin, each performer making some characteristic 
movements (usually indicating the symptoms of the disease), and then sneezing 
and expelling the spirit. 
