104 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XVII. No. 420 



SCIENCE: 



A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF ALL THE ARTS AND SCIENCES 



PUBLISHED BY 



N. D. C. HODGES, 



47 Lafayette Place, New York. 



Subscriptions.— United States and Canada S3.50 a year. 



Great Britain and Europe 4.50 a year. 



Communications will be welcomed from any quarter. Abstracts of scientific 

 papers are solicited, and twenty copies of the issue containing such will be 

 mailed the author on request in advance. Rejected manuscripts will be 

 returned to the authors only when the requisite amount of postage accom- 

 panies the manuscript. WhateTer is intended for insertion must be authenti- 

 cated by the name and address of the writer; not necessarily for publication, 

 but as a guaranty of good faith. We do not hold ourselves responsible for 

 any view or opinions expressed in the communications of our correspondents. 



Attention is called to the "Wants" column. All are invited to use it in 

 soliciting information or seeking new positions. The name and address of 

 applicants should be given in full, so that answers will go direct to them. The 

 ^' Exchange " column is likewise open. 



THE SOUTH AFRICAN DOCTRINE OF SOULS.' 

 In the second of two interesting papers on the manners, cus- 

 toms, superstitions, and religions of South African tribes (Journal 

 of the Anthropological Institute, vol. xix. No. 3, and vol. xx. No. 

 2), the Rev. James Macdonald, who has had ample opportunities 

 of studying the subject, has a good deal to say about the doctrine 

 of souls which prevails among the aborigines of South Africa. It 

 is extremely difficult, he explains, to discover what the people 

 really believe about the spirit-world, so many and varied are the 

 traditions relating to it. There are, however, certain outstanding 

 facts common to all ; and of these Mr. Macdonald gives a clear 

 and instructive account. 



All human beings are supposed to have souls, but their souls are 

 not believed to be entirely confined to the body. A man's soul 

 may, it is thought, occupy the roof of his hut; and, if he changes 

 his residence, his soul does so at the same time. Mr. Macdonald 

 takes this to be a loose and indefinite way of expressing "the be- 

 lief that a man's spirit may have influence at a distance from the 

 place where he is himself at any time." The people often use the 

 word " zitunzela," from " izitunzi" (" shadows "), to express their 

 ideas of human spirits and the unseen world generally; and this 

 is " the nearest description that can be obtained." A man is con- 

 stantly attended by the shadows or spirits of his ancestors as well 

 as his own, but the spirit of one who dies without speaking to his 

 children shortly before death never visits his descendants except 

 for purposes of evil. In such cases magicians or priests offer 

 costly sacrifices to prevent misfortune and death. 



Great importance is attached to dreams or visions, which are 

 supposed to be due to spirit influence. When the same dream 

 comes more than once, the dreamer consults the magicians, "who 

 profess to receive revelations through dreams. If the dreamer 

 has seen "a departed relative," the magician says, "He is 

 hungry." Then a beast is killed; the blood is collected, and 

 placed in a vessel at the side of the hut farthest from the door ; 

 the liver is hung up in the hut, and must not be eaten until all 

 the flesh of the animal has been used. The "essence" of the 

 food is " withdrawn" by the spirit during the night, and after a 

 specified time all may he eaten except the portions which the 

 magician orders to be burned. 



Ancestor-worship is not only professed by the South African 

 tribes, but " they actually regulate their conduct by it." Says 

 Mr. Macdonald, — 



" If a man has a narrow escape from accident and death, he 

 says, ' My father's soul saved me,' and he offers a sacrifice of 



J From Nature. 



thanksgiving accordingly. In cases of sickness, propitiatory 

 sacrifices are offered to remove the displeasure of the ancestors, 

 and secure a return of their favor. Should any one neglect a 

 national custom in the conduct of his affairs, he must offer sacri- 

 fice to avert calamity as the consequence of his neglect. "When 

 offering propitiatory sacrifices, the form of prayer used by the 

 priest is, 'Ye who are above, accept our offering and remove 

 our trouble.' In freewill offerings, as in escape from danger, or 

 at the ripening of crops, the prayer takes the following form : 

 ' Ye who are above, accept the food we have provided for you, 

 smell our offering now burning, and grant us prosperity and 

 peace ' " 



Animals are not supposed to have souls, neither are inanimate 

 objects ; but spirits may reside in inanimate objects, and their 

 presence has an influence on many customs and habits. A strik- 

 ing example of such influence was afforded during the rebellion 

 of 1879, when Umhlonhlo, after the murder of the British Resident, 

 was one day marching in a leisurely manner across country with 

 his whole army. The forenoon was hot, and not a cloud was to 

 be seen. Presently the magicians noticed on the horizon a 

 peculiarly shaped cloud. "It rose rapidly in one mass, and 

 'rolled upon itself.' Its movements were intently watched till it 

 approached the zenith and passed over the sun. This was an evil 

 omen. For some unknown cause the spirits were mortally 

 offended, and had come over the army in shadow at noonday. Itk 

 grief and sorrow their backs were turned upon their children, and 

 the result of this would be certain defeat and disaster. There was, 

 however, no immediate danger. That morning's scouts had re- 

 ported that there were no troops within many miles of their line 

 of march, and they could repair to some sacred place to offer 

 sacrifices and make atonement. While they were discussing which 

 place to repair to for this purpose, the van of a small column of 

 cavalry appeared unexpectedly over a rising ground. Dismay 

 struck into every heart. The war minister urged his men to form, 

 into order of battle. No one answered his summons. He did his 

 best to organize an orderly retreat, but in vain. Not a blow was 

 struck, and every man took to his heels, making for the nearest 

 hiding-place in mountain or forest. That army never re-assembled. 

 Black-hearted fear utterly demoralized it." 



Water or river spirits play a great part in South African 

 mythology. They inhabit deep pools where there are strong eddies 

 and under-currents. They are dwarfs, and are of a malignant dis- 

 position, which they display by greedily seizing on any one who. 

 comes within their reach. They are, of course, greatly feared; 

 and the popular dread of them is shown in a way which has beea 

 known in many different parts of the world. Mr. Macdonald 

 gives the following example : — 



"Some years ago a number of Gcaleka girls were, on a fine 

 summer day, bathing in the Basbee. One of them got beyond 

 her depth, and began to struggle in the water, and cry for help. 

 Her companions promptly raised the alarm, and two men working 

 close by ran down to the water's edge. She was still struggling 

 feebly, but to the onlookers it was a clear case of being ' called ' 

 by the river, and they made no attempt to save her. The body- 

 was recovered by the magicians the same day, when it was found 

 she had been drowned in less than five feet of water. All this 

 came to the ears of C. G. H. Bell. Esq., the English Resident; and 

 he cited the parties, magicians and all, to appear before him in 

 court. The two men not only admitted that they could have 

 waded to the spot where they saw her struggling, but also said 

 the water would not be 'more than breast deep.' They had made 

 no effort to save her, as it would be 'improper and dangerous to- 

 interfere when one is called by the river.' Mr. Bell tried to argue 

 them out of such absurd notions, but to little purpose, and finally 

 came to the conclusion that ' six months hard ' might be more 

 effectual in eradicating superstition than all his philosophy, and 

 six months hard it accordingly was." 



Mr. Macdonald says there is no periodical process of purging or 

 driving away spirits. Without the presence and aid of magicians, 

 ordinary people dare not interfere with these mysterious powers,, 

 however malignant and destructive they may become. Although 

 a man is guarded by the spirits of his ancestors, they do not pro- 

 tect him from demons or from wizards and witches. A certain 



