BANTU NEGEOES 631 



their households with wives or concubines from, the negro tribes around 

 them. Thus the Hima race is gradually becoming absorbed by the 

 prolific negroes, and simply remains another instance of the attempts 

 (there have been many similar unconscious efforts in the far-distant past) 

 of the Caucasian species through its Hamitic or Libyan branches to modify 

 and improve the physical appearance and intellectuality of the naturally 

 ugly and degraded Negro. 



As regards religion, the Bahima have no very clear idea of an over- 

 ruling God, and but little deiimte belief ia a future life on the part of any 

 individual man or woman; though it is to be assumed that they believe 

 in the spiritual continuance of chiefs and prominent personages, since they 

 worship them as spirits. They have, however, a name for Grod, though, 

 Tvhen questioned, they can only associate the overruling Power with the 

 sky, the rain, and the thunderstorm. In every village small fetish huts 

 ■are built close to the houses, in which bundles of medicine are hung. 

 Very often there is a hard clay floor to this hut, or roof with open sides, 

 and on the floor are placed offerings of food and libations of beer. In 

 many respects their worship of the Bachwezi, or spirits of their ancestors, 

 is similar to that described in connection with Unyoro. But whether or 

 not their belief in and propitiation of spirits arose from the worship of 

 ■dead chiefs and ancestors, some of these spirits in which they now believe 

 appear to have acquired a specialised existence as devils or evil influences. 

 The names of those who are believed in and propitiated in Ankole are 

 Wamarra, Kagora, Ncherro, Magaso, Biangombi, Chome, Kiteta, Ndonra, 

 Ewona, Murindwa, and Mugenye. Some of these are also believed in by 

 the Bairo, who, however, in addition, quote devils of the names of Irungo, 

 Euunga, Kasasera, Enamweru, Mwegara, Muhoko, Mulengera, Kahegi, 

 Nabuzana, Lutwo, Enakawona, Nyaurase, Kaumpuli, and Muregusi. Some 

 of these devils are said to cause people to eat earth in large quantities — 

 a tendency very common in many parts of Negro Africa. Most of the 

 spirits, however, are identified with the maladies from which the Bahima 

 or Bairo sufi'er, such as neuralgia, fever, bubonic plague, and smallpox. 

 The devil Magaso makes himself specially annoying by visiting the banana 

 plantations at night and eating bananas. He is therefore more of an 

 affliction to the Bairo than to the Bahima. It is not improbable that the 

 origin of this myth is the large fruit bat, which is particularly diabohcal 

 in appearance when it shrieks and cries at night among the banana groves. 

 If a man is thought from sickness or other causes to be possessed of 

 devils, he is advised to sleep on a new bed at night, as the devil is very 

 conservative, and will probably continue to return to the old bed. To 

 strengthen this cUre, however, a white sheet must be kept in the hut at 

 night. Other evil spirits are said to make their existence particularly 

 VOL. II. 11 



