356 SUPERSTITIONS 



during the period in which the individual supposed 

 his shape to be changed, he might, and probably 

 would, commit acts of violence such as might be 

 expected from the beast whose form he thought 

 he had assumed. 



In certain parts of the country a firm belief 

 exists in the power of certain medicines to trans- 

 form individuals into the shapes of animals. It 

 is supposed that if these be mixed with a man's 

 food, he will commence to emit strange cries, 

 such as would be characteristic of the beast into 

 which he feels himself to be gradually turning. 

 After a short time he rushes into the forest, his 

 appearance changing rapidly as he goes. His tail 

 makes its appearance during the night, and the 

 following morning he is wholly unaware of his 

 human origin. Some say this transformation is 

 only temporary, and that, after a period more 

 or less prolonged, he recovers his original nature 

 and appearance. 



If left to his own devices, the Zambezian does 

 not set apart any day or season for abstention from 

 work, or, in a word, as a time of holiday. The 

 priest Joao dos Santos tells us, in Chapter IX. of 

 " Ethiopia Oriental," that in his time this was the 

 case ; but whatever may have been the events the 

 days set aside were intended to commemorate, they 

 have been entirely forgotten in more recent times. 

 The only occasion giving rise to anything in the 

 nature of festivity is the appearance of the new 

 moon, but the feeUng thereby awakened is in no 

 sense a deeper one than joy at the prospect of 

 being able to drink and dance to a later hour than 



