THE YAM CUSTOM. 
397 
Judaism, is certain, inasmuch as the Jews were for- 
bidden to do so. — (Lev., chap, xxi., verses 1 and 5 ; 
also chap, xix., verses 27 and 28.) Nor did it arise 
among the other negro races from any connexion with 
Mahommedanism, since, by the Koran, women were pro- 
hibited from mourning at funerals, and the celebration 
of the virtues of the deceased was not allowed ; yet both 
of these practices are invariably attended to by the 
Krus, Intas, Ibus, Eggarahs, and Edeeyahs. 
The Coptic families* mourned seventy-two days ; and 
it is somewhat odd to find among rude people such as the 
Krus, that after an interval of three months or moons, 
prayers for the dead and mourning are again observed ; 
while the simple Edeeyahs have the seven days of 
lamentation, and one moon or month of mourning. 
We doubt not if all the circumstances attendant on 
the demise of persons in the other tribes were known, 
we should be able to trace many coincidences referrible 
to a common origin, as well as that of placing food 
and libations on the graves of the deceased,- — a cus- 
tom we opine to have been taken from that of the 
Egyptians, who had also their offerings for the dead. 
But of all the African observances of fixed cha- 
racter, perhaps that of the “ yam custom” is the most 
* The people of CameroonSj and Old Calabar, bind a piece of black 
or dark blue cloth round the head, and neither wash or change their 
waistcloths for several weeks while mourning for the dead ; they are 
literally in “sackcloth and ashes.” Tlie Egyptians wore black on 
similar occasions. 
