Among The Negroes Every Individual, Besides His Own Proper Name, Has
Likewise A Kontong, Or Surname, To Denote The Family Or Clan To
Which He Belongs.
Some of these families are very numerous and
powerful.
It is impossible to enumerate the various kontongs which
are found in different parts of the country, though the knowledge of
many of them is of great service to the traveller; for as every
negro plumes himself upon the importance or the antiquity of his
clan, he is much flattered when he is addressed by his kontong.
Salutations among the negroes to each other when they meet are
always observed, but those in most general use among the kafirs are,
"Abbe haeretto," "'E ning seni," "Anawari," etc., all of which have
nearly the same meaning, and signify "Are you well?" or to that
effect. There are likewise salutations which are used at different
times of the day, as "E ning somo" ("Good morning"), etc. The
general answer to all salutations is to repeat the kontong of the
person who salutes, or else to repeat the salutation itself, first
pronouncing the word marhaba ("My friend").
CHAPTER XXI - RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND INDUSTRIES OF THE MANDINGOES
The Mandingoes and, I believe, the negroes in general, have no
artificial method of dividing time. They calculate the years by the
number of rainy seasons. They portion the year into moons, and
reckon the days by so many suns. The day they divide into morning,
midday, and evening; and farther subdivide it, when necessary, by
pointing to the sun's place in the heavens. I frequently inquired
of some of them what became of the sun during the night, and whether
we should see the same sun, or a different one, in the morning; but
I found that they considered the question as very childish. The
subject appeared to them as placed beyond the reach of human
investigation - they had never indulged a conjecture, nor formed any
hypothesis, about the matter. The moon, by varying her form, has
more attracted their attention. On the first appearance of the new
moon, which they look upon to be newly created, the pagan natives,
as well as Mohammedans, say a short prayer; and this seems to be the
only visible adoration which the kafirs offer up to the Supreme
Being. This prayer is pronounced in a whisper, the party holding up
his hands before his face: its purport (as I have been assured by
many different people) is to return thanks to God for His kindness
through the existence of the past moon, and to solicit a
continuation of His favour during that of the new one. At the
conclusion they spit upon their hands and rub them over their faces.
This seems to be nearly the same ceremony which prevailed among the
heathens in the days of Job. {5}
Great attention, however, is paid to the changes of this luminary in
its monthly course, and it is thought very unlucky to begin a
journey, or any other work of consequence, in the last quarter. An
eclipse, whether of the sun or moon, is supposed to be effected by
witchcraft. The stars are very little regarded; and the whole study
of astronomy appears to them as a useless pursuit, and attended to
by such persons only as deal in magic.
Their notions of geography are equally puerile. They imagine that
the world is an extended plain, the termination of which no eye has
discovered - it being, they say, overhung with clouds and darkness.
They describe the sea as a large river of salt water, on the farther
shore of which is situated a country called Tobaubo doo (the land of
the white people). At a distance from Tobaubo doo they describe
another country, which they allege as inhabited by cannibals of
gigantic size, called komi. This country they call Jong sang doo
(the land where the slaves are sold). But of all countries in the
world their own appears to them as the best, and their own people as
the happiest, and they pity the fate of other nations, who have been
placed by Providence in less fertile and less fortunate districts.
Some of the religious opinions of the negroes, though blended with
the weakest credulity and superstition, are not unworthy attention.
I have conversed with all ranks and conditions upon the subject of
their faith, and can pronounce, without the smallest shadow of
doubt, that the belief of one God and of a future state of reward
and punishment is entire and universal among them. It is
remarkable, however, that except on the appearance of a new moon, as
before related, the pagan natives do not think it necessary to offer
up prayers and supplications to the Almighty. They represent the
Deity, indeed, as the creator and preserver of all things, but in
general they consider Him as a being so remote and of so exalted a
nature that it is idle to imagine the feeble supplications of
wretched mortals can reverse the decrees and change the purposes of
unerring wisdom. If they are asked for what reason then do they
offer up a prayer on the appearance of the new moon, the answer is,
that custom has made it necessary, they do it because their fathers
did it before them. Such is the blindness of unassisted nature!
The concerns of this world, they believe, are committed by the
Almighty to the superintendence and direction of subordinate
spirits, over whom they suppose that certain magical ceremonies have
great influence. A white fowl suspended to the branch of a
particular tree, a snake's head or a few handfuls of fruit are
offerings which ignorance and superstition frequently present, to
deprecate the wrath, or to conciliate the favour, of these tutelary
agents. But it is not often that the negroes make their religious
opinions the subject of conversation; when interrogated in
particular concerning their ideas of a future state, they express
themselves with great reverence, but endeavour to shorten the
discussion by observing, "Mo o mo inta allo" ("No man knows anything
about it"). They are content, they say, to follow the precepts and
examples of their forefathers through the various vicissitudes of
life, and when this world presents no objects of enjoyment or of
comfort they seem to look with anxiety towards another, which they
believe will be better suited to their natures, but concerning which
they are far from indulging vain and delusive conjectures.
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