This Ceremony Is Thought
Indispensably Necessary, Nor Is The Marriage Considered As Valid Without
It.
The Negroes, as hath been frequently observed, whether Mahomedan or
Pagan, allow a plurality of wives.
The Mahomedans alone are by their
religion confined to four; and as the husband commonly pays a great price
for each, he requires from all of them the utmost deference and
submission, and treats them more like hired servants than companions.
They have, however, the management of domestic affairs, and each in
rotation is mistress of the household, and has the care of dressing the
victuals, overlooking the female slaves, &c. But though the African
husbands are possessed of great authority over their wives, I did not
observe that in general they treat them with cruelty; neither did I
perceive that mean jealousy in their dispositions which is so prevalent
among the Moors. They permit their wives to partake of all public
diversions, and this indulgence is seldom abused; for though the Negro
women are very cheerful and frank in their behaviour, they are by no
means given to intrigue: I believe that instances of conjugal infidelity
are not common. When the wives quarrel among themselves, a circumstance
which, from the nature of their situation, must frequently happen, the
husband decides between them; and sometimes finds it necessary to
administer a little corporal chastisement, before tranquillity can be
restored. But if any one of the ladies complains to the chief of the
town, that her husband has unjustly punished her, and shown an undue
partiality to some other of his wives, the affair is brought to a public
trial. In these _palavers_, however, which are conducted chiefly by
married men, I was informed, that the complaint of the wife is not always
considered in a very serious light; and the complainant herself is
sometimes convicted of strife and contention, and left without remedy. If
she murmurs at the decision of the court, the magic rod of _Mumbo Jumbo_
soon puts an end to the business.
The children of the Mandingoes are not always named after their
relations; but frequently in consequence of some remarkable occurrence.
Thus, my landlord at Kamalia was called _Karfa_, a word signifying _to
replace_; because he was born shortly after the death of one of his
brothers. Other names are descriptive of good or bad qualities; as
_Modi_, "a good man;" _Fadibba_, "father of the town," &c. Indeed, the
very names of their towns have something descriptive in them; as
_Sibidooloo_, "the town of ciboa trees;" _Kenneyeto_, "victuals here;"
_Dosita_, "lift your spoon." Others seem to be given by way of reproach,
as _Bammakoo_, "wash a crocodile;" _Korankalla_, "no cup to drink from,"
&c. A child is named when it is seven or eight days old. The ceremony
commences by shaving the infant's head; and a dish called _Dega_, made of
pounded corn and sour milk, is prepared for the guests. If the parents
are rich, a sheep or a goat is commonly added. The feast is called _Ding
koon lee_, "the child's head shaving." During my stay at Kamalia, I was
present at four different feasts of this kind, and the ceremony was the
same in each, whether the child belonged to a Bushreen or a Kafir. The
schoolmaster who officiated as priest on these occasions, and who is
necessarily a Bushreen, first said a long prayer over the _dega_; during
which every person present took hold of the brim of the calabash with his
right hand. After this, the schoolmaster took the child in his arms, and
said a second prayer, in which he repeatedly solicited the blessing of
God upon the child and upon all the company. When this prayer was ended,
he whispered a few sentences in the child's ear, and spit three times in
its face; after which he pronounced its name aloud, and returned the
infant to the mother. This part of the ceremony being ended, the father
of the child divided the _dega_ into a number of balls, one of which he
distributed to every person present. And inquiry was then made if any
person in the town was dangerously sick, it being usual in such cases to
send the party a large portion of the _dega_, which is thought to possess
great medical virtues.[16]
[16] Soon after baptism, the children are marked in different parts
of the skin, in a manner resembling what is called tattowing in the
South Sea Islands.
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, &c._, 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, &c. 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.
_The account of the Mandingoes continued. - Their notions in respect of
the planetary bodies, and the figure of the earth. - Their religious
opinions, and belief in a future state. - Their diseases and methods of
treatment. - Their funeral ceremonies, amusements, occupations, diet,
arts, manufactures, &c._
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, mid-day,
and evening; and further subdivide it, when necessary, by pointing to the
sun's place in the Heavens.
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