Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 20, 1909.djvu/236

 200 Customs of the Lower Congo People.

The simple people rejoice that there is such an active police against witches, maladies, and all misfortunes.

"When the period of initiation is over, the nkwiba becomes a full brother, mbwamvu anjata, and returns to the ordinary life. His brother nkimbas help him in trade, travel, and difficulties, and many advantages accrue to him. It is a clique which hangs well together ; in this the guild is much like Freemasonry. So far so good ; but there is another side to it : it is a gross imposition, and its effect is to bind a man more closely to superstition and heathen custom, any attack upon which is an attack upon his craft and guild. It is a good thing that it is now dying out, and that nkimbas are seldom seen in many parts where once they were common ; but in old times the custom had its uses in checking the greed and violence of chiefs, and establishing a helpful brotherhood among wild and wicked people. At the same time, the guild could become a tyranny, and in some places it sought to monopolize the trade. The first opening up of the country seemed to spread the custom ; but now that there is so much security in the land, it has become unnecessary, and is fast be- coming obsolete. . . . The nkimba mystery has nothing to do with circumcision, as some have said. The custom of circum- cision is very common."

The following passage from Bentley's Pioneervig on the Congo, vol. i., p. 451, shows the influence of the nkimba guild :

" Next day they went up to the Vunda towns on the hill. As they drew near, the natives came in force to attack them. Comber shouted to them to come and talk. Their only reply was, ' Go away ! ' He told them that he wanted to build on the headland ; but they would not hear of it. ' Go away ! go away ! ' was all that they would say. Comber did not like to take * No ' for an answer, and began to walk toward them. They spread out and prepared for a serious attack. Just as things began to be critical, a man of Manteke, who had been engaged by Comber, ran toward the people. He was a fikimba, and uttered the strange trill of the guild. Guns were lowered, and they gathered round him, for more than half the warriors were brother nkimbas."