Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 21, 1910.djvu/508

 466 The Congo Medicine-Man.

from one house to another. Any one possessing this fetish on him is not allowed to stay or sleep in a strange town, as the people fear its power. This fetish and the ezau are much the same, and can be counteracted by using the same charm.

31. Ngang' a iikonzo, {i.e. nervous energy). Any person lacking energy through ill-health, etc., sends for this ngajtga, who rubs two pieces of iron down the legs and arms three times ; he then takes some green grass, and rubs it into shreds, and puts some fire in the middle and some sweet herbs on the live ember. He blows on it until there is a good smoke, and then passes the smoking herbs three times round the legs of the patient as he (or she) stands astride. When a woman is in birth pangs and has not strength to deliver her baby, they seat her on two stones and perform the above ceremony. This fetish comes from the forge, and consequently no one will steal from a forge, or he would lose his nervous energy.

32. Ngan^ a malunga, — {lunga, a smithy, forge). The same as No. 31.

33. Ngang' a maytihi, — {yukida, to transfer, deflect), — has much the same power as Nos. 25 and 30.

34. Ngang^ a ebakii is at the head of the tikimba secret society, i.e. there is a nganga of this cult in every vela (lodge) of the society. He superintends the twirling of every novice until the latter becomes giddy and uncon- scious, and in that condition is carried into the lodge. Ebaku means an old man, an elder, and in every nkiniba lodge there was an ebaku who looked after the initiated and taught them the arts of the guild and also the secret language.

35. Ngang' a 7ikau was the name given to the ngangas who were at the head of the ndembo, or nkita, or nsi a fwa secret society. To what I have already written on the 7idcinbo cult,-^ I should like to add the following note : — Nkita is a fetish that is responsible for all crooked and

-5 Vol. XX., pp. 189-98.