Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/666

156 The mbop is a separate entity, and may make its home anywhere. After death it severs its connection with the body, and the Eghāp consider that death is the result of its removing protection. The birth of a child is also said to be caused by its mbop. When it is considered time a man and his wife are made to cohabit, and the semen (mbu ngōng), after many acts of sexual intercourse, forms the infant. The mbop then causes the child to be born.

The following were given to me as the terms used to designate some of the forms taken by the various mbops:

Mbop ke yeō ne ting nong strong man.

Mbop ke yeō ne nuu pot me weak man.

Mbop ke yeō ne kinde a runner.

Mbop ke yeō ne fong chief.

Mbop wue ke yeō ne mong a boy attendant on the head-chief.

Mbop ke yeō ne ngāng foo native accoucheur.

Mbop ye ne zhing a childless man.

Mbop ye ne fo or nnōng a man with several children.

Mbop ye ne mpforshei head man.

Mbop ye ne pfiir pfiir a man who agrees with everything.

Mbop ye ne tara iyap an ironworker.

Mbop ye ne pii no the man who prepares camwood powder (pii).

Mbop ye ne mbōo nka a drummer.

Mbop ye ne mbā ndze a tailor.

The Supreme Being (Mbomvei) has as his main attendants the sun (mino nōo tse) and the moon (mino ne tsu), who are supposed to assist him in ruling the world. Mbomvei is cognisant of everything that goes on. He dwells everywhere, but occasionally pays a visit to the home of the dead (ngwū iyāp) to see the souls (pforshei) dwelling there.

The sun is believed to have the power of interceding