Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/672

362 of those pforshei over whom he ruled during his term of office on earth.

According to Striebel there is still another variant of the social organisation of the underworld. The nkongo pforshei of head-chiefs live by themselves, those of the head-chiefs' mothers by themselves, and those of their children in yet another place; while the nkongo pforshei of all the advisers and attendants live in a central place. The life in this world is believed to be exactly the same as that on the earth.

Yet others believe that the land of the departed is in a heaven which is built up of three different stages. In the upper one Mbomvei dwells with all his attendants; in the lower are the nkongo pforshei. On death the pforshei leaves the body and goes straight to the upper stage, where it is interviewed by Mbomvei, who enquires how many children he has left behind him on the earth. If any have been left on earth Mbomvei pours palm-wine into his hands, which he drinks. This pforshei is then allowed to proceed to the middle stage and to live there. If, however, the pforshei has left no children behind, or has offended against some tribal law, he is sent to the lower stage, and later on he is sent back to earth by Mbomvei to be re-born. By looking into water Mbomvei can see all the descendants of any of the dead Eghāp.

Some of the Eghāp believe that only the old people remain in the heavens, where the method of living is exactly the same as on earth.

There is only one head-chief in the home of the dead—Mbomvei; the nkongo pforshei of all those who were head-chiefs on earth rank the same as those of their subjects. Women who were married on earth remain married. If a widow re-marries on earth, her pforshei reunites with that of her first husband when she dies. Sowing and harvest, work and pleasure, hunting and war, all take place as on earth.

It is believed that the souls of one's ancestors are able