outskirts of the town, and a hut is built over the grave. His children are also buried here. As a sign of the burial place a clay bowl is placed on the grave.
Among the tribes of the Bakoko and Bakundu groups there is belief in a home of the dead under the ground. After death the ghost wanders for nine days before reaching it. During this period a series of ceremonial dances are held by the relatives of the deceased person. The Bakwiri believe that on the way to the home of the dead the ghost must overcome the evil high god, Mukasse. The ghost must take a goat with it into the home of the dead.[1] If a man has died in the bush, or if on account of poverty a goat is not offered at the burial ceremonies, then the ghost will enter a chimpanzee.[2] The ghosts may reappear to the Bakwiri having a white skin.[3]
The Banyang have the belief that ghosts of deceased men return to their country as birds.[4]
Throughout this paper I have used the term "home of the dead" in accordance with the definition as laid down by Rivers.[5]
The native names have been recorded, as far as possible[6] in accordance with the system laid down by Johnston. Owning to the cost of publication, however, I have used English instead of Greek letters.
- ↑ Passarge, S., "Kamerun" [in H. Meyer, Das Deutsche Kolonialreich, vol. i. pt. 2, Leipzig and Vienna, 1914].
- ↑ Seidel, A., "Sitten und Gebräuche des Bakwirivolkes nebst einem Abriss der Bakwirisprache," Beitr. zur Kol.-pol. und Kol.-wirtsch., 1901-02.
- ↑ Mitt. aus den dent. Schntzgeb., 1905, p. 387.
- ↑ Hutter, F., Wanderungen und Forschungen im Nord-Hinterland von Kamerun, Brunswick, 1902.
- ↑ Rivers, W. H. R., "The Concept of Soul Substance in New Guinea and Melanesia," Folk-Lore, vol. xxxi. 1920, pp. 48-69.
- ↑ Johnston, H. H. (Sir), Phonetic Spelling, Cambridge, 1913.
