The dominant idea underlying all these customs is respect for the spirits of the dead who resent the idea of neglect by their relatives; if they are propitiated all will go well, they will be friends and protectors as they are in life, hence libations and sacrifices are offered. If they are neglected they must remind their relatives by causing sickness; in many cases it is the medicine man who in a hypnotic condition recognizes the spirit and orders the sacrifice or gift required. In other instances the patient falls himself into a hypnotic condition, and through him the spirit speaks. It is natural that tribal ancestors should be regarded in the same way as the spirits of relatives, and we have seen this to be the case among the Shilluk; the general tendency is to regard such spirits as more powerful than those of the recent dead, and as exercising benign influence when well treated. The A-Zande, Adio, Mapingo and Magbwanda of the Belgian Congo all believe in the power of their dead relatives. They "believe that the dead make their desires known to the living by night. For them dreams are real, and when they see a dead man in a dream they, are convinced that they are conversing with his spirit, while he gives advice, expresses his satisfaction or discontent and makes known his hopes and wishes."[1]
The A-Zande probably believe in both classes of spirits; those I saw at Omdurman certainly had great faith in the power of their tribal heroes. They were a company of soldiers all recruited from their own homes not many years before, they had brought their women folk with them, and though nominally Muslims, had not been greatly influenced by their recently adopted religion. On inquiry I found that zār were usually held in the black battalions on Fridays, and that there would be no objection to my watching the next performance which happened to be among the A-Zande
- ↑ A Hutereau, "Notes sur la Vie familiale et juridique de quelques populations du Congo Belge," Annales du Musée du Congo Belge, 1909, p. 50, cf. also pp. 70, 92.
