Bori Crenças e Cerimonias PDF

Bori Beliefs and Ceremonies.
Author(s): A. J. N. Tremearne
Source: The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 45
(Jan. - Jun., 1915), pp. 23-68
Published by: Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2843386
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23
BORI BELIEFS AND CEREMONIES.
BV MAJORA. J. N. TREMEAI?NE,M.A., LL.M., M.SC., Dip.Anth.

(WITH PLATES I AND II.)
Foreword.
IN The Ban of theBori, publishedlast year, I described the cult of the demonis
amongst the Hausa people of West and North Africa,the material contained
thereinbeingthe resultof workin Ashanti and Northern Nigeria between 1900
and 1909, and in Tunis and Tripoliin 1913. I subsequelntly paid anothervisit to
the last two countriesand to Algeria, and intended visitingthe Hausa colonies
there again, and those in Egypt,on my way home fromAustralia,in the hope of
includirng the resultsin an enlargededitionof the book. As the war has rendered
that idea impossibleof realisation,however,and several authoritieshave asked for
more particulars,I venture to- give them here in the form of mioreor less
connectednotes. I hope readerswill excuse the style,but thereis not much time
for writingat present. For the convenienceof studentsof the subject, I have
giventhe numbersof the chapters'and pages of TLheBaqnof theBori, wheremore
information can be obtained. My new authoritiesare:
Zaiinabu,Hausa of Kano, servantof Haja Gogo.
Abu-Bakar, father an Arab of Kano, mother Hausa of Kano. Came to
TripolifromKano threeyearsago. Marriedthe Mai-Bori Ayesha.
Sambo or Baraka, Fulah of Katsina. Lived firstin Tripoli,then Tunis,now
in Algiers. Second in seniorityat the Gidan Katsina.
Nomo,a Ba-Maguje of Katsina. One of the sacrificers at Algiers.
Introduction
(I).
The Hausa is pursuedall throughhis life by the fear of the bori,and various
measuresare taken to avoid the attentionsof these demons(p. 20).-The rite of
initiationinto the sect is supposedto renderthe dancers themselvesimmune from
the attacks of the particular demons which they professto follow,while the
periodical ceremoniesseem to inoculate them afresh on behalf of the whole
community. These ceremoniesare akin to the early sacrifices,in whicha selected
humanbeing (not an animal) suffered to save others.
The Originof the,Hausa Coloniesin NorthAfrica (II).

There are many curiouslegendsregardingthe Creation(p. 28).-According to
Sambo,the aljannu were createdfirst,and thenAllah fashionedclaywith His Own
1 These are givenin Romannumeralsaftereach sectionheading.
24 MAJOR A. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefsand Cerernonies.
hands and formedAdam. Afterhavingb,reathed upon him,and thus caused himto

live,He createdEve in a sinmilarmanner. Thesetworemainedamongthe aljannu in
the sky,theyate grass,but did not digest it in the ordinarymanner. This dis-
pleased Shaitan,so he broughtEve a looking-glass, and said " Look, Eve! Adam has
marriedanotherwoman,you can see her here." Eve was deceived,not recognising
her own reflection,and accused Adam of infidelity,and, when he denied it, she
called him a liar. So violentand noisydid theirquarrel becomethat Allah threw
themout of the skyon to the earth,Adam landingin the east, Eve in thewest,and
each wanderedabout alone formanyyears. In the end, however,they met again,
nade up theirquarrel,and marriedand had childrel.
Tanko says that Allah took six kinds of coloured earth, white, black, grey,
brown,blue, and red,and kneaded thewhole into a lump. The angels then picked
out balls indiscriniinately,
and these became men of different colours. Abu-Bakar
doubtsthis,and thinksthat the shades of man were accidental at first,for a goat
can have kids of quite a differentcolour to her own.
Accordingto Haja Gogo,Eve gave birthto everybody,and all were white at
first. She could not cease child-bearinig,
and at last slhe became ashamed of the
numberof her offspring, especiallyas she had used up all thewaterin the worldin
washingthem. Otherskept arriving,however,and, as theycould not be washed,
theyremainedblack,so she condemnedthemto serve theirwhite brothers, making
themall the moreconsciousof their inferiorityby not lettingthemappear more
oftenthan she could help. "It is because of this that blacks always run away
fromwhitesto-day."
Nomo says that the people of old were formedjust as we of to-day are,
but were giants. Everythingb in the worldwas in proportion, the ears of barleycorn
being as large as ostrich eggs. But gradually men and plants degenerated
until theybecame no larger than theyare at present. We are becomiugr smaller,
for not so yerylong ago the Hausa huilterscould overcomeelephantsin fairfight,
and carrythem home on their shoulders; now they have to use magic-also the
poisonedarrow.
The Sar-ikimBayi (Chief of The Slaves) in North Africa is chosen by the
people themselves(p. 30).-On election,he has to make a donation to the public
purse (sandukanKuri) of the community, and to hold a bori dance for some fixed
period-generally threedays. A folk-talesuggeststhat a chiefshouldnot sleep on
the firstnightof his reign,but this tabu does not applyto the SarikimBayi.
Totemismand King-Killing(III).
Certaintribeshave a wasa, or friendlyunderstanding, betweenthem(p. 31).-

There is also an entente between half-sistersand brothers,and between children
who have been broughtup together, each beingthe taubashiof theother. In Sokoto
this understanding is limitedto the childrenof a brotherand a sister. In Algiers
the customseems to be dyingout.
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-BoriBeliefsand Ceeremonies. 25
Young membersof the red-leggedShamowa clan must not use henna (lalle) at
times (p. 35).-Abu-Bakar agrees with Salah, and says that the reason is that the
Shamowa'sstaininghas been done by Allah, so it is better than anythingthat
human effort could bringabout,and shouldnotbe basely imitated.
When the Shamowa was about to leave on her annual migration,the priests
wouldgo to her and sing,and then she would graduallyrise in the air and flyto
the outskirtsof the town,movingslowlyso that she mightnot go faster than her
worshipperswalkingbeneath,and accompanyingher to theirboundary. On arrival
there,the priestswouldhalt,and the Shamowa would rise highin the air and fly
offquickly. When she had come back again,a soup was offeredto her,and songs
were sung in her holnourat the footof her tree,afterwhichshe would foretellthe
events of the comingyear.
Haja Gogo's Kan-Gida (totems) were Kuri and Doouwa (faimilyspirits),
Gajeri (protectingher in her profession), and the Fakara (francolin). Thisbirdwas
killed and eaten at harvesttime each year at the foot of a kuka tree outside the
town. The riteslasted forseven days. A bull and a cow would be set apart for
iKuriand Doguwa respectively,afterthe rites had been completed,and the mnilk
of the cow would nlotbe drunk by any memberof the clanl conlcerned, thoughit
mightbe sold to outsiders. If the cow gave birth,the calf would be sacrificedat
the festivalwithits mother. If eitherof the two sacredbeasts died,its fleshwould
be given to pagan Magazawa, and another of the same sex would be substituted.
The Fakara clan mustnot take up firewith pincersor sticks.
Sambo was a memberof the Zaki (Lion) clan. Some clans kill their totem
each year,otherseverysecond,while some let threeyears pass between the rites.
Priests who were veryfullof medicinewouldcatchthe lion withtheirhands-there
were only threeof thesepriests. The animals werekilled so that they should niot
becometoo numerous,and theyhad to submit because they obeyed the incense.
The fleshwould be given to men,and to those women who were Godiyas (female
dancers),but otherwomenand childrencould not partake, for they would be in
dangerof injurv. Membersof the leopardand lion clans let their nails and hair
growlong,and did not use henna. The priestscould go to either of these aniimals
and sing its kirareand rub its tail, this making the beast purr with delight and
sway its bodyfromside to side. It would then informthem of the future,not
by speakingwords,but by some means whichonly the priestsunderstood.
Nomo followedthe Bauna (buffalo),this beingkilled every seconldyear with
arrows by threepriests-one beingcalled Bauna. Nomo also followed the Giwa
(elephant) because once an elephantwhichhad been woundedin the footby a stake
went up to Nomo's father(also a hunter),aind asked to have it removed. The
huntercompliedwith the request,and afterthat the animal greatly increased the
yield of cornon his farm. Nomo remembersthe event well, because he was
suffering fromsmallpoxat the time when his fathercame home with the news.
The elephant or buffalo would always answer worshippers,but would first
transform itself into a womanso that theyshould not be afraid.
26 Beliefsand Oeremontes.
MAJORA. J. N, TREMEARNE.-BOrj
Abu-Bakar says that totenmism was reallya treatyof peace betweenman and
animals,thelatterpromisingto aid the formerif worshippedin thepropermanner,
and providedwith offerings.A somewhatsimilar idea is found in the folk-lore,
wherethe animals agree togetherto give the lion a meal a day,providedthalthe
himiself does not kill any of them.
P. 40,-If a youth wished to procure a special guardian-spirit, he would
wait until the monthof Azumi,and then he would make beer,and take it to the
bush to a spotindicatedby a medicine-man. He would then strip,except forhis,
loiilcloth and skin-covering,and would stay there for four days, calling upon
Mai-Inna, Dodo, or Magiro,one of whichbori would indicatethe particularanirnal
to be followed. This Ean-Gida would then appear to him in humanform(so as
lnotto frighten him) at the end of the fourdays,and would go to the marketwith
him,but on returningto the forestit would transform itself into an animal again,
and leave him.
and King-Killing'l-continued(TV).
Totemism
At tlle periodical totemisticceremonies.the priests dressed in turn in the
skin of the victim(p. 49).-Only the skin of the victim itself was used,and thenr
natuirally,onilyafterthe animal had beelnsacrificed. If any otherpersonhad put
on the skin,he would have becolmeill at once,and would have died unless he had
managedto appease the bori.
In certainclans,worshippersare forbiddento resemble theirtotem(p. 51).-
In the case of the lion and leopard clans,however,the followersactually copy the
appearanceof the totem,as do thoseof the crown-bird, who wear a tuftof hair.
The tree found in each comnpound is said by soimieto be a Kan-Gida, and
offeringsare made to it alnnually. Haj Ali sacrificestwo fowlsto the pomegranate
oppositeto the room w,hichhe leases. Should such a treefail in its duties towards
its followers,it may be dug up and replacedby a plant of the same kind. Should
the tree die it may be removed,forit has lost its virtue.
Personal Enhancementand Dress (V).

of theirappearance(p. 55).-Iin Tripoli,a black
The Hausas are fairlycareftul
in the armpits to keep down any odour. oSAab
substance(gariba sinad) is ruLbbed
boiled with mnstika(incense) may be used instead.
Various measuresare tried to cure baldness(p. 56).-For instance,the urine
of a horse,mixedwitha pinch of the earth taken fromits picketing-place, and a,
little butter,may be rubbedon withgreat effect. Otherremediesare given in the
chaptersonimagic.
Negro hair is much morepowerfulin magic than that of otherpeople,so the
Arabs of Algiers and elsewhere buy it to cure fever. They burnsome,and make
I
It is probablethatthe customofKing-Killingwill be foundto have existedin Southern
Nigeriaalso. See Folklore,March,1915.
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-BoriBeliefsand Cerermonies. 27
the patient smell the smoke,putting the remailiderin a laya. Fingernails may
be used in a similarway,and are even morepowerful. The negroeswill sell their
hair because theycan avoid the resultsof the Arab charmsby takingprecautions,
but theywill not sell theirnail-parings,as the spells producedare too strongto be
overcome. If the hair was stolen,the owner mightbe inijured,but even so, some
people let their clippings blow about, and thus expose themselvesto the risk.
" There are always some foolsin the world,"accordingto Sambo,who is carefulto
spread a clothin orderto catch his own severedlocks.
In North Africa,hair may be removed by boiling sugar and lemon-juice
together,and afterthis has been made into sticks, called halawva,ir,is wetted arnd
rtubbedon when necessary. Ill Algiers,a yellowearth,kirishti,is used. During
Ashura,and when in mourning,no shaving or hairdressingis done, nor are the
nails pared,but all preparethemselvesforthe annual Ziara. A personshouldnot
bite his nails in public,for he may iiot know where the bits go. All milk-teeth
should be burnt.
Some say that neither dabga nor lalle (p. 57) is used during the period of
Ashwra,nor should scents be used. Others,however,hold that antimony,dabga,
and lalle, if used then protect the person from harm during the coming year.
This differenceof view is to be expected,for whereas most people say that lalle
and dabga ward offspirits,the Masu-Bori use both at the dances,and thinkthat
the moreheavilythe eyebrowsare coated the betterwill the bori be pleased.
When a person is ill, neither his hair nor his nails should be cut,lest too
much of the vital forceshould be thus removed,and thepatientrenderedincapable
of throwingoffthe malady. Indeed, even if he were not to becomeworsebecause
of the originalattack,some otherbori would probablytake advantage of his state
of weakness. A womanshould not even plait her hair when ill.
Ears are usually piercedwith a needle (p. 58), but a safety-pinmay be used
for the purpose. One day I saw Kadejiya witha ring and one pin above it. A
week later she had two rings, and two safety-pinsin fresh holes made still
higherup.
Circumcisionis not the result of Islam (p. 61).-Generally, it is said that the
operationshould not be performeddurino cold weather,as wounds heal more
slowlythen. A few,however,hold the oppositeopinion.
A few say that a boy could certainlybe killed by a magicianwho possessed
the discardedforeskin.
Eunuchs were not numerous(p. 62).-Nomo says that when be was captured
withforty-seven were " ruined" at Zinder. Some had a nervein
others,forty-four
the back severed,this preventingfutureerections; others had only the testicles
removed; while the rest were shaved quite clean, and nearly all of these
died.
Trousers are worn in certain religious ceremonies(p. 65).-There is some
magic in the garment,and a woman must be careful,else by wearinlga mani's
trousersor loinclothshe may becomepregnant.
28 MAJOR A. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefsand Ceremonies.
The women'shead-dressmay be a protectionagainst the bori (p. 66).-In one

of the photographs,it will be seen that the womenare wearingveryhigh turbans,
the reason being that the spirits like a high head-dress,since theyhave all the
moreto rest upon. This accounts in part for the wearingrof the daulka (ridge)
during,the dances in NorthAfrica.
It is mostunluckyto put on a garmentinside out,forit betokensmisfortune
or bereavement,so, contraryto our custom,the wearer immediatelyrectifieshis
mistake. Trousers,shoes,and socks mustnot be placed under the head at night,
for theywould cause bad dreanms.Black clothes must not be sewn with white
cotton,nor viceversa,fortheywill disagree,since like seeks like.
Ilabitations and DomesticLife (VI).

An influence may sometimes be captured (p. 71).-It may be that the
influencewas originallya bad onle,and had to be renderedharmlessin thismanner,
forthe Romanchiefmagistratewarded offevil annuallyby drivinga nail into the
wall of Jupiter.'
Fowls may be offeredby the builder of a house (p. 72), though he should
provide a ram if he can affordit. The sacrificeis always offeredup at the
threshold,beforethe ownerhas completedbuilding.
A Hausa must be carefulwhen cooking(p. 74).-Light attractsthe ifutanen
Kassa ("People of the Earth7") and they enter the food alono with it. On a
certainnight during the wet season,however,all the waterturnsto blood. Only
Jews know exactlywhichniightit will be, and, since theywill not tell Moslems,
the latterhave to use a lightforseveral nightsrunning,to see that the blood is not
used in mnistake.
There are many other " don'ts" connected with cooking,for not only the
eating but also the preparationiof foodis dangerous. Do not let anyonestep over
the food while it is being cooked. No harm would be done if the personwas
but who would know whetherhe was innocent
quite innoceintof any ill-intention,
or not? If evil-minded,harm would come to the person eating the food.
Another explanationis, however,that food is a king and must not be insulted.
For that reason,any bread lyingupon the ground should be reverentlypicked up
and placed whereit will not be troddenupon. Meat must always be coveredup,
else it will becomedangerous. Naturallyso in a countrywherethe climateis hot
and the fliesnumerous. Do not taste the foodby dippinoin the fingerswhile it is
beingcooked. If necessaryto test it, dip in a spoon and sip fromthat,but do not
look at it.
It is not only the foodwhichhas to be considered. If yourtotemis a tree,do
not eat foodwhichhas been cooked on a firefed withits wood,for if you do you
will become ill, and perhaps die. That, of course,is only in accordancewith the
p. 435.
1 See Doutt6, lagieetRelbqion,
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefsand Ceremonies. 29
principle. A womancarryinga black cooking-potmust not pass in frontof men.

If she sees a groupsittingdown she must go round behindthem,otherwisetheir
charmswill perish.
Honey is a favouritearticleof diet (p. 76), but it-is not given to a guestwho
arrivesin the eveningin NorthAfrica,althoughthereseems to be no objectionin
Nigeria if the guestis a greatman. A bridegroomshould not eat of it, however,
for" he mustnot have two sweet things,honeyand maidenhead."
There are several stimulants(p. 77).-Aphrodisiacs are in greatdemand. The
best of all are the following,but the firstis so strongthat none but menwithmany
wives shouldventureto eat it. Pound up murichi(the seed tree of the deleb)with
ya-yan dauka (a fir cone), ground-nuts,kcimba(black beans),ginger,and pepper.
Then add soine dried and powderedfleshof a manateeand a bull's privateparts.
Boil these togetherand eat with broiled meat. Gangawari and gagai are two
powerfulrootsfoundin many of the potions,and these may be mixed withpepper,
7limba,fasshakwori,massoro,and millet. The flesh of the manatee is always a
great help,but if this is not available, place a piece of the skin under the tongue-
this was Haj Ali's recipe.
Thereare certainrules regardinlg the serving of food which must be observed
strictly. Do not take food-or anything-froma personstandingoutsidethedoor:
makehim or her enterthe room and give it to you. Never take the dish if the
personis holdingit withhis thumbup, but if eating,withone suspected of witch-
craft,holdit thusall the time. Do inotaccept a thingheld above the head, thereis.
evidentlysome evil influencein it of whicheven the holder is afraid. Make him
come rightin frontof you and put out his hand properly.
Meal-timesare always dangerous. If while eating,somneone calls you,do not
answerat once,else you will be injured. Some say that the reasonis that the food
is a king,and that you naturallywould not call out to someoneelse when talking
to one, so you reinainsilent until the personcomesup and stands in frontof you.
Others,however,say that you would be safe in replyingafterthe thirdcall, but a
fewhold that even afterthe tenthtimeyou oughtto rub the groundbeforereply-
ing,thus showingthat it is the bori whichcause the injury. In this case, any evil
influenceinvokedwill recoilupon the personresponsible. Never eat foodin which,
a spoon is sticking,up like a spear, or in which a knife has been left, for each
indicatesmischief,and the eater will get indigestionif the cook has ill-wishedhim-
Do not eat or drinkwithyourmouthfull,else a bori will get in with the foodand
attack you. Do not move the dish eithernearerto or fartheraway fromyourself
afterit has once been placed upon the ground. If anotherpersonlsnatches a piece-
of food from your hand or from the dish, or moves your dish, do not eat
anotherbite,forhe intendsharm. It is curioushow we object to takinga helping
fromianother'splate, even thoughhe may not have touchedthe contents.
Do not eat while recliningon one side as if ill, or while puttinga hand (neces-
sarilythe left)on the ground,and do n(otsquat like a monkey,but sit up naturally,
knees bent,and eat withthe righthand,showingthe proper respect to the food..
30 MAJOR A. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefs and Ceremonies.
Do not drum upon yourdish with yourspoon, else you will be ill. Do not mix
heat and cold,e.g.,do not drinkcold waterwithhot porridge.Do notkeep nibbling
all day lon,: one bigmeal is betterthanmanypickings. Never eat withouthaving
firstwashed yourhands,and afterwardsscoop the dish clean and lick yourfingers
beforewashing-I" why waste good gravy?" asked Haja Gogo. Anothersaid that
Allah is glad to see that you are not wastefullike a horse,and thereforeblesses you.
But nevereat the remainsoflast night'sporridgein themorningif goingto war or a
hunt,forit may have been tamperedwith duringthe night. Do not eat anything
against whichyou feela repulsion,especiallyif yourheartrises,yourhairstandson
end, or your fleshcreeps,foryour guardian-boriis settingyou againstit foryour
own good. From personalexperienceI can vouch for the factthat a European
oftenexperiencessuch sensationswhen neara Hausa daintydish.
Sneezingcis supposedto expel the bori (p. 79).-The beliefregardingsneezing
is rathercurious,forAbu-Bakar says that Azrael pulls people's souls out of their
noses to kill tlhem. However,the people affectedseem to be able to tell whenthis
is the case, and the generalopinionis that sneezinggets rid of an evil spirit-the
Ganawa have a similar belief.' Belching is also due to the bori, as will be
seen in chapter XVI, and if the wind will not go back it must be allowed to
escape. Do not let anythingcome near you when praying,and do not yawn
thein,but count your prayer-beadsopenly,for he who tells them inside hiistobe
is a thief. Do not sit outside the door when paying a visit, but come rightin,
otherwiseyou will be suspectedof fearingthe effectof the presenceof the borior
of the charmsunderthe tlhreshold.You ought,however,for your own safety to
say " Bisrnilla" when crossingit. On risinoand stretching yourbody,do notforget
to say " Satllati,"otherwisethosewithyou will abuse you,forall will be in dangerof
attack by the bori. Neverentera house in the dark,butalways get a lightif there
is no fireinside,and hold it in frontof you. So long as you get past the threshold,
you will be safe,even if the light goes out. Possibly this has more to do with
burglarsor snakesthan with bori-but snakes are bori. Do not get up in the night
and gropeabout in the dark,but strike a liglit beforerising,else you may press
Ma-Halbiya againstthe wall or floor,and she will shootyou. If, when going out
at night,yourhairrises as you cross the threshold,lock the door behindyou,for
someoneis waitingto get in and workmrischief.
Never give anythingto a personwho puts out his hand behindhisback, or the
wrongway round,forthereis somethingsecretand injuriousin suchacts. Do not
take a knifeor a pair of scissorsdirectlyfroma person'shanld:make himput it on
the groundfirstso that the evil influence-ifany-may.pass out. Do not pick up
a sou if you see it lyingnear yourthresholdin the early morning,forsome illness
has been passed into it in all probability,and if you touch the coin you will be
attacked. It is quite safe, however,if thereare several sous, for theymust have
been droppedaccidentally.
1 Doutt6,op. cit., p. 367.
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefs and Cer-emonies. :31
Traces ofcannibalismare still found(p. 80).-In fact,Abu Bakar (who was in

Kano at the time) told me that the SarikiniKano,beforefighting us in 1903, killed
of
one his officers, took his heart,eyes,and privateparts,and, having had themcut
up and cookedwiththe fleshof a ram,gave a small piece to each of his principal
officers. This subject will be consideredfurtherin the chapterson magic. In
NorthAfrica,as well as in Nigeria,the fleshof a youngchild is supposedto be the
properremedyforlabba, one of the stages of syphilis. Accordingto the late Capt.
G. F. Lyon,' the patientshouldalso bathe in the blood.
The idea that thereis magical virtuein humanflesh,and the subject of canni-
balism,mustnot be dismisssedperemptorily, forI had proofof the Hausa faithonly
this year (1914). On March 25th last, I was talking to Haj Ali in his house
when a little Arab girl,named Munjiya, whomI had petted during my previous
visit, was broughtby her motherto see me. She would not go near Haj Ali,
althoughshe had been veryfondof him before,but called him a cannibal,where-
upon he droveher away. On asking him the reason,I was told that four days
previously public cryershad given notice in Tunis that certain cannibals had
enteredthe city,and that childrenshouldnot be allowed out bythemselvesforfear
that theyinight be capturedand eaten. The Arabs said that the cannibals were
negroes,but Haj Ali maintainedthat they were not blacks at all, but Turks or
Arabs called Sanadaglub,sent over bythe Sultan of Turkey. They caughtchildren,
accordingto him,and hung themalive overa fire,collectingthe fat whichdripped
fromthe bodiesas theygraduallymelted. No one could punish them because of
the auspices underwhichtheyworked(" Would the Frenchdare to interferewith
the greatSai/kinDuniya-King of the World? "), and all that the parents could
do was to keep theirchildrenindoors. That was whyMuiljiya had waited forher
motherto bringher-a little Jewesslivingnear them had been caught,but had
been allowed to go again as she was not quite suitable for the purpose. That
the fright was not confinedto my informantsis shown by a paragraphin
La Dep&cheTliunisienne of a few days later,but,alas forHaj Ali's opinion,it was
not the Sultaii of Turkeywho was accused.
Habitationsand -Domestic
_Life-continued
(VII).
Wells are not dug withoutproperpreparations(p. 84).-According to Tanko,
some of the dowsersknow the situationof waterbecause they have learned the
secrets,and so recognisethe signs, but others feel its presence internally,being
warnedby theirbori. Haj Ali says thatwhenthe divinerfirstfindswaterit is very
deep down,but by offering a sacrifice,accordingto his directions,the ownerof the
land can make the waterapproachthe surface. An annual offering must be made
in this case.
At firstI could obtain no legendregardingthe originof fire(p. 86), but on my
last visitI was told that long long ago, an old femaleiblis (devil) broughtsticksto
1 Travels in North Africa (1821), p. 314.
32 i Beliefs and Cereemonies.
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-BOr
a certaintownin orderto sell them,but,as the people therehad no use for them,
theynaturallywould not buy them. The old devil thenrubbedtwo sticks together,
and, havinglightedthem,made a fire,and warmedherself,and, on seeing this,the
people boughther stock readilyand learned the use of fire. The originalfirewas
never allowed to go out, and many people in Hausaland still preservethe ancient
flame.
The colour of horses'stockingsis important(p. 90), but all, or at least a pair,
of the legs shouldbe coloured,forifonlyone,orbothon the one side,are stockinged,
the horsewill proveunluckyto his owner. A horsewith a lightermaneand tail is.
unlucky.
Cats are useful pets (p. 91), but it is most unwise to allow themto enter
store-rooms, fortheymay be men in disguise,transformed forthe purposeof theft,,
or,at any rate,animals in league with thieves. Cats and mice oftenappear in the
folk-talesas havingbeen employedto steal.
BirthandtPuberty(VIII).
Many means are taken to induce pregnancy(p. 96).-If the womanfollows.
the bori, she will not hang a rag in the tree,but duringfourThursdaynights a.
candle will be burntto Jato in the salanga, and Jato will cause her to conceive.
A good charm for conceptionis mnade as follows:-Take the fruitof thejaririgya
and thefara biya rana, and, afterhaving pounded them up with the shell of an
iguana's egg and the pollen of a male palm tree,give to bothparentsto eat in the,
evening. The womanshould sleep withthe remainderof the egg in her vagina.
Sometimesin the case of a false pregnancybheiska is drivenaway bydrinking-
and washingwitha medicinemade by poundingup the roots of the ucal mcygan-
guna, yadiya bakka,yadyaja, dam-mnagoraji, baureshadad,and tsatsagiand mixing
with water. The belly should be rubbed downwards. If these miedicinesare
unavailable use gautan kaji and potash instead.
The expectantmothersometimesinhales incense(p. 97), the ritebeing,in fact,
the dedication of the futurechild to the spiritsand the placing of it under their
protection.
Accordingto the folk-lorea womiian can conceiveby swallowilng.Thus, a man
who had transformedhim-selfinto an iguana so as to be eaten by a girl whoni
he desired, caused her to bring forth a son like him. In another tale-
a cow eats flowers,which are really children,and later on they are born and
become children again. If a woman wishes to have a son like her husband,
she will kneel over him wlhenasleep and take seven sips froma cup of water
while in that position,making her request each time either to Allah or to the:
bori, according as to whethera mallamn(priest) or a boka (medicine-man)has
directedthe proceedings.
Birth-mnarks are easily explained. Haja Gogo instancedthe case of Khadejiya,
who has dark rings round her mouth because her motherwanted dabga (black
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-BoriBeliefsand Ceremonies. 33
stain) at that time,and, not being able to get it, rubbed her mouth. According
to Tanko and Haja Gogo,the spirit of the thing wanted enters the womb and
impressesitselfupon the foetus.
The changelingtheory(p. 99) perhaps explains the name of Aijanjan?zigiven
to an obstinateand disobedientchild. In Tripoli,the evil borihas the shape of a
native dog (selugi), the sex being that of the child concerned-evidentlyknown
beforehandby the spirits. If the womandreams of it, she will offerup a fowl,
and it will then be satisfiedanid will go away. If she does not dreamof it, she
will sacrificea black cock or hen,accordinoto the sex of her child,as soon as she
lhasbeen delivered. In Tripoli,some say thata black line drawnroundthe wall of
the room in which the woman is, will protect her against the bori,others say
against Iblis. Still others,however,hold that this is an old custom,now goingout
of use. It is not quite certainwhetherthe bori while waiting for the child can
hide in open pots or not. Some say that there is no dangerof this,but others
thinkthat no opportunityshould be given,and this is comparableto the practice
found by M. Theiller (the French Vice-Consul at Tripoli),who tells me thatin
Syria the people close up all their bottles,etc., for fear of Al Basti, "The Red
One," who waits forthe new-bornbabe, and kills it and the mother,the victims
turnino differentshades of red. Al Basti seenis to partake of the nature of
Lillith.
When charmsare to be drunk,the malla?mmay write the magic wordsupon
-theinside of a whitechina plate, the palms of the woman's hands,or upon beans,
the ink in each case to be washed offand drunk. Or he may write upon an
eggshell,the whole of which is then eaten. The husband can help his wife by
washing his left footin water,whichhe thendrinks,or by puttingon his burnous
inisideout-this apparentlydistractingthe attention of the malignant spirits
responsibleforthe difficulty.But when a case of painful labour is expected,take
the dried after-birthof a cat, put it into a vessel of water, and give it to the
woman. At the thirdmouthfulshe will give birth. A somewhatslower method,
-butreallyefficacious, is to make her inhale the fumesof a burningsnake slough.
Medicinescan be made from the umbilical cord (p. 100).-The driedend of
the cord,mixed with the liver of a hedgehog,dried,powdered,and moistenedwith
the mother'smilk, is a sure cure for internalcomplaintsif administeredby the
mother'sfinger.
The driedcaul, mixed withthe after-birth of a cat, a little of the flourwhich
has fallen upon the ground froiu the grinding-stone, a piece of a broken pot
(powdered)whichhas fallenfromthe head of a personcarryingit, and a piece of
a spoon brokenduringthe stirringof food,will make a charm which will cause
everyfriendto believe you,and everyenemyto fearyou.
Candles should be burningat the timeof the birth,in NorthAfrica(except in
Algeria,I am told), and after the child has been wiped, the women-in-waiting
shoutthreetimesfora boy,twice fora girl-but remainsilent if the child is still-
born. It should be dressed in a silk gown and cap, and put upon a cushion.
VOL. XLV. D
34 MAJOR A. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefs azd Ceremonies.
Afterthis its eyebrowsare paintedwith henna or dal9ga,and a charm against the

evil eye (made of cowriesand wet rubber)is stuck upon its forehead. If a boy,
some of the midwives take sticks (swords amongstthe Arabs) and marchround
him,othersplayingupon the karakab(clappers) and guraya (guitar).
Twins have powersout of the ordinary(p. 101).-If a twinlicks his fingerand
rubs it over the bite of a scorpion,the pain ceases immediately. If a twinlis angry
withyou and stares into your eyes, you will lose your eyesightuntil you have
appeased him. Do not ctursea twin,for if you do, the evil will recoilupon your-
self. In facteverythingwill go wrongwithyou.
The power of a twin is due to the zafi(hot heart),or kwar-i(strength) with
whichAllah has endowed him,and to avoid evil consequences a mother should
destroythis power. She can do so by making a porridgeof flour,and then
scrapingit offfromthe stirrinv-spoon with her fingers,and givilngit thus to each
twin to eat. Food touched by another'sfingersdestroysthe colnsumer'smagic
powersjust as it would an adult's charms.
Other persons are similarlyblessed,however. Haja Gogo was bornbetween
two sets of twins,and had as much power as any of them. Her fatherbefore
going to war always rubbed his right hand over her head as a protectionfor
himself. In spite of this fact,thereseems to be no doubt that the fearof twinsis
due to their rarity,a double birth being regardedas strange,and evell terrible.
AccordingtoAbu-Bakar,twinsalwaysrepeloneanother." If youleave two of them,
howeversmall,in oniebed,and go out of the room,when you returin one of them
will be in the bed at the otherend of the room." Some of their powerto injure
ordinarymortalsseems to be connectedwith thisidea of negativeelectricity.
Manyprecautionsare takenbya motherwhohas lost former children(p. 104.)-
a
She will procurea writtencharmfrom mcallam, and will place it in a grave,ancd
will then obtain certaindrinksfroma boka made fromthe madowachi,sabara,and
runhnt, beforeconception. She will observeotherprecautionis also.
When deliveryis approaching,the womanwill procure charms for the child.
One in Haj Ali's house had obtaineda sou fromeach of fortynamesakes,and with
the two francsthtuscollected had boughta little silvercharm,in shape sometlhing
like a prayer-board. This was suspendedby a greencord to the baby's neck,and,
in addition,there were a pink silk bag containingshab (resemblingcamphorin
appearance,buitodourless),and a "daisy" of cowries kept in position by rubber,
havino a red bead as a centre. These were put on to the child as soonlas ever it,
had appeared in the world,and silver earringswere insertedirmmediatelv after-
wards-heavy weights for such tender lobes.
A special goat or ewe may be set apart for the childl. It sharesthe milk of
the animal withher young,but no otherhuman beingwill be allowed to partake
of it, and, if there is any surplus milk,it is not sold-the child has its mother's
milk as well. Whlenthe animal runs dry it is given to a mallam, and, if any
further danger is feared, another is substituted. Haja Gogo had a whdite
ewe.
MIAJORA. J. N. TREHIEARNE.-Bori Beliefsand Cerernonies. 35
It is not qtuitecertainwhichspiritkills the children,but Haja Gogo says that

it is the mother'sbori-lover, while in Tunis there seems to be a generalidea that
a night bird called the Karina is responsible. This is confused with Lillith,
apparently,forif it passes over the child and " makes a noise like a goat or a
crow,"the clhilddies. Godiyas(femialebori dancers)are always wabi (cursed),for
the male bori upon themkills the childrenjust as a roosterdoes chickens.
During the firstfortydays,no godiga would be allowed to nurse the child,for
perhapsshe would becomepossessedby Auta, and would throwit down and kill it.
If the motherherselfwere a godiya,she would cense herselfand keep clear of the
bori templesso as to avoid beingpossessed.
For the firstfortydays the child is always in danger,since its guardian-bori,
beinga double,is not verystrong.
A piece of iron also should be placed at the head, forUwal Yara is always
to be found near h-erchildren. Anotherspiritto be avoided is Gajere, who will
retardthe growthof the child if he attacksit.
If the child is long in gettincgits teeth, burn some quills of the bushiya
and rub the ash upon the gums. If thereis no hair,shave the head, and stain the
skin with catle. Sonle or all of these treatmentswill be necessaryin the case of
a child bornduringAshura,forit is almostcertainto be weakly-but probablynot
sterile,althoughan Arab would be, accordingto M. Doutte,op. cit.,p. 568.
Not many girls become pre(gnantbeforemarriage(p. 106).-One miixtureto
preventconceptionis the driedand ground rootof the fidili with henna in equal
parts. Each miouthful of this will renderthewomanbarrenforone year,according
to Haja Gogo. Conceptionis not always due to the girl'sown fauilt,forif she were
to sit upon any spot lhotfromthe body of a man,she would be in danger. Sambo
and otherssay that if a girl sleep)supon the skin of a lion or a leopard,she will be
renderedbarrenforan indefiniite time,and, if enceinte, she will abort. Others,
however,hold that this would not be the case, but that the next,child bornwould
be fierce. Acco-rdingto the folk-lore, a wife may miscarryby kneeling over her
husbandwhenasleep. If she could determiine the sex of her child by such means
(see p. 110)she ought to be able to exert an evil influencealso, forin such rites-
especiallythoseof steppingover-much dependsupon the wish of theactor. I am
informed, however,that this is not so.
An old Tripoli customis mentionedby Captain G. F. Lyon,' women at that
timestretchinlo the spinal cord of an (tselis (lizard), and telling by the numberof
snaps how maniychildrentheywere to have. This method does not seeni to be
employedat present.
Education of a kind is highlyprized(p. 108).-When a boy has read through
the whole of the Koran, a feastis held in his honour,and readings are givenfrom
the holybook all throughthe night,mnallamn succeedingmcallam wvithoutpause.
Not everychild is inclined to be industrious. A mother noticilno, that her
Op.cit.,p. 184.
D 2
36 Beliefs and Ceremonies.
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARRNE.-Bori
child is lazy, will buv new pots,make kuskusiin them,and thentake themto the
mosque and leave themn there. On her return,she will findthe once idle boyor girl
hard at work!
Sanmbo and Nomo gave me still anotheraccountof the Fittan FPwra(p. 111).-
In the pagan towns of Katsina, girls and boys between seven and nine years of
age were shut up fora week at the same tirne,but the sexes were not allow,-ved to
intermix. There was feastinigand ordinarydancing,but only the childrenof the
Masu-Boriwere taughtthe dancesof thespirits,althoughall wereinstructedin the
duties due to the totem. The boys did niotwrestle. One child always died: this
was simplythe la'ada (fee) due on account of the fact that the Fittan Fura was
abin tsafi,i.e.,a rite of (bori) magic. Two fowlswere offered to Kulri,Uwal Dowa,
Magiro,and Uwal Gwona each day. With some clans, the boys were circumcised
immediatelyafter having been let out, and the harvest was then gatheredin.
With others,the circumcisiontook place afterthe harvest,but all three acts were
connected. Haja Gogo adds that after the Fittan Fura, the childrenwent round
the townand took toll of all the traders,obtainingfromeach a sample of every
kind of food,except live animals,whichhe sold.
Marricge and Divorce(IX).

The presentsgivenat marriageshouldbe (p. 114):-
the firstpresentto the girl'sparents.
1. Kurdin Tambaya(asking-money),
2. Kurdin DaqmrenAwre(bindingmarriage-money), when the weddinghas been
arranged.
3. Tazkira,Gufa,or Left,the " glory-box" sent to thebrideby the bridegroom,
consistingof a basket containinghenna,swa7k, and antimony,clothes or
ornaments,and accompanied by a ram and some articlesof furniture,
the
latterbeingexhibitedupon a danici(stand) at the marriage.
4. Kurdin Budar Kai, both given at the same time to bribe the brideto
unveil and speak to the bridegroom,as the names
5. 5KurqdinBuydenBaki, deoe
' denote.
the remainderof the dower, due at marriagebut seldom given
6. Sada7k-i,
beforedivorce.
The bride-electis allowed a littlelicencein Hausaland (p. 114).-On the night

beforethe actual mnarriage(kwanantsiwa),the bridewandersaboutwithher brides-
maids,and the lattersing:
"Save yourself,save yourself,0 Love, [it is] the day of marriage,
O One witha whitebreastlike a mnagpie [forshe is in white].
The day has come,0 Magpie.
O Friend of the Bridegroom,take nmedicine,
He has a disease,take medicine."
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Belie/sand Ceremonies. 37
The bride pelts them with stones or beats them, and cries and tries to run
away to the bush, or to some house-for she may enter in if she likes and no
one will punish her. Her bridesmaidscatch her,however,and bring her home
again.
The brideis broughtby her motherand others(p. 115), and fourgirlscarrying
lightedcandles. On arrivalat the house in Tunis and Tripoli, the bride or an
attendantthrowsan egg at the lintel,and the best man shouldbreaka pot in front
of the bridegroom, but these customsare not observedby the Hausas in Algiers,I
believe. On entering,the bride'sfeetare washed,and a key is givento hertogether
withsome yeast,bothof whichare placed under her pillow for seven consecutive
nights. Then both bride and bridegroomare given a glass of some sweet drink,
and, after they have sipped frointheir own, they exchange glasses and drink
what is left.
The bridegroomoughtto wear a special head-dress,but if he cannotaffordone
a clean ordinaryfez will do.
The bridegroom leaves his bride (p. 115), but he will have consummatedthe
marriage,in all probability,so, as soon as he has gone,the bride'smothercomesand
asks her daughterhow she is. The girl showsher motherthe usual signs,and the
lattertakes these to the other membersof her family to prove that all is well.
In Egypt,a brotherof the bridemay then firea gun. If the girl is not a virgin,
she and her mother sometimesstain a cloth with fowl's blood so as to avoid
awkwardexplanations.
He does not live withher at once (p. 116), and M. Theiller (French Vice-
Consul at Tripoli) tells me that it was fora long time the practice of the French
Roman Catholics not to touch their bridesduringthe firstthreenights(Mime.de
Sevigne mentionsthis wlhenwritingof the marriageof her son), and that the
Armenians still observe a similar custom,because of their fear of the spirit
displacedby the bridegroom.
Usually the procedurein Tripoli is as at Tunis (p. 117).-Soon afterwards,
he goes out,and the chief bridesmaidenters,and obtainsthe proof,and, on taking
themto the mother,all the womenutterthe guda when all is well. The cloth is
kept fora week by the motherand any femalefriendsmay see it.
In Algiers,the Hausas do not use candles. The bridegroomenters about
mnidnight withhis best man,and coffeeis served by the two to five bridesmaids
there. Then all leave except the newly-weddedcouple. Next morning,the best
mnanbringssomiefandcasut, aild, afterhe and the couple have eaten all of them,lie
procuressome meat and leaves it. The bride and bridegroomthen go to their
ordinarywork,forthe honeymoonis over.
One of the bridesmaidsimpersonatesthe bridein certaincountries(p. 119).-
The false bride,or amcariyca boko,is also knownas the kantnwarranat(Sister of the
Dav), because she is not related to the bride,but has come durino the day. She
attractsattention,accordingto Abu-Bakar,because people mightsay that the real
bridewas prettyor the reverse,and she would be injured. The friendrides along
38 MAJOR A. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefsand Ceremonies.
a differentroad,and onlywlhilethebrideis beingtaken to her husband. Professor

Westermarckhas foundsomethinglike this in North-westAfrica.'
There are certainrules regulatingthe sexual act (p. 122).-It should not take
place in the open,eitherby nightor by day,fora son conceived then would be a
thief,or a dwarf,whileif in a boat,the child might be affectedby water spirits.
A man should not approach his wife against her will or without her knowledge
(e.g.,whendrunk),fora resultingson would be a rogue. Several other rules exist,
but all we need noticeis that the eves of Wednesdayand Saturdayare bad tinmes,
and Friday is doubtful,but a son conceivedon a Monday or a Wednesdaynight or
on a Thursdaymorningwill be good and-more to the point-powerful. The
Moslem Hausa uttersa Bismillah at the criticalmomentin orderthat S7tehitan may
be drivenoffand so allow a good son to be born.
Death and the After-Life(X).

The ordinaryworkof the house is suspendedwhena deathtakesplace (p. 130),
this being to show that the women are too sad to work: if theywent about their
ordinaryduties,people would thinkthat theydid not care. Men should not work
on the day of the actual death or of the funeral,but may do so directlyafter the
last rites,when these take place in the morning,i.e., on the day followingthe
death.
On the day of the fulneral, cakes of flourare taken to the graveside,and are
given firstto the readers and grave-diggers, then to any otherspresent. On the
followingThursdayand Friday, dates, sweets, pomegranates,figs,and bread are
given to the mournersand otherpeople present,or sweetsand nuts to the children
if the deceased was a child.
On the night of the death,if the corpse is in the house,all the familyand
friendssit round it and talk all night,foranyone going to sleep would die. A
knifeis placed upon the breastof the corpseso as to keep the 7curuwafromleaving
it, and this,or anotherknife,will be kept by a wifeduring her three months odd
of ta7cabbaas a protection. A wife can hear it cryingchi-chi-chi,and she is
naturallyfrightened, so she tells some of her friends,and theyabuse it until it has
stopped,but she herself must not abuse it, else she would die. So sensitive of
abuse is the kuruwain Algiers,that 11o knife need be placed upon the corpse,the
numberof people presentbeingsufficienit protectionfor the widows. Animalsare
not allowed in the room,for they would nmakethe kruxwa angry. Candles are
kept alightforthreenights,and the clothesof the deceased are washedat thaeend
of threedays.
Slaves are oftenliberated on the death of their rnasteror mistress,but it is
not clear whetherthis is due to Islam, or is the survival froma time when
dependentswere slaughteredto servein the next world.
1 Marriage Ceremonties
in Morocco,pp. 165, 187, and 330.
MAJOR A. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefs and Ceremonies. 39
The idea of the soul is interesting(p. 131).-The kuruwa is the hankali

(sense,understanding) accordingto Abu-Bakar,but it is not the brain,although
connectedwiththe rwi (life).
Therewas once a beliefin an externalsoul also (p. 132).-To giveone instance:
A queen who desired to enable her lover to kill her husband asked the latter
wherehe kepthis soul (here rai), and was told " My soul is faraway. Iron will not
hurtme, stickswill not hurtme,kniiveswill not hurtme, spears will not hurtme,
stoneswill not hurtme. My soul is in the hair surrouinding the horn of a white
gazelle whichwatersat a lake faraway." The lover killed the gazelle and at the
same tiinethe king lost his life.
Many people awake witha start(p. 136).--This frightis not due, therefore,
to the nightmare,which is variously described as a male bori, a shlaitan,an
iblis named Bu Telis, or as a female iska called Jitama. Apparently,it is not a
properbori,forit is not danced,but is a spiritcreatedby Shaitan himself.
The familiarbori, or better,"bori-double,"usuallyprotectsits human host,
(p. 137), but it is riotalways good,forsomepeople are promptedwronigly, and they
sin accordingly,the natureof the bori-doublenatuirallydeterminingthe character
of the humanindividual. As Haja Gogo says,the double "looks afteryou as does
a herdsmanaftercattle: some are kind,some are niot."
The bori-lovermay tryto keep up relationsafterthe marriageof the human
being(p. 138).-In Algiers,however,it is not the bori whichlcauses the trouble,
accordingto Sambo,for Shaitan knows the frailtyof man,and brings him real
womenwhile he is asleep. Abu-Bakar says that a man who has marrieda female
bori will never be allowed to have relationswitha mortal woman,but,if he has
not actuiallymarried the bori,he may be quite safe. Abu-Bakar himselfused to
have a spirit like a beautifulFulali, who came to him,but has not appeared since
his marriagesome monthsago. He neverniarriedthe spirit-the relationsbeing
irregular-because she was fondof him,and told him not to do so. Otherwiseshe
would have renderedhim inmpotent, at least as regards humanwomen,and have
probablykilled him on his marriage. At the same time,cases have been knownof
a bori allowing her humianhusband to marrya woman,and, again, a bori may
render a man impotenttowards women although not properly married to the
spirit,the bori agreementbeing sufficielnt to constitutethe union, apparently.
Abu-Bakar bad a narrowescape. One night when he was about eighteen,he was
walking home,and on the way met a Fulah girl alone, whom he accosted and
invitedto come home withhim. "She said 'Give me kolas and ground-nuts,' and
I did so, and she came with me. When we reached my hut I lit a light,and
immediatelymyiy hair stood on end, so I knew that she was an aljannta. I shook
withfright,and she noticedthis and said 'Do not be afraid,if you fear nmeyou
will be injured.' I said, 'I am afraid.' She said, 'Very well, I leave you, but in
healthforI like you,'and immediatelyshe made a noiselike' Chip' and disappeared,
although the door was closed." Abu-Bakar was so terrifiedthat he ran out of
the hut, and slept at a friend'shouse, afterwardscoming back and destroying
40 MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-BoriBeliefs and Ceremonies.
his own. Had he not done this,the aljanna mighthave returnedsome night and
killed him.
The rati(life) is not the kzuruwa(soul), breath,or pulse (p. 139),but Tanko says
that all are connected,for,if there is no breath there is no pulse,no rai, nio
kunruwa,and no bori. Certainlyall are agreed that at the resurrection the rai and
the ktrqquact will be broughttogetheragain in a body like the original one.
Accordingto Sambo, the pulse is connectedwith both the rai and the famniliar
bori. Abu-Bakar says that his rai oftenwanders about in his body-just as does
that of anyoneelse. Both zuchiya (heart) and rai may be used to denote the
minidin phrasessuch as " he imagined in his own mind,"or " he said to hirnself";
theymayalso stand fordispositionor nature.
Aftertheyhave left the corpses,the souls go to the well of Life (p. 140).-
The soulsbecomehungryand thirsty,but theyare satisfiedat once internally.They
excrete nothing except perspiration,and this they wipe off. "Long long ago,
people used to go to the Rijiyan Rai and talk to the spiritsthere,but Mohammed
forbadethe practice,owingto the factthat the visitorsused to fall in and die."
Legends regardinig the originof death are hard to obtain. So far I bave not
heardof a serpentbeingthe cause. Azrael broughtearlydeath into the world: the
firstpeople lived for hundredsof years. There was a virginwho had lived for
fivehundredyearsand then died. One day Moses foundlher anklets-which had
been taken offbeforeher death-and prayed to Allah to let him see the ownier.
Allah theincaused her to rise fron the grave,and she and Moses talked together,
but she complainedof havingbeen broughtback to life,for she said that she had
alreadylived too long,and had becometired of life. The Prophet,on hearingthis,
begged Allah to let people go earlier, especially as they were becoming too
nuLmerous, so Allah decreedthat theyshould die aftersome sixtyor seventyyears,
and told Azrael to see to this. He cominanded the Angel of Death to become
ilnvisible,however,so as not to make his victims afraid or to give themwarning.
Thus we neverknow the day. He plucks the r-aiout of the nlostrilsof the victim,
and afterthat the dying,person breathes only three times more. The foregoing
was given me by Abu-Bakar and Sambo,but there is another version. Azrael is
sometimesfiguredas an old nman-probablyMallam Tsofo-who collectsthe souls
(rayuka) in a basket,afterhavingfirstclubbed them to death and then cut their
throats. A folk-talegives this spiritthe power to lengthenindividuallives at his
pleasure,but this idea is not generallyaccepted.
There are five inidividualswho have never died. The firstis the prophet
Idrisu,who was bornabout one hundredyears after the death of Adam,and was
the inventorof astronomyanid arithmetic. He lives amongst the aljannu, who
like him so much that theywill not let him go. Some commentators thinkIdrisu
to be identicalwith Elias or Iliyasu, others say Enoch. The second immortalis
Heliru, who is still in the river. The thirdis Yunisu or Jonah,forhe has not yet
come out of the whale-this belief being contraryto the teaching of the Koran.
The fourthis Iliyasu, whois enclosedin a rock. The fifthis Isa or Jesus,who is
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-BoriBeliefs ancl Ceremonies. 41
betweenheaven and earth,and will return to govern the world for some years,
duringwhichtimiehe will marryand have children,but he will die in the end.
The ghostin Hausaland is called Fatac/luva, but (p. 143) in NorthAfricait is
called Gula and is (as is the Hausa) a female. She is not the same as Ghul or R'ul
(describedon p. 245), nor is she like thealjctnnawhich enticedAbu-Bakar. Tanko
says that each is a femalespiritof the dead. A friendof his met one,in the shape
of a femalemule,one nightsome yearsago near Jibaliya's house. He knew what
she was at once forhis hair stood on end, so he ran homeand was cenlsed-as fora
bori seizure. The GJulahas a lightwith her,and sbe puffsat her victims," thus
causingbori to enter them,these bori drinkingup the blood." Anotherfriendof
Tanko's (a Sokoto man named Mohammed)saw a G6?lanear Siara Sait (Tripoli)
one nightfourteenvearsago. She came out of a house just ahead of him,and
walked to anotherone furtheron. He, being Curious,followed,and she turnedand
breathedupon him,and he was immediatelyenveloped in flames. He fell down
uilconscious,and lay thereuntil found by frienids, but, on being taken home and
censed,he recovered. The Gula does not have sexual relationswithmen,although
she inay tease themso as to amuse herself,but no oniewho can keep a stoutheart
has anythingto fearfromher. Sambo has often seen a Gu6da, and, on account of
his familiarity,treats such beings with contempt. The Gula is not the same as
Afr/t,a wickedspiritwhichkills.
Accordingto Abu-Bakar,Afritis Irblis. There is only one in the world, and
it will last until the end of the world. But there are plentyof iblisai (the plural
form),whichdie like human beings. In Algiers,I was told that the firstafrit-
forSambo says that therewere manyof them-was killed by SefliHazil beforethe
time of Jesus, and that Antar,a freed slave, killed the rest of the cafriti. The
latteralso foughtso well withEr Ras El Ghul that the latter had to promisenot
to ride a horseagain,so Sidi Ali (seep. 245) reallyhad ratheran easier timne thanis
generallysupposed. Accordingto Haj Ali, Afritis Shaitan and a kind of Ghul,for
it has hornsand spurs,but it may have several heads,say some,and even hair on
its body,and a tail. All agree that it is not a bori. The Hausas use the wordin
a muchmorerestrictedsense than do the Arabs,amongstwhoma/frtseems to be
a fairlycommontermforjinn.'
Each personis attended by two angels (p. 144).-The angels pray with their
humanichargein the mosque on Fridays,and are always presentat prayer-time, so
a man should bow leftand rightto them afterwardsand also point the firstfinger
of each hand.
The spittingto preventevil aftera dream should be performedin the same
maniieras is the bowingat borisacrifices, viz., the person should firstspit to hlis
front,then to the right,left,and back. This avertsevil in all directions.
Should a wife or a girl dream of an egg, the formerwill be divorced
immediately, but the latter will marry. If a wife dreams of clothingshe is to
I See Doutt6, op. cit., pp. 121 and 197.
have a child. A shipmaysignifya longjourney,but if the personsees hinmself in a

boat in the mniddleof a stream,he is to die. A ring signifiesto a man that he is
soonito be married,to a womianthat her next child will be a girl.
To see greengrass in a dreamis lucky,because it is alive; so burntis bad. A
fire means war, and converselyfightingsignifiesa conflagration.Should a dog
catch you in yourdreams,you will knowthat an eniemy is tryingto do so in reality,
but shoulda snake follow you thereis going to be a birth in the fanmily.A fish
seen in a dream is lucky,as is also the raw flesh of a ram,but that of a bull
signifiesdeath. "If you see a bird called Alfiddafidda, you may be proud,forit
means that you will soon be able to read well."
Certain dreanmsare always to be interpretedin the contrarysense, for
instance,laugphtermeans sadness, and cryingforetellsjoy, while riding a horse
(a pleasure) indicatessickness.
One should not laugh at a wctllam(p. 149) who begs in Allah's name. Near
Tanta is a town in whichleverythinghas been petrifiedbecause a nallam once
beggedat all the houses in vain. He left the town in anger,and, meetinga boy
witha drumupon his back,said " Pass quickly throughthe townand if you hear a
noise do not look back." The boy went on, but,on emergingfromthe otherend,
heard sounds like thunder,anid looked back. Immediatelyhe and his drum
becanme turnedinto stone,togetherwithall the people and animals in the town.
The questionis often asked,"Do the people reallybelieve in the efficacyof
the charmswhichtheyprocure? "1 The obviousreplyis that if theydid not,they
would not waste their moneyupoll them,forsome cost anythino fromfivefrancs
upwards,and yet the purchase'rearns perhapsonly a couple of francsa day. But
sincean exampleis moresatisfactory thanan argumient,it is as well to drawattention
1 The present war has shown how even those people who claim to be the most " kultured "
revert to barbarism when moved by intense emotions. Paganism is rampant too, for according
to "An Eye-Witness" (The Tzi,4es,26.1.15), "not a few of our prisoners are in possession of
so-called 'prayers,' which are really written charms against death, wounds, disease and every
imaginable evil. One such document recently found on a prisoner begins thus: 'A powerful
prayer, whereby one is protected and guarded against shot and sword, against visible and
invisible foes, as well as against all manner of evil. May God preserve me against all manner
of arms and weapons, shot and cannon, long or short swords, knives or daggers, or carbines,
halberds, and anything that cuts or points, against thrusts,rapiers, long or short riflesor guns,
and such like, which have been forged since the birth of Christ; against all kinds of metal, be
it iron or steel, brass or lead, ore or wood.' After further circumlocution, the list goes on to
include 'all kinds of evil reports, from a blow behind, from witcheraft and well-stealing'
(poisoning ?). But, curiously enough, it omits the only mischance which actually befel the
owner-that of being made a prisoner of var. The document is of inordinate length, and ends
with some cabalistic letters and numerals and with an obscure reference to a 'blessing upon
the Archangel Gabriel.' Many of these amulets or charms are probably of very ancient
origin, and have been handed down among the German peasantry from generation to
generation."
The practice is not all upon the enemy's side, for many of our officerswear ebarms, and
"the young Jewish soldier-Private Labofski-ascribed his immnunity fromwounds to the fact
that he wore round his head and hand as an amulet bands of parchment inscribed with the
Hebrew Commandments." (The EveeningNewcs,Portsmouth, 12.2.15.)
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bozi Beliefs anidCer-emonies. 43
to the accountofAbu-Bakarabout his being " tied" by his wife(p. 24). Abu-Bakar
is veryintelligent,has workedunderus in Nigeria and forthe Italians on ships in
Tripoli, so he is anythingbut a bush savage. An even inore interestingcase
occurredin JemaanDororo,whenone ofmypolice was chargedwithhavinga charm
whichhad enabled him to enter the house of the chief'seldest son,withoutwaking
the attendants,lifthim and his bed out of the way,and dig out a box sunk in the
ground which contained his money and clothes. As the only proof was the
possession of a charm,the case lapsed, but all thoroughlybelieved him guilty.
And I fear that theywere right,forafterwardsa few of the articleswere found
hiddenwithsome of the policeman'sown property, he having been in the meantime
sent to gaol forextortion.
The Chief Priestess, or A4ifa, may have pet bori in the shape,of animals
(p. 151).-Haja Gogo also had snakes in her old house. When the Italians had
been in Tripolisome timeand wanted to hire houses,the Arab landlordtold Haja
Gogo to go, as he could get higher rent fromItalians. She went,therefore, and
the landlord came in, meaningto look after his lodgers,but ran away at once,for
snakes and bori drove him out,and no one would live there. Abu-Bakar,who
gave me the account,took me to see the house,and I found it to be in a state of
disrepair,althoughan Arab familyhad just taken it. When Haja Gogo was asked
if this was true she became quite confused,and it is evident that some trickwas
played, for she told me that she had senitKuri in the formof a black goat to
frightenthe landlord.
There was much rivalry between the differelnt armfas(p. 153).-Azuza and
Jibaliyaoften had little trialsof strength. Once the formersent a snake to bite
her rival; but Jibaliya knew that it was a bori,so she censed it, talked to it, and
sent it back. Later on Jibaliya sent hers,but with a similar result. In either
case, had the snake not been censed,it would have bittenthe one to whom it had
been sent.
Jibaliya has now practicallyretired frori active service,although she did
consent to be present when my fortunewas told, and is reaping the reward
of her good deeds; but poor Azuza went miad,and did mlanyfoolishthingsbefore
her death. For instance,she once gave a niecklaceof gold coins to a butcher for
a piece of ineat. The necklace was returned,owing to the butcher'shonesty-or
fear-but in anothercase the loss could not be replaced,for she emptieda cali of
valuable oil upon the groundjust because she had seen a boy wateringthe street.
Men of rank can exert a powerfulinfluence(p. 154).-I suppose that since
my recognitionas a Bori Medicine-Man I have Hausa as well as the ordinary
European magical influence,forwhen last in TripoliI was asked formy albaraka
by a woman(Sidi Halili's nurse),who was going to have a case against another
womantried by the authoritiesof the Italian hospitalwhereboth were employed.
I put bothmy hands upon her head, and she was greatlypleased.
The albaraka (the Arabic word,of course,withthe article prefixed)is not the
same kind of blessingas the g9ctfarga,
givenwhen a person is dying or going on
a journey. Haja Gogo asked formygcafcfra forherselfand her householdwhen I

left at the end of March. She placed her face upon my left shoulder,then on
my right,then on my left again, each time clasping me afresh,my arms beino
crossedabove hers overher back.
Personspractisingcertainprofessionshave peculiarpowers(p. 157).-Haj Ali
says that a prostituteknowsmuchmore than the ordinarywoman,because she is
always wanting somethingand seeking charmns to get it, and, if unsuccessful,
afflicting
whoeveris responsiblewith her evil eye. A man of loose habits should
wear a gnru(girdle) of bawonkcago,forthis will fall offand warnhim if he speaks
to any womaanwho is diseased.
Owing to his associationwithironi,the blacksmithis a personto be avoided,
for this metal usually makes his breath smell badly. If not, beware lest the
breathshould burn your clothes and even yourflesh. No females,except young
girls,are allowed near smeltingworksor forges,for the ironwould never harden
if womenwere present. A he-goatand a pair of fowlsused to be sacrificedwhein
a lump of iron had been made. The iron ore is called tamnma, but what the proper
name for the finiished article is I do not know. It is always called karifi,which
means " strength," and no doubtits real name must not be mentioned.
The butcherand the barberalso are dangerouspersons,fortheyare just as
muchin contactwithblood as the blacksmithis withiron; and both are haraam,
almostmeaningtabu. All these classes are despised,and should be made to marry
amongst themselves. (It is not so verylong ago that the Eng,lisharmysurgeon
was consideredunfitto mix with the reg,imentalofficers.) If any of the three
classes comes to the house of an ordinarycitizen,he should be given his food in
a new pot and dish,whichshould be brokenafterwards, and no otherpersonshould
share his food. Slhouldyou have relationswitha womianwhomyou believe to be
a butcher'sdaughter,place a gourdof water underthe bed withouther knowingit.
If your suspicionsare well founded,the water will have become blood by the
morning.
The hereditarypower of witchcraftcan be broughtout in a descendantof
a witch(p. 158), and the followingprocedureis said to producethis effect.-A real
mraiyesits witha brotheror sisteranxious to be initiated inlto the profession,
and
calls the girl to brinlgp them a bowl of water. She comes into the room,and, as
she is handingit to the maiyehe catchesher luruwa, and bothhe and the initiate
eat it: it tastes like a sweet fat hen. The initiate then becomes a full-fledged
maiye,and the girl dies.
I have not been able to hear of any reguilar"Witches' Sabbath,"although
M. Doutte has no doubt that the belief existsin NorthAfrica1; but witchesare
said to gather in humnanformin parts of IHausaland,and dance while holding
coloured pebbles in the hand, afterwardsswallowingthem so as to renew their
powers. During the dancinighuman beings are condemned,and they may die
1 Op. cit., p. 51.
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bor-i Beliefsand Ceremoties. 45
afterwards,so perhapswe have the clue here. Witches are supposed to have an
insensitivespot, and the unconsciousnessof pain there is said not to be due to
possessionby the bori,as is the case with the dancers.
Magic in theHottse-Love Charms(XII).

Amulets and talismans must be prepared(p. 159) and treated properly,and
should not be wornwhen in the salanqa. It is only natural to suppose thatthe
morecomplicatedthe rite the morecertainit is of success,and so no malla?nneed
ever be discredited,forby layingdown sufficient rules he can make certain that
his client will make some mistake.
The Hausa youth makes many attempts to attract the maiden(p. 163).-
Anotherway is to sleep with gero in the mouth,and next miorning scrape a little
of the chewed grass fromthe bit of a mare,and grind this with the milletand
a kola-nut. This put in the girl'sfoodhas the usual effect.
There may be some difficulty in gettino the girl to eat of the delicaciesso
thoughtfully provided. If so, take some of your own hair-cuttings, and, having
wrapped them in a charmobtained froma mnallam,hanigthemin a tree by an old
grave. Wheneverthe wind blows the parcel to and fro,the girl's heartwill beat
forthe lover. A mnore severemethodis as follows: If you can, procurea human
bone, such as a rib, one of the bones of a hand or foot,stick it in the ground
or
near a fire,and call the girl'sname threetimes. Wheniyou hear her comingvou
musthide the bone,forif she should see it she would die.
Girls naturally wish to know with whomntheyare to marry,and there are
severalways open to them. If theyfollowthe bori theyshould go to cross-roads
at nmidnight, and, having stripped quite naked, offerup incense. The bori will
soon appear,and will give the desired irLformation uponl this or any othersubject.
The girl mustbe careful not to look back when leavingthe spot.
A girl in an Arab city,however,would findit difficultto get out at nigllt.
So she takes a broom,and, having dressed it in a man's clothes,stands it in the
centreof her roomat miidnight on a Thursday. She then strips,washes (standing
a
on basket), combs her hair,and then censes her body in frontof the broom,after
which she goes to bed. She must do this for seven nightsrunning,being by
herselfall night,and on the last nightshe will dreamof her futurehusband,and
will marryhim soon afterwards.
To attracta lover a girl may give him the dried heart of a fowl,the after-
birthof an. ass, and the wizand of a fowl,driedand powdered up with mantowa.
A wife may find some difficulty in gettingher charm into the stoinach of the
intendedvictim. If so, buy an appropriatecharm froma mallam, and bury it
under the threshold,and the husband (unless warned and armedwith a stronger
counter-charm) will be affectedwhenisteppingoverit. The best methodof all is
as follows: The wife purchases a foldingmirror,an-d,having purifiedherself,
retireswith her husband. She then passes the mirrorbetweenhis legs-or places
46 MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefsan.d Ceremonies.
it underhis head if he is awake and suspicious-closing it at the same time,and

sayiingto herselfthe proper spell for renderingi, him impotent,with all women
exceptherself. Next morningshe wraps the mirrorin her body-clothand hicles
it, perhapsin an old grave,and the spell will not be broken until the m-firror is
opened againi.
As to the firmbelief in such mieasures, I nmay mentionthat Abu-Bakar lhas
been " tied" by his wife. Soon afterhis arrivalin Tripoli the girl Ayesha wanted
to marryhinm, but he was lnotanxious forthe union. Later on theyate some food
together,and she must have put somethingin his dish, for after the meal he
acreed to marryher, although she was a Mai-Bori and older than Abu-Bakar.
He has sent to Hauisaland fora counter-charmto break tl-espell,for he wants to
return to hiisparents,but is quite unable to do so, since nothinghe can obtain
locally is strongenough. She knows of her power,and so is quite at her ease;
but she does not know that he has sent to Hausaland, wherethe charnms are much
morepowerful.
A method open to a lonely wifeanxious to recall her husband(p. 165) is for
her to put her head into an emptycooking-pot, and to call her husband'sname
three tinmes slowly,both at sunset and at sunrise for three days running. The
body of the absent one will trembleuntil he startsoffhonme.Three days is the
usual period,but sometimesthe rite is so powerfulthat one performanceis
sufficient. Sambo knew of a case in wvhicha woman who suddenly got into
troublerecalled her husband in a singleday. He also knew anotherwomanwho
achieveda similarresult by placing,a gourd containinga heni'segg on the roof at
suinsetand remloving, it to a place in the shade at sunrise. Soon afterwardsthe
wandererappeared. In each case, I am told,the husband's heartwas affected, and
remained so he
unitil had tutned his face towards his wife.
A separated wife (not comupletely divorced) often desires to returnto her
husband. I saw one,called Fatuma,when last in Tunis at Haj Ali's house,who
had been sent away by her husband,Rtashid, because she had quarrelledwithone
of his sisters. The whole householdasked me fora charmto reconicilethe parties,
pointincg ouLtthat she was a good wifeand had three littlechildren. I could find
nothingsuitable,but at last, rememberingthat a charmwrittenbackwarcdshas
the oppositeeffect, I reversedand wroteout the formulaforseparatinga husband
and wife,and, havinuwrapped the preciousdocumentin the red cover of a film-
pack,and tied the whole with green string,I gave it to the delighted woman.
Whether it acted or not I am unable to say,unfortunately, as I left Tunis that
night for Tripoli,and had no time to enquire later when passing throughto
Algiers.
Othermethodswould have been open to Fatuma. If she could have procured
some earth fromher husband's footprints, she might have gone to cross-roadsat
midnight,and have called out threetimes,"0 husband,I have taken earthfron
yourfootprints;take me back to you,"holdingit in her hands at the time. But
the best method is as follows,according to Haj Ali's wife:-At midnight oIn
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bor3?iBeliefsandlCeremonies. 47
a Wednesdayor Thursdaystand naked in frontof a fireplaceand tie an onion to

your right side, some garlic on yourleft,and fastena broom across yourchest.
Thenput nmustika, tabi,seven red peppersfilledwithwhitening,and kuskm5s
karwiviya,
into a pot on the fire,and walk to and fro in frontof it seven times,touching
your private parts as you pass. Then place the pot in a cornerand sit down at
some distance off,but do not go to sleep all light. If in the morningthe katskus
has disappeared-eaten by the spirits-you will be reconciledto yourhusband.
An erringwifemay send her husbandto sleep by variousmeans (p. 165).-A
pin is not always safe,however,a needle whichhas been used in the making of a
shroud being nluch more reliable, especially if a piece of the cotton has been
leftin it.
She may also contriveto controlhim when awake (p. 166).-A nasty method
is as follows:-The wifetakes some small pieces of hair cut fromvarious parts of
her body, nail-parings,drops of spittle,eye-matter,ear-wax, anid mantowawith
her husband's food. In this case, she puts deterioratedparts of herselfinto his
system,and so is enabled to rule him.
A girl can be " tied,"of course,and even a wife,accordingto sonle. In Algiers,
and elsewhere,Hausa womenfollowthe Arab customsof tyilngwitha mirror, klnot,
or needle in cloth,while the tyingby means of a loom is commoneven in Nigeria.
The girl is made to pass between the treadles and threads three times, and to
undo this she must repass in a similarmannerand thenbe beaten.
A rejectedyouthmayL manageto punish the faithlessone (p. 167).-A mild
of
form punishmenit consistsin wearingupon yourwrista charm which,whenever
it is rubbed,will cause the girl to break wind and so be ashamedto go amongsther
companions.
It is possiblethat the girl may be so much afraidof you afterthisthatslhewill
consent to allow you to visit her secretly. If so, procurea monkey'sbrain and
skin, and get a bokato wrap the former,togetherwith some herbs,in a smliall piece
of the skin,and wear it upon your arm. You will then be able to walk so silently
that you will be in no dangerof discovery. The fathermaytryto give youthe flesh
of a lizard in foodif he findsout,as this will cause hopelessimpotence.
To guardagainst beingrenderedimpotentthe youth must take care liot to
take foodin any householdwhichmightbe averse to the marriage. The mother
herselfmay close a knifeor pair of scissors,while pronouncinghis name, several
days beforethe marriage,openingit only whenhe goes to the bride.
Mohainmedanand pagan beliefsare curiouslyintermixed(p. 168).-A burnt
dog's head has manyuses. If ink is made fromthe ashes and used in an appro-
priatecharmi, a jealous wifewill kill a rival,will desert her-husband for the man
usingit,-andthe mouthsof any otherwifeor wives seeinlgthe intriguewill be shut.
M1agicin thehouse-Self-Preservation
(XIII).
liJiallams(priests, magicians, etc.) give written charms and even poison
(sammo)(p. 169).-" If suspiciousthat soliieone has given you samqno,cut a frog
48 MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefs and Cer-emonies.
open lengthwise,and rub the blood upon your chest. If done soon enough, you
will be quite safe."
Burglaryis rifein Hausaland (p. 171).-A charm made from the ashes of a
black cat will enable a burglar to open walls, render himselfinvisible, and
paralyseanyoneattemptingto interferewith him.
If the householderis expecting burglars,he should procure aln appropriate
charmi,and buryit underthe door or other place of entry. On crossingit, the
burglar will become paralysed,and easily caught. The midnightvisitorshould
avoid taking such risks,therefore, and shouldhave withhim a little earth froma
grave to sprinklenear the beds of his hosts so as to keep themquiet. If he has a
charmforinvisibility, he should not replyif anyonecalls him,otherwisethe charm
will perish.
Many charms can be had for self-preservation (p. 173).-The brain of a
vulture, if put, together with gamji, kurna, bawon maje and madowachi,in
waterfora day,will counteractan enemy's poisons if used for seven days as a
lotionand a potion.
Abu-Bakar showedme a charm-or rather,the outsideof one-which he said
containedkassan zanzarro,wrappedin a writtencharmii in orderto make Europeans
favourhim wheneverhe came into contact with them. Apparently,Europeans
and otherswere apt to be too com-plimentary, for he had to wear another charm
consisting -ofcotton-wooland certainherbs,wrappedin pink cotton,as a protection
againstflattery. He who can curryfavourwith Europeans is fortunate,so it is
usefulto know that decoctionscan be made frommanyroots,which,if rubbed on
the tongue,will give a persona sweetand convincingvoice,while shashatoused in a
similarmiannerwill make an evil-doertell thetruth. Haja Gogo had manyclients
seekinga meansto pervertjustice.
She did not confineher attentionsto natives,forshe gave me an amulet which
consistsof a lion's claw and a bag containingfortydifferentkinds of herbs. She
had had this forthirtyyears,and it had protectedher againstall the machinations
of enemies. On goingaboard the Italian boat for Tunis,one of my uniformcases
(containingmostof the photographicplates and phonographrecords) fell into the
sea, but floatedlong enoughto be saved. I was wearingthe charmat the time, so
no doubtthe good fortunewas thus accountedfor,and a furtherpiece of evidence
is that the niativewhohad let it fall certainlytrembled with fright-always an
effectof the workingof a charm.
The transference of illnesses,or ratherbori attacks,to otherpersonsor objects
will be consideredlater,but it is well to say here that if the nail-paringsand hair-
cuttingsof a patientare throwninitoa runningstream,he oughtto recover. Or a
fowlmay be killed and cookedin a new pot, someof the fleshbeing eaten by the
patient,the rest,with the pot,being throwninto the stream.
The evil-eyeand the evil-mouthare occultpowersto conjureup an evil spirit
residingin an evil-wisher. We all know what harm would be done " if a look
could kill,"but while smiling at this, we have to agree that staringat a person
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-BoriBeliefs and Ceremoties. 49
will make him look towardsone. We cannot be altogethersurprised,therefore, to

findthat althoughthereare manymeans used by the Hausas to destroythe effect
of both the evil-eye and evil-mouth,somehow one is caught nappingsome day.
There is some difference in the action of the two influences,for,while in the case
of the evil-eye,the presenceof the victimis necessary,he with the evil-mouthcan
workhis wickedwill at a distanceand in greatersecrecyand safety.
The evil-eyeand the evil-nouthare often confused(p. 174).-The confusion,
however,is not confinedto Fedia, forM. Douttelwritesthat at Mogadora man who
had the evil-eyesaw a stonewhile out walking,and remarked," What an enormous
stone,"and immediatelythe stone broke into three pieces. This,say Haj Ali and
Sambo,was a clear case of evil-mouth, forthe wordsdid the mischief.The evil-eye
could have acted by itself. Nomo holds that this was probablya combination.
Sambo gave a, betterinstanceof the evil-eye. One day he saw one man ask
anotherto sell him one of the bulls whichhe was drivingto market,but theowner
refused. The othersaid " Very well, butI shall eat of itsfleshto-daynevertheless."
Soon afterwardsthe bull fell,and as it was apparentlydying,theownercut itsthroat,
and had to beg his fellow-travellers to buy themeat. The otherthencame up and
boughta portionforabout one-tenthofwhat it would have cost him in the market.
The mugunido (evil-eye) is, of course, bad, and a person possessing it is
avoided by everybody, but one withthe kcandun ido is much soug,htafter,for he
can tell what is insidea box or basket simply by looking at the outsideof it, and
such information is particularlyusefulto thievesand to parasites. A person with
a cast in his eye (idon mage)is lucky,for he can see in the dark just as does a
cat, but one who squints(idon kctre)is not to be trustedbecause,since he sees on
two sides at once like a dog, he knows too much for the ordinaryindividual.
Stranigely enough,a blind man also is consideredto be extremelycunning.
The influenceof the evil-eyeand evil-mouthis exerted by means of a bori
(p. 179).-Further supportforthisstatementis foundin a folk-talein whicha certain
chiefbrokewind and then sent thisemanationto kill a herdsman,collect his cattle,
bringthemto the chief'szariba,and tie themup,-causing it afterwardsto re-enter
his bodywhenceit had come. Of course this is only tatsuniya,or fable,and the
Hausa does not believe now that it could reallyhappen,but the tale gives the very
idea whichI had alreadyelaboratedwithregardto the evil-eyeand evil-mouth.
Children'sailments are treated magically,being bori attacks (p. 180).-For
teethingtroubles,the cheek-bonies of a fish,and the teethof a cat and a ratshould
be hungaroundthe child'sneck. The same can be used against the evil-eye,as
also can the claws of a cock or an eagle. In the case of adults, certain letters
should be writtenonithe wall, and nails driveninto themin order until the pain
has ceased,the patienttouching the offendingtooth with the firstfingerof his
righthan'd. At least,that is what Haj Ali thinks,but Abu-Bakar'sopinionis that
lhotwaterheld in the mouthand some lotionrubbedon the cheekanswerbetter.
1 Op. cit., p. 320.
VOL. XLV. E
50 MAJOR A. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefsand Ceeremonies.
If one man has been bittenby another,he shouldtake a fowl'sdroppingsand

put themon the wounds. Not only will thesebe healed,but the otherman's teetlh
will drop out. The influenceof fowls is peculiar,for if you suspect that a man
has elephantiasis,put featherson the fireand the affectedtesticleswillimmediately
cry out. You will not hear the sounds, but you will see the patient tryingto
com)ress the parts. This procedureis of use onlyas a diagnosis,it is not a cure.
The bodyof a lizard cookedand servedlike a fishis a certainremedyfora cough.
UivalMaganguna and Jibda Kassa will cure rheumatismif rubbedupon the body,
or the partsaffectedc may be seared. Mr. Dickson tells me that he knows a man
who was quite helplesswith rheumatism, but was cured by means of the hot iron
(afterall, onlyour mustardplasterin a inoresevereform). If a personlis addicted
to drunkenness, put kafi mnallam(a herb) and a written charm into his beer-or
betterstill,mix urinewithit. The druinkard will neverindulgeagain.
Eye troublesmay yieldto a red and black stone (idon zakara) ground and
mixed withantimony.The followingis a methodof procuringa certainremedyfor
blindness: Go to an owl's nest and blind all the youngones,and thenline the nest
withcotton-wool.The mlother on her returnwill bringmedicinesto cureher young
ones,and some of it will fall upon the cotton-wool. Go later,therefore, and takeit
and use it on humnan eyes. A bandage soaked in lotion made fromthe fidili and
rwuhu,and tied roundthe head,will act throughthe eyes and cureheadache,buita
laya containinga writtencharmis juistas efficacious;thus Doguwa, a womanin
Tripoli,wears one continuallytied to her hair olnthe rightside,and never suffers
now fromheadache. A cheaperpreventiveis a stringof black and yellow beads,
and thesealso serveto throwback the evil-eye.
An enemy'sbuildingmay be knocked down by means of a charm made with
the blood of a chameleon(p. 181).-A house may be burntdown by means of a
writtencharm(Haj Ali was seeking one of these),or by lightinga candle upon
whichcertaincharactershave been scratched,but Abu-Bakar thinks that the best
methodis to employa thiefto set fireto the house,for he can avoid detectionand
captureby iieans of his charms-also, you yoursel are safe.
The chameleonhas been mentionedabove. If you eat the fleshand blood of
such an animal mixedwitha khenfusa(beetle). howevermuchyou are afflicted by
an enemy'smedicinesyou will recover. In some manner,the bori Lahidi is conl-
nectedwith the chameleon,fora person seeing the latter is in danger of being
seized by the spirit. One day Haja Gogo saw the reptile,and immediatelyafter-
wards Lahidi-compelled her to wave her arms violently to and fro until she
collapsed. Since then she has always faintedat the sight of a chameleon. Any
person killing one intentionallywould immediatelyturn differentcolours, and
would die in the evening. The waral (lizard) also has a bad effectupon people,for
it makes the sweat pour fromthe skin anidthe body shake. The eatingofits flesh
is supposedto cause impotence. Women in Tripoli used to ascertainthe nuimber
of theirfuturechildreinby breakingthe backs of the aselis,as has been said.
The effectsof stepping-overare various (p. 182).-In the greaternumberof
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefsand Cer-emonies. 51
cases the personsteppingis affected,thus a wifekneeling over her husbaiid will

have a son like him; a man steppingovera donkey'sbori is seized by that spirit; a
personpassingover blood is attacked by bori near it; the burglaror spouseis held
by a charm under the threshold; offenderssteppingover mag,icgourdsor fireare
detected; a candidateformrlagicalpowersreceivesthemfroma bowlplaced between
his feet; and a new king used to step over the body of his predecessorin orderto
obtain his virtue. There are some cases, however,in which the person stepping
exerts an influence,viz., when passing over food or over another person lying
down-Uwal Yara inijuresinfantsby flyingabove them.
A person'ssoul may be summonedby calling his name over a bowl of water
(p. 183).-So powerfulis this charm that if you make a mistake in the name,
the person whose name you use will die. The only protectionagainst such
dangeris the blood of the bishiya. Cut the throatsof threeor seven of them and
collectthe blood. Drink a little at once and put away the remainderto be used
periodicallyin future.
Accordingto Haj Ali and Abu-Bakar,models of enemies are made ofwax (a
candle in NorthAfrica,beeswax in Nigeria),and placed in cooking-potsover a fire.
This would be done at night and in secret. Hunters used to practise this rite to
securesuccess over beasts. A frogis usefulin this connection,forif its tonguebe
slit in the shadow of an enemy,whatever happens to the frog happens to the
enemy.
Magic in theFields-Agriculture(XIV).
There are certainceremoniesto make rain fall (p. 189).-In Algiers,Arabs

and Hausas pour water overeach other'sheads and clothes,and promenadewitha
spoondressedas a doll,throwingwaterover it and each other; bathe in the sea;
and turntheircloaks fromleftto rightover theirshoulders in the mosques on a
Friday. In Algiersand elsewherein NorthAfrica,kora (football) is niotpopular
with the Hausas. They have no farmsand so would preferfine weather,since
manyof themworkat the docks or on thestreets. If the Arabs requirerain,they
must pay for the Hausa nmagical rites,and non-paid but influentialassistantsat
the kora would probablyrenderthe formeruinnecessary.
Agriculturistspractisedmanyrites (p. 196).-After the harvest,the Maga-
zawa used to sacrificea bull, and smear the blood upon the outsideof a corn-bin.
One ortwo ears of guinea-cornand millet,and a piece ofsugar-canewere thentied
to the roofof the living-hut,and not eaten until the followingyear, in order to
induce Allah (or the bori) to give plentifulcrops again. If, however,the crops
thenwere not good, beer would be drunkin the forestforseven days at the next
" First Rains,"men,women,and childrenindulgingtogether. Nomo denies that
therewas any promiscuity-"The Hausas are nlotNails or Shawiyas."
Certaintrees on earth may be bound up with the lives of certain persons
(p. 197) and, accordingto Sambo,thereis an enormoustreeoflifein Allah'sgarden,
E 2
52 MAJOR A. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefsand Ceremonaies.
and everyhumanbeingis representedby a distinctleaf. When that leaf falls,the

personhas onlyfortydays moreto live.
Nearly everycompoundhas a tree in the centre to whichofferings are made,
as we have seen,but certaintrees require morethan fowls. Accordingto Sanmbo
and Nomo, therewas a kola-nuttreeat Dan Lahidi,nearZinder,to whicha human
victimwas offered annually. Nomo saw the throatof a boy (ill withsmallpox)clut
at its foot,the earthbeingbanked up so that his bloodwould flowto theroots. The
treehad alreadybegunto show signsoffruit,but afterthis,therewas a tremendous
yield.
Magic in theFields (continued)- War, Hunting,and Games(XV).

Human fleshis particularlyvaluable to warriors(p. 200).-According to Haja
Gogo,the properingredientswerethefleshofan albino,theheartsofa lion,a leopard,
and ofa raimwhichhad bleated when the men came to the flock,and as manyflies
as had settledupon any of the meat during the preparation. This mixturewas
given to war-horsesalso, and theywould thenslmiell out enemies,howeverwell they
were concealed,and would carrytheirmastersto them. Anotherway of rendering
warriorsrecklesslybrave was to give themthe heartsof fowls,togetherwithappro-
priateherbs. " Justas a fowlwill keep on returningto corn,howeveroftendriven
away, so will the warriorseek the enemy."
The fleshof an albino would be available only forofficersof the army,so the
rank and filehad to content themselveswith somethingmore easily obtainable.
The body of the electriceel, dried,and made into a girdle,would paralysethe arm
of anyoneattenmpting to strikethe wearer,or a small piece of it would do if mixed
witha shavingfromthe base of a hornwhich was loose in a cow's head. Again,
the thornsof the adduwa,fara kaya, dumtshishi, sarakcakiya,and gagario,if mixed
withthe heartsofa lion,leopard,and a brave enemy,togetherwith as many flies
as had settled,will renderboth horseand riderinvulnerable to sword anid arrow.
This will act betterif tarnba,aclha,and shea-butterare added, and in any case, the
cooking-pot, ladle (which must be of mnetal),and dish must be new and broken
immediatelyafterwards. In all ofthe above,no wordmust be spokenfromstartto
finish. Squashingand suckinga centipedeor millipedeis excellent.
Blood is not always necessary,for mallains can give clients writtencharms
whichwill cause stonesto break like eggs on hittingr them, and gunpowderto be
convertedinto waterand so becomeuseless. Abu-Bakar tells me that he saw the
Chiefof theDamaraohu fighting againstthe Frenchsome yearsago,and thatseveral
bulletsbit him,butreboundedand fell to the ground. Only a silver bullet could
have wounded him,forthe Sariki had procuredeverymedicinepossible,including
thehead and skin of a lizardmade into an amulet. The head and feetofan ostrich
or gazelle enable the eater to run as fast as the bird or animal concerned,and so
escape fromfoesin war.
Hunters were usually under restrictionsonly as regards areas after the
openingday (p. 208).-They werenotabsolutelyfree,however,foraccordingto Nomo,
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefs and Ceremoties. 53
anyonekillinga lion forsportwithoutpermissionfromthe chief,was punished,for

it was a royal beastand had to be treated accordingly. If, however,the lion had
done damage,it mightbe shot,forby its behaviourit had shownthat it was not fit
to be a king.
Animals may be forcedby magicalmeansto appearbeforethe hunters(p. 203).
-If a certaincharmis writtenby a mallam upon a stick, and this stick is censed
forseven days,elephantswill follow the person who carries it. Immediatelyhe
has come near to his town,he plants the stick in the ground,and the animals
therebybecomepowerlessto move. To summonthe huntersand kill the game is
thenan easy matter.
The Chiefof the Water was responsibleforthe safetyof travellers(p. 207).-
One of his duties was to lightincense on the banks of his river so as to render
hippopotamni and crocodilesharmlessto travellers. So tamewould theybecomethat
theywould gentlytap fishermen or swimmersto warnthemto get out oftheirway.
Probablyhe had to be presentat the making of a canoe. A red cloth was tied
roundthe trunkof the selectedtree,and if afterthreedays it was still there,the
tree was cut down and hollowed out. On the launch of the canoe, fowls were
sacrificedto the bori. There was an annual Garan Ruwa (Cleansing of the Waters)
at Argunguiand elsewhere whichoughtto be noticed. At this,black goats (to the
bori generally)and red goats (Sarikin Rafi), red cocks (to Kuri), speckledfowls(to
Jato),and whitehens (to Doguwa), were offered up on the banks,and the bloodwas
made to flowinto the water. Unless this were done, fishermen who enteredthe
river would sink and drown,and even so one of them was generallytaken by
the alcannu annually.
A boxermightobtaina charmwhichwould render him unconquerableunder
ordinarycircumstances(p. 211), but unfortunately he was not safe against a base
opponentwho hid needles betweenhis fingrers, or sprinkledpepperupon his " glove,"
forthe boriare powerlessagainst both of these substances-at least that was the
explanationgivento me.
Since a strangeris a suspect,it is extremelydangerousto go on a journey
to a far country,so the Hausa, who has always been a greattraveller,has to take
many precautions. Beforestartingupon a journey,he should go to his parents
and stand beforethemwithhis head bowed,and thencrosshis arms overhis breast
thiee times. Wherever he wanders,theiralbaraka goes with him,just as our
parents'good wishesaccompanyus. When leavinghome the Hausa shouldget his
wifeto pour waterin frontof his horse,and behind it near the threshold, forthe
water exerts a good influence. No one who has been fortunatein his own town
shouldleave it withouthavingtaken a pinchof its earth,otherwisehe maylose the
town'salbaraka. On reachingthe top ofa hill, the travellershould throwa stone
behindhim in orderto get rid of " that tired feeling,"but he must not look round
to see whereit has gone. Beforeenteringa strangetown,or when landingfroma
ship,the Hausa eats a little of the earth and drinks some of the water as soon as
possible,forthis puts the mallamsof the new countryon his side. " If, on entering
54 i Beliefs and Ceremonies.
MAJOR A. J. N. TRJEMEARNE.-BOr
a strangetown,yourhair stands on end,youirheartrises,or your flesh creeps,do

not eat any fooduntil you have bought a lemon or a lime, and have squeezed a
drop or two of the juice into somiefoodor drinkorderedat a caf6. If anyonein
the town is seeking to injure you,the vessel will fall to pieces immediately!"
When enteringand when leaving a town,spit upon a stone and throwit behind
you in orderto get rid of all evil influenceswhichare in the rear.
In the case of persons of rank, elaborate ceremnonies may be perforlued. As
soon as my bori-m-other (as Haja Gogo had become) knew that the date of my
departurefromn Tripoli was approaching,she said that I must have a Yankan,
(literally,a " SacrificeforHealth ") in orderthat I mightreach home safely.
afiyct
I agreed,of course,and, since I could not photographthe rite-which took place
on the actual day upon whichI left-I took a French photographer withnme. At
first,objectionwas taken to him,not merelybecause he would see sights familiar
only to membersof the sect, but also because he himselfwoouldbe in great danger
fromthe spirits. However,a little persuasionprovedsuccessful.
The Arifa,having given the officiating a franc-pieceand some grains
sacrificer
of incense,he retiredto the spirit-house, and censed his knife by holding it hori-
zontally over the pot-the point towards the north-and wavingit a fewtimes
to and fro. The instrumentwas an ordinarydinnerknifewitha black handle.
The Arifathen put her own franc-piecein the lid of a box containingthe
incense,and, having taken soine of the grains,threw them into anothercenser
with which she purifiedthe place of sacrifice. In this case the censerwas not
placed on top of the money,but alongside it. She then knelt in front;of the
incense,inhalingit, and prayedas follows: " We are seekingyou,not because [we
thinkthat] we are equal to you,not because [we thinkthat] we are greaterthan
you,[but] because of our love and obedience. Give us safetyby nightand by day,
cause good to come to us, not evil, [andlgive] health of body to us, to our young
ones, and to our old ones. Whoever invokes you [in faith],give him healthand
strengthof body. That whichhe asks withhis heart give to him for the sake of
Allah's greatnessand yourown. Have pity upon him whereverhe goes,[cause] good
fortuneto go beforehim,and if he entersthe presence of the king [let] his words
have moreweight[than those] of anyone else. The enemywho dislikesme, seize
him; if he pursues me with an evil purpose,[let] it reboundupon hiin. As for
me,myparents,mygreatones,and mylittle ones,whateverI ask [formyselfor for
them]go and do formysake,even [ifit be] in the middleof the night. Stand up for
me,and cause [the evil] to cease. Be forme a parapet of stone, a shield of iron.
As forhim who does me evil,I leave [him to settle] withthe risingand the setting
of the sun "-not withAllah, forthat would remove him fromthe power of the
bori. It will have been noticedthat Haja Gogo changedfromn the thirdto tlhefirst
personduringthe prayer. (See Plate I, c.)
As soon as she had finished, a sacrificerappearedwith a pair of fowls(which
had been waved round above the incensethreetimes),a red cock forKuri, a white
hen forMai-Inna, and I was placed in frontof the incense so as to be purified.
MAJOR A. J. N. TREMEARNE.-BoriBeliefsand Ceremonies. 55
After a few minutes,I was made to face towardsthe east (the censerbeingthen
on my left),and the Arifastood on my right,also facingeast; I was then told to
place my feetwell apart and look straightto the front.
The sacrificerthencame behindme,and cut the throatof the cock,holdingit
clownon the ground so that it did not struggleand splash my clothes. In this
case the mouth of the fowlwas not held open because therewas no evil influenice
to be set free. The assistantsacrificer(Abu-Bakar) then held the cock while the
othercut the throatof the hen, takinigthe same precautions. The blood was inade
to flowbetweenmy feet,so that the spiritswould followit and bless me by giving
me theiralbarakaa. I was not allowed to look behinidto see what was goingon,
and Haja Gogo's servantshad to stay in the room because the atmosphereof the
courtyardwas full of danger to persons inotproperlyprepared. (See Plate I, d.)
I had to explain that the blood of the French photographerwould be UpOll his
own head in the event of disaster,and to promise that the Masu-Bori would not
be blamed in any way.
blood had flowed,I was made to walk towardsthe east as
As soon as sufficient
faras the wall, then back to the place of sacrifice,and theninto Haja Gogo's room,
whereI was forcedto renlainuntil the completionof the ceremony.
As soon as I had gone the sacrificerstuck his knifein the ground,and, after
he lhadpressedas much blood as possible from the fowls so as to make a good
streami, he took thein away. Then he returned,aild held the knife horizontally,
pointtowardsthe north,while the Arifapouted waterupon it, afterwardsretiring
again to the spirit-house,and censing the knife in the same manner as before.
Lastly, it was wrapped in a special cloth and put inside the Dakin Kuri (see
Plate II, B). The knifeis neverused except forsuch sacrifices.
Meanwhile the Arifa washed the blood from the ground, examining its
consistencyin order to read the augury, and then swept and censed the
courtyardso as to rernoveall danger fromthe bori. After that her servants
came out and, taking the fowls fromthe sacrificer,started to pluck them-for,
of course,the offerings are the perquisiteof the priestess. I also was allowed
out,and, the rite being ended,the sacrificer,his assistant,and the photographer
went homne.
The francpaid to the sacrificerwas his fee,but the coin placed in the box of
incenseby the Arifawas to buy candles to be burntforme while upon myjourney.
As thesewere to be placed in the spirit-house, Haja Gogo tookme inside to say
farewell,and we stood by the Dakin Kuri, back to the door. She invoked all the
chiefspirits(again using the incantationgiven above), leanwhile clapping her
hands, and then opening them.,backs up, towards the offerings. Finally, she
pulled up Kuri's screen,so that I gained a momentaryglimpse of the inside,and
we returnedto her room. Here she and her servantsasked formygcafara(literally
forgiveness, but also containingthe meaniilg of blessing),and, havinggivenit to
them by pressing the head of each in turn upon my shoulders,I took my
departure,and saw themno more.
56 MAJORA. J. N. TR.EMEARNE.-Bori Beliefsand Cere?nonies.
Very fewtradersor soldierslike marchingfor its own sake, so any means of

shorteningthejourneysare welcome. It is comforting, to know,therefore,that the
earthcan be " rolled" (nctdde)towardsthe travellerso thathe can pass in an instant
to a distantplace by nieans of a charmpreparedbv a mallam. The forestcan be
"tied " (dattre)to enable himlto traverseit in safety. This charmparalysesall the
denizens,but the traveller must be carefulnot to look roundelse it will fail,and
he will lose his life.
It is not unnaturalthat the Hausa should dreamof treasuretrove-though he
would not share the secretwithhis chief if he could help himself. " If you think
that yotuknow where riches are hidden,sacrificea red cock above the spot,and
burnincense. Soon Iblis will open the earth,and you can enter,carryingthe censer
with you,and take what is inside. But be carefulto keep the incensealight,for
should it go out while you are inside,the earthwill close upoIn you,and you will
be killed. No one, human-beingor jinn, likes givingup his property,so Iblis will
tryto frightenyou,and will not let you go away with the treasureunless forcedto
do so by the properperformance of the rite." The Arabs tie a charmto the neck
of a cock so that he will scratchthe earthabove the treasure,'but the Hausas do
notseemto use thismethod. The borithemselvesmayshowthehiding-placeto those
mortalswho have served themwell. The worshippermustpurifyhimself,put on
whiteclothes,and spenda nighttellinohis beads,prayingto Allah, and callingupon
the aljcannu. Towardsmorningthe boriwill come in various animal forms,and try
to frightenthe personinvoking, them,sometimeslightinga fireall round hirml, or
throwinghim throughthe air as faras Medina. But if the personshowsno fear,a
borilike a humanbeing will appear,and will answer the necessaryquestions.
One of the principalformisof propertyin forinertimeswas the slave, and it
was most importantthat a mastershould be able to keep his purchases. If one
had run away, the master would trace a certain design upon the ground2
and stick a nail in the centre to whiclhwas tied a scarabaeus. The insect
would walk round and round,thus shorteninghis radius,and as it approached
the nail, so woiildthe fugitivebe forcedto comiienearer and nearer to the house.
Sambo once saw this charm tested in Tripoli,when a slave fromthe next house
had run away. He had to returnthreedays later,worn out and starving,having
lost his way in the desert. His master only laughed at him,well knowingwhat
the resultwotuldbe, but the lesson was not lost upon the negroes. Sambo says
that if the slave had urinatedupon his hands and feet,he would have counteracted
the effectof the charm-such an act also enables one to swear falsely.
and Oments
Superstitions (XVI).
Charms may be inade frommoon's juice (p. 217).-According to Nomo,the
takes a large calabash of water,places it so as to reflectthe moon'sbeams,
woilman
1 See Doutt6, op. cit., p. 269.

2 See Doutt6, op. cit., p. 245.
onies.
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.- ori Beliefsanzd Ceremv 57
and stirs it rouindaind round" so as to mix the moon up withthe water." The
worstof this methodis that the moon will never go back until the womanhas
proimiisedit the life of a memberof her own family,or that of some child. No one
else knowsthat the irmoon has come,forall seem to see it still in the sky,but on
the day upon which it really returnsthe person who has been named will die.
The womancan practicallyworkany evil she likes withthe water.
Explanationsare forthcoming of all meteorologicalphenornena(p. 218).-The
wind has to pass throughthe eye of Allah's needle: if not so restrained,it would
destroyeverythingupon earth. Thunderboltsare droppingsof the spittleof an
angel who has let themfall when telling the rain where to descend,accordingto
Abu-Bakar. The lightningis the invisible part of the thunder,but some in
Algiers say that it is the reflectionfromAllah's mirror.
Many of the ruinsare ganwacrAmina, i.e.,walls of cities built by a mythical
queen who caused towns to sprino up immediatelyat all of her halting-places.
Perhaps she was a wise conquererwho turnedher camps into colonies.
To know a lucky day (p. 220) is valuable, but it is not sufficientfor all
purposes,so fortune-telling of various kinds is practised. IUsually,patterns are
drawnin the sand,and beads or beans are counted by men to be found sittingin
the streets,as in Tunis,and this duba and aruwa are firmlybelieved in. Thus
Abu-Bakar was told beforeleaving Kano that all would be well on the road,that
he would arrivein Tripoliwell,and would remain a long time and marrythere.
Afterhis arrivalthe Italians went to Tripoliand the roads have been closed ever
since,so he thinksthat the war was reallyforetold. Othersdraw inferencesfrom
the position of lumps of charcoal anld cowrie shells, while more venturesome
Hausas will proceedto an old grave at night,and, afterhavingplungedthe arm to
the elbow in the mouid, will seek instructionfromthe ghlost. A more elaborate
methodis to approach the bori,and since the best way of discoveringa rite is to
take part in it oneself,I persuaded Haja Gogo,my bori-mother, to arrangewitha
celebrated inai-bori,Ayesha,to communicatemy fate to me when in Tripoli last
April. Abu-Bakar could not arrangethis althoughAyesha was his wife.
The followiligis an accountofwhathappened,the ritebeingperfornmed in Haja
Gooo's house,a special singeror minstrel,Ambarra,being engaged to salute each
spirit. Jibaliya,Haja Gogo's formerhead, was also presentas a complimenit to me
in returnforhavingcuredher sore eyes witha magic charmof a boracicsolutionl.
Ayesha sat upon a cushionin frontof a pot of incense,and began'to inhale it,
meanwhilerubbingher right hand to and froon the floor(the palin up) in order
to salute the bori in the ground, and also to show when they had taken
possessionof her,i.e.,when she had lost her senses. Haja Gogo knelt oppositeto
Ayesha,on the otherside of the incense,elbows on the ground,both hands open,
and begaii movingthe righthand over aind towardsthe left,turningit overagain,
palm up, as she movedit away. This also was to salute the bori,and to ask them
to help,lest theyshould be angry at being disturbed. Soon Haja Gogo began
belching(because the bori were passing her by,leaving her at once), and Ayesha
58 MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-BoriBeliefsand Ceremonies.
belching and yawning (some passing by, some entering),and, at these signis,
Jibaliyaand Ambarra beganirubbing their right hands (palms downwards)round
and roundon the floor. Soon Ambarrabegan turningboth of her hands over and
back,and then, having put her hands behind her back, she leant forwardanid
kissed the groundthreetimes,this beinga regularbori salute-the position of the
hands beingmagical,the kissingbeingdue to Islam, in all probability.
As Ayesha'syawns grewin numberand intensity,and the iiiovementof her
hands moreand nmoreerratic,Haja Gogo began saying" Allah is true." Ayesha
then began to grunt,her hand graduallystopped,and she seemedabouitto collapse,
and, on seeingthis,Haja Gogo jumped up and held her. Then,havingtied a kniot
in each sleeve lest the bori should tear her clothes,she bound a broad band
ornamnented with gold thread round Ayesha's bosom (else the bori wouild have
buirsther chest),and thenlet her loose. ImmediatelyAyesha (or, rather,the bori
in her) began roaringand wanderingabout on her knees,cursing and laugo,hinig
foolishly, Aimbarrasingiingthe incantationof Kuri and then that of Gajere,these
being the firstspirits to appear. Others followed,all being greetedwith their
appropriate songs, and all of us when summonedin turn had to kneel before
Ayesha so that we could receive the albarala of the bori. This was transmitted
by Ayesha pressingour rightarms (held stiffly behindus) on to our backs,then our
leftarms,and thenour rightagain. Afterthis,Haja Gogo and Jibaliyaembraced,
and kissed each other;thus conservingtheir own personal albaraka possessed by
themby virtueof theirofficeof Arifa.
My fortunewas not told at once. Several of the Magazawa followedGajere
and afterthenicame Sha Jini,Jato,and Ba-Toye. It was notunitilDan Manzo (one
of the warrior-jinns)arrived that my anxietywas relieved,for it was considered
appropriatethat I should hear miyfate froma fightingspirit. Directly lhecame,
he caused Ayesha to reseat herself,and Haja Gogo took her formerplace in front
of the inicense,bendino on hands and knees. Ayesha,by means of gruntsand
strangewords(thereis a special bori language),commLnicatedthe demon's reply
to Haja Gogo,and she in turninterpretedit to me. It is hardlynecessaryto say
that I receivedit as rev6rentlyas possible,in spite of its beingverysiniilarto the
fortuLnes told by thosewho understandthe meaninigsof cards.
Afterthe oracle had been given,otherbori replaced Dan Manzo, and Ayesha
again wandered about and jumped as before,but, as the effectwas evidently
wearingoff,I asked themto conicoutsideand be photographed.Haja Gogotold me
that it would not be safe for Aye6shato sit down for such a purpose,since she
would be possessedby some of the violentspiritsand injured if she did so, and, as
the otherscorroboratedthis,I had to let her stand. Ainbarra,however,sat in the
properposition,and Haja Gogo and Jibaliya embraced eacti otherwhile I pressed
the lever. (See Plate I, B.)
On a certainnightof the year,Deenr Al-Khadari,when men,trees,and rocks
are all asleep,Allah decides all the eveintsof the comingyear. Accordingto Sale
(note on Sura XCVI [ of the Koran),mostMoslemdoctorshold that it fallsuponithe
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori BeliefsandICeremionies. a9
23rd/24thday of Ramadan,but in Algiers I was told that it was on the 26th/27th,

the nightupon whichthe rest of the bori are allowed to go. In Tunis, Haj Ali
said that no one exceptthe priestsknew,else everyonewould watch and pray,and
so get the informationat firsthand. Upon this day,or upon the firstday of the
year,people should behave well for-as in the case of our birthdays-theywill
continuein the same mannerduringthe next twelve months.
A personiiay be possessed by a dornkey's bori (p. 222).-The cure forthis,in
Algiers'and Tunis,is to place a pot containingthe flesh of a fowl upon a chest of
drawersat night,and leave it thereforan hour or more in the dark. Then other
miembers of the familyeat the flesh,but put the head, claws, bones,and feathers
into the pot again,and leave it upon the road forsomiiepasser-byto touchand take
the nmalady.
There are verymanyomens(p. 223).-The Suda foretellswar, the Zcakaraqm
Dowalci appears only when youropportunityto grasp success has coimie. If, when
goingto miarket, you knockyour right big toe,no hari need be feared,according
to Haj Ali and Nonio, but if your left, go back at once. Abu-Bakar holds
the oppositeview,but is probablywrong,for the right side is usually ltcky. A
flickeringof the lefteyelid signifiesthe comingof a friend,while that of the right
indicatestears,and a twitchincof the righteyebrowlets you know that people are
praisiuigyou,while the leftshows that you are beinc abused-like the burningof
our ears. Others,however,hold the contraryopinion in each case. If a heri
crows like a cock in your house,catch it at once,take it to the bush,and beat it
to death-do not cut its throat-and eat it there. Should you be unable to catch
it, leave the house immediately,forthis is a warningof grave misfortune.
Pilgrimagesand Festivals(XVII).
Offeringsare made to the spirits in the river at the shrine of Sidi Sa'ac1b
(p. 227).-PRaisins,dates,red and white sweets,and grounild-nuts are throwninto
the waterforMai-Inna, who appearsin the formof a tortoise. Immediatelythere
is a loud gmtda fromthe women,and several dancersbecoiie possessed.
The bori pilgrimagge in Tunis lasts for four days (p. 230).-In Tripoli and
Algiers,the Ziar-alasts forone day only. In the formercity,the people go on the
firstday of iRajab to Sidi Makari,marchseven timesround the kuba of the saint,
sacrificea goat,call up the bori,and returnin the evening,holdinga bori dance in
the townat nig,ht.
In the month of Sha'abcan,similar rites take place at Sidi Masari, but on
the people's returnto the town, two differentparties of women put a lump of
henna into a calabash at Haja Gogo and Jibaliya's houses, and stick four or
fivelighted candles into it. A godiya in each house places the dish upon her
head, and each partythenparades in the town in different directionstill the early
hours,beingaccompaniedby musicians. The henna is for Mai-Inna, who is then
and tlhusreleased.
60 MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-BOri Beliefs and Ceremonies.
In Algiers, the seven different communitiesunite about 8.0 a.m. near the
wharves-in 1914 the ceremonies took place on May 6th. A black bull is
procured,and this, decorated with the trappingsof Kuri, Mai-Gizzo,Mai-Inna,
Mai-Ja-Chikki,Nana Ayesha,and Adamawa,is taken to the shrineof Sidi Abd-El-
Khadri. One rope is tied to the neck and one to each horn,these threeropes
beingheld by men on foot. Then the Arifa, surroundedby her priestesses,leads
the way to the abattoirs,followed by the bull, behindwhich are musicians,flag-
bearers,drummers, and 7,4carakabplayers,while in rearcome the rest of the negroes,
and a motleycrowdof sightseers. On arrival at the abattoirs,all dance round
the bull, and soon takai is commenced,after which there is some bori dancing,
interruptedonly by the meal at noon.
At about 4 p.m. the bull is placed withits head towardsthe east, and thensix
fowls for various bori, one ram for Abd-El-Khadari,and a black and a red
he-goatare sacrificed,these having been given speciallyby some persons anxious
to invokethe spirits. Then the bull is censed and fed by the ArifctKaramrawith
f'ura,groundrice,and milk (not ridi, wlhichis only forrams and goats),apidone of
the sacrificers-of whomi there are seven, one for each spirit-house-twists
its horns, another turns its tail, while others seize the legs, and the animal
is thrownupon its left side. M. Doutte says' that the negro sacrificer kisses
the bull before killing it, but I am assured that this is not done by any
negroes,certainlynot by the Hausas. The principal sacrificercuts the animal's
throat,and inmmediately the masm-borifall upon the ground,lappingup the blood
and rubbingit upon theirfaces,clothes,and instruinents, and beginto dance. The
ArifetBaba sprinikles the rnasu-bori round her,anidthe Galadima dividesthe meat.
Then the ArifctBaba eats a small piece of the meat as soon as it has been cooked,
togetherwithsome new beans,this ceremonyenabling all of the masm-bori to eat
these vegetables afterwards-theymust not touch themprevious to this. When
the dancinghas gone on until sunset,and the people have got their share of the
viands,the ritescome to an end, and all returnhomeas theylike, some driving,
some walking.
It is said that only the m'basu-bori are sprinkledwith blood,because it is the
spiritswho want it; thereis no albaraklain it. But there is virtue in the flesh,
and once pieces were given to Arab membersof the audience,the practicebeing
stoppedonly because the strugglesand subsequentfightsof the Arabs to get the
meat broughtthe negroesinto troublewith the Frenchauthorities.
Wells also have offerinigs (p. 234).-The people of Kabbi, in the north-westof
Nigeria, still throw-or did throw until quite recently-flesh,fish,and moneyinto
a well as an offering to the serpentin it.2
The Taklaiis danced by men only,or by both sexes together(p. 242).-In
7'Iripoli,last March, somnemen danced it in order to celebrate the factthat the
1 Op. cit.,p. 466.

2 Edgar,LitafiNa Tatsuniyoyi iii, p. 435
lVa Hcautsa,
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-BoriBeliefsagndCerenowties. 61
as beforethe occupation,
to live in settlements,
Italians had given thempermiission
insteadof beingcompelledto rent rooms in the city. Each man would hit the
stick-or pickaxe in so6mecases-of another,take fivesteps outwards,turn,take
fivestepsinwards,and hit again. Each moved round very gradually,having the
same opponentfor some minutes. Anotherperformance was the Zakar-,in which
a man with bagpipes(having hornsagainstthe evil-eye)lay down in frontof me,
and wriggledabout while onlookersstuck coins upon his foreheador sprinkledhim
and his attendantdrummerswith scent. When the contributionshad ceased,he
and the drummershoppedroundin a circle several times. This dance is said to
be performedat marriageswhile the brideis beingbroughtto her husband.
Bori-the Spiritsand theirPowers(XVIII).

The bori have some substance(p. 246).-When a bori fliesoverwater,it makes
a rippleall along the surface.
In Tripoli,Uwal Yara is identifiedwiththe owl and also with the gagafa,a
mnouse-eater.Haja Gogo says that it can kill childrenmerely ly calling them
threetimesfroma distance,so a mothershould catch a young owl and give it
some of her own milk,and, afterhavingkept a fewfeathersto place in the charm
forthe child,replace it in the nest. This child and its offspring,will be quite safe
from Uwal Yara, even when she appears-as she sometimnes does-as a woman
spottedwhiteand red. Such a beingappears in the folk-lore.
Whenever you use incense (p. 255) do not throw it into the firewithout
having firstsaid, " I praise Allah and Mohammed,"else the smokewill injuireyou.
The boriare everywhere(p. 257), but certainplaces are muchmore dangerous
than others. Thus,when a person falls in the salanga, he is mrorelikely to be
injuredthan if he tripselsewhere,since the bori will pounce upon him beforehe
has had time to get up-and, of course,he is almost certainto injure one of them,
because thereare so inany of them there. The thresholdis another dangerous
spot,and children,who do not understandthis,are always coiningto grief there,
theirfalls being due entirelyto the presenceof the spirits,not at all to the sunken
space forthe slippers.
The time,too,is important,for,althoughthe adult bori go offin the morning
to theirwork-farming,herding,or whateverit may be-they all return for the
rest at noon, so no one should enter the templebetweenthat hour and Azuhntr
(about 2.30 p.m.)forfearof disturbinothem. In theafternoontheygo offoncemore,
returningagain at sunsetto the temple. "You may be goingalong a road and see
a womansittingdown undera tamarindtreeat somedistanceahead of you,combinig
her hair. When you arriveat the spot therewill be no sign of the woman,and
you will know that it was Mai Inna." A European who has read my storiesin Juan
last year mightconsiderthat the immoral characterof the man rather than the
spiritualnatureof the womanwas responsibleforher disappearance.
Durinc the dryseason the black spirits are said to predominate-or,at least
to be particularlyactive-while the water-jinnsnaturallyrule in the wet,afterit
62 MAJOR A. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bo-i' Beliefs ancdCer-emoinies.
has once set in, although certain " Reld Onies,"viz., Jam Maraki, Sidi Ali, Jato,
Yerima, Mai-Ja-Chilkki,and Gajjimare have a turn during,the firstrains. At
harvesttime,Magiro, Kuri, Magajiya, Doguwa, Uwal Gwona, Nania Ayesha and
Ennuwa (Dundurusu) are supreme,while duringv Azunmi, Jato is the only one able
to go farfromthe temple.
A silvercoin(p. 258) alwaysfindsa place in bori ceremonies, forit has a double
effect:first,it enables the bori to see that the incensehas been paid for; secondly,
it confersupon the mounta greatercapacityto respondto the spirit'spromptings.
I had an opportunity last year when in Tunis of seeingya case of exorcism
(p. 261) by the Hausa chiefpriestess,the Arifca,Klhadeja. An Arab womanliving
in the Sabat Ajam had been ill forsome fourand a halfmonths,her bodybeing so
lax that she had been uinableto do anything. She had tried the charms of
maraboutswithoutsuccess,and at last the maraboutstold her that the illness was
not fromAllah, and, therefore, nlotcurable by them,but fromthe spirits. Allah
could deliver a mortal froma bori attack, although he hardlyever does,but he
would not tolerate any interferenceby the spirits with one of his own victims.
She consultedtheAri/a,therefore, and on her advice gave her a franc-piece, which
was wrappedin a handkerchief and placed forKuri in one of the china pots in the
recess. She immediatelybecamesomewhatbetter,and additionalofferings secured
furtherimprovement, so she decided to give a dance forall the bori,and this was
held on March 27th,1914,just seven monthsafterher firstattack.
After some preliminarydancing,incense was burnt,the censerbeingtaken
to one of the roomsopeninginto the courtyard, and placed upon a franc-pieceupon
the floor,the patientthenkneelingdown in frontof it. A pair of fowls had been
providedby the woman,and these should have been a red cock and a whitehen,
but,owingto a mistake,she had boughta pair of speckledfowls,and at firstit was
cloubtedwhetherthe ceremonycotuldproceedor not. However,it was decided to
take the risk,and the Arifattook the birdsin her righthand,and waved themover
the incenseseven times. She then touched the patient's breastwith them three
times,thenwaved themthreetimes over the incense. Then she touchedher right
thigh,leftshoulder,and back of the neck threetimeswith the censer. Immedi-
ately the otherwomen in the room emitted theircry,the gtdclaor kuruiwwa,and
the incensewas replacedupon the franc-piece. The Arifa thenigave the hen to an
assistant,but placed the cock upon the patient's head, and strokedit downwards
withbothhands threetimes,saying as she did so, " 0 Kuri, the Runner,keep my
secret for me; Allah has givenyou a chance; keep my secretforme; do not put
us to shame. We pray to Allah, we pray to you. We are yourchildren,by Allah
and the Prophet." The women in the room then repeatedthe guda. The Arifa
thenliftedthe patient'srighthand,placed it upon her (woman's) head, and drew
it down her body. By this timethe illness,or a part of it, was supposedto have
gone into the cock,so the bird was given to the assistant,and the hen was substi-
tuted. It was placed upon the patient's head, and Mai-Inna (Kuri's wife) was
invokedthus: " 0 Mai-Inna, keep mysecretfor nme, 0 you who give milk of gold."
MAJOR A. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefsand Cer-emonies. 63
There was then a tlhirdguda. After this the patient's hand was again drawn
down her body,and the illness was supposed to have been comnpletely transferred
to the fowls.'
The birds were then taken ouLtside, and given to the officiating sacrificer,
Nasar,who placed somewhiteand black mustika(incense) and a franc-piece(his fee)
in his mouthso as to preventhis beingaffectedby the bori,and he and the Arifa
bowed to the four points of the compass in salutation. Nasar thenplaced the
fowlsupon the ground,and, treadingupon them,opened the mouth of tne cock,
held the tongue to the mandible,anidcut its throat. He then threwit upon the
groundat some little distancefromhim,and treatedthe hen in the same way,then
stickinghis knifein the ground. The reason for opening the beaks was to give
the disease-borifreeexit. The Arifa then took a cup, and caught some of the
blooclfromeach fowl,taking this inside the room and leaving it there. (See
Plate I, a.) A few featherswere then pulled fromeach fowl,and were placed in
the censer,these givingthe incense a special virtuewlhennext used. One of the
fowlsstruggledforseveral m-inutes, this beinga verygood sign,forit showedthat
the spirit had reallygot a good hold of the bird. The sacrificerthen censedhis
knife,and the Arifa poured water upon it, afterwardssprinklingthe place of
sacrificeand sweepingit.
The borithen began to mountin real earnest,for,althoughsome womenhad
begunscreamingfromthe momentof sacrifice,theyhad not been allowed to dance
because the space was so limited. ImmediatelyI was ordered to leave, for,
although the negroesdid niotobject to my presence,the Arabs did. I heardnext
morningthat the drummingand dancinghad gone on until midnight,the woman
herselfjoiningin, and that the blood had then been examined and founidto be
in a thick clot, thus indicatingcertain recovery. A final gutdacompletedthe
ceremonies. Next morningthe womanwas walkingabout, I believe.
A bori may miakea victim's face swell (p. 261), but the punishinentmnaybe
inflictedin a muchmoreviolentmanner. Two and a half years ago Mohanmmed
Ben Ali, the lessee of the Gidan Katsina at Algiers,was seized suddenlybv an
enormousblack spirit. It caught him under the armpits,and lifted him up three
times,saying,"Don't do it again." After the third time Mohammedwas thrown
to the ground,and he knew no more. On his recoveringconsciousness,he found
that he could not rise,and he is now helpless and half blind. He has sold nearly
all the furnishingsof the teinple (which belonged to him) in order to provide
money for incense, iilcantations,and offerings, but all to no purpose. I saw
Mohammed,and his storywas corroborated by several of the mas'a-bori.
The beliefin disease-demons is ofimmenseantiquity,as will be seen elsewhere,
but it is interestingto note here the prevalenceof the idea in EuLropein historical
1 In Abyssiniaa black hen was swungroundthe head of a personafflicted, and thenflung

on the ground. If it died the patientrecovered, for the spirithad passed into the hen and
p. 133.) The disease-demon
killedit. (J. Borelli,EthiopieIferidionale, neverentersthe body
of the exorcist,ofcourse,althoughanotherborimaydo so.
64 MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bori Beliefsand Ceremonies.
times. Justas the West and NorthAfrican imaginemanycomplaints(e.g.,boils)

to be woundscaused by the shaftsof some demon-huntsman or bori,so Apollo was
pictured as the god who spread the plague by arrowsshot fromhis bow,while
to-daythe Arabians speak of being,"stung" or "pricked" with plague,and evein
modernphysicianscall the poisons of pestilence " toxines,"as thoughtheywere
arrow-poisons. In Biblical times pestilence was regarded as being a special
evidenceof God's displeasure. So an anigelwas the agent by which He spread
the plague, and the drawn sword-Israel's favouriteweaponi-replaced the bow
and arrow,or the club wielded by gods such as Rudara. The sheathing of the
sword was, of course, the sign that the pestilence was ended. Such imagery
appears again and again in Christianliteratureand art.'
A borimustnot be derided(p. 262).-When thenameof Kuturu is mentioned,
or that of Magiro and a fewothers,the personspresentrub theirhanldsroundand
roundupon the groundat once,askingforgiveness fortakinothe nanme in vaini.
Any regularsacrificemust be kept up (p. 263).-If a personhas once offered
to a boriduringa recurrentfestival,e.g.,a dance,he will have to repeat it every
successiveyear,or else suffer. Thus Haja Gogo would not let me offera sacrifice
at either of the dances in Tripoli,for on the-anniversary I mightbe unable to
and so would be liable to an attack. The sect could have sacrificed,
sacrifice, of
course,as it does at the Ziara, forsome memberswould always be available and
free; but apparentlytherewas no money. Therewas no objectionto miysacrificing
when leavingTripoli,however,forthat is not a periodicalevent. The same thing
holds good in cases of sickness.
and theSect(XlX).
Bori-the Temnples
Dolls are offeredto child-spirits (p. 269).-These dolls may be hung upon the
sheet or amongst the other offerings;the positionin the templedoes not matter
so long as it is not inside the " Holy of Holies." Thus Mai-Nassara (a nman)had
hungup the one on Kuri's sheetbecause he thoughtit would attractmoreattention
fromhis spirit namesake. The dolls are sometimescalled " wives" of the spirits,
but this seemns to be in jest.
The principaltempleat Tunis had a special Holy of Holies-Dakin Kuri-for
Kuri and others,and a recessforthe trappingsof thespiritsgenerally(p. 270).-The
niche on the leftwas hidden by a red curtain,and formerly that of Doguwa was
coveredin a similarmianner, but it had been removedbecauseof the dangerof fire.
This niche was not always sacred; at firstit was empty,but one night a former
Arifa saw in a dreamfirecomingout of it, and she knew then that Doguwa had
taken up her abode there.
It is danigerousto enter the Holy of Holies (p. 271).-Mai-Ja-Chikki,the
snake,is the source of danger,for he kills intruders. He makes a nioiselike
I See R. Crawfurd,Plague and Pestilencein Literatureand Art,ClarendonPress, 1914,

pp. 5, 8 and 19.
A. J. N. TREMEARNE.-BoriBeliefscandCeremonies.
1MAJOR 65
a he-goat(one of his mianifestations) and prevelitssleep. Onl a Fridaymorning

his trackmay be seen,and the eggs will be found to have been sucked-at least,
so says Haj Ali. Alas! I was too late to see the trackwhen I went! On my last
visit I surprisedthe Arifaby suddenlylookinginside and remainingalive.
The Holy of Holies in each temple is dedicated to Kuri, Mai-Inna, Mai-Ja-
Chikki,and certain other spiritswhich vary in differentparts (p. 272).-The:
head-dressat Tunis was the cap of Sarikin Gwari,who has special honourin that
city.
In Tripoli,Sarikin Gwari is replaced by Dundurusu,althoughthe formerhas
his trappingshung with those of others of the Babbaku upon stringsrunning
across the chamber. The sheets are only two in number,the second hanging
parallel and close up to the first,
placed as in the Gidan Kuri at Tunis. Inside the
secondsheetMai-Inna is representedby twentygurayntcovered by a whitecloth,
these instrumentsnever being used except in this manner. (See Plate II, B.)
Thereis sand in frontfor her to sit upon,becauiseshe is a Fulah, also milk which
is changed everyten days,or everythree during.the Ziara. Candles are burnt,
both inside and out, every night,also incense. Two large Italian wine-flagons
coveredwith black clothrepresentDundurusu,who is placed oppositeto Mai-Inna
and next to Kuri's beer-bottlesand Mai-Ja-Chikki'seggs.
In Algiers,at the Gidan K-atsina,there is no Dakin Kuri in the principal
room,anidI amitold that beer is broughtanid drunk directlyaftera dance,instead
of being kept for any length of time,and that eggs and milk are offeredonly
periodically. When I visited the temple I was given waterto drink. This con-
tainedincense,and by havingno evil effectproved me a followerof the bori,and
at the same timeI receivedsome albaraka fromthem. (See Plate II, A.)
in the templesrepresentthe geza,thisbeinga tuft
Soine say that the flagstaffs
of corn, rice, or wheat, and apparently standing for fertility. The geza is
particularlysacred to the bori.
Owingto the factthat the Hausas rent their houses fromthe Arabs,temples
have to be changed at times(p. 273).-The changingshould be done at night,all
the weapons,etc.,beingfirstplaced upon the floor,and then removedto theirnew
home,withthe exceptionof those belongingto SarikinGwari in Tunis,Dundurusu
in Tripoli,Kuri, Mai-Inna and Yerima. After a little while these also will be
transferred,the fowlswill be killed,and all the masu-boriwill step over the blood
so as to come into conltactwith the spiritsin theirnew abode.
During the fast most of the bori are imprisonedin the temple. Mallam
Alhaji sits outside,however(p. 275), and Jato also has not been imprisoned, for
he always runs offto the salanga and cannotbe caught,and is responsiblefor the
orgiesat nightafterthe day's fast.
In Algiersno spiritsare released on the fifteenth day,but on the 27th fowls
and thereis bori-dancingfor threenights,at the end of which all
are sacrificed,
the spiritsare releasedtogether.
The bori-dancersmust preparestrictlyfortheirdangerousceremiionies (p. 277).
VOL. XLV. F
66 Beliefsand Ceremonies.
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNNE.-Bori
-Previous to and during the rites food should be but sparinglyindulgedin, as

beforeinoculation. On the eve of a bori-dancethe godiya grillsa small piece of
meat veryslightly,and puts a little incense and ash upon it. That is all she is
allowed to have; she must not touch bread. Next miorningshe drinks a little
bori-medicine,taking a little more at noon. This goes on till the dances are
finished,if she is a real godiya. The musicians must cense their instrunments
beforeusingthem. (See Plate II, c.)
to Kuri in the Holy of Holies (p. 277).-Ordinarily (except at
Beer is offered
Algiers) this beer should be left for one year,but the bottles may be replaced
indiscriminately, for it becomesverypowerful,and onlymasut-bori would dare to
touchit. At the end of the year nothingwill bave been leftin thosebottlesstill
there,because the bori will have emptied themi. Beer is notl now a harvesi,
offering,but possiblywas so once,forears of corn were kept in the private houses
fortwelvemonths,as we have seen.
There are severalgradesof priestesses(p. 278).-The titlesArifa and Kasheka
would seem to have come fromArifa and Chikha respectively,both of which
mean "wise," the formerindicating a woman in charge of other women, and
probablyconnectedwitharraf," a diviner,"and arif, " a magician,"the latter also
meaninga singer,possiblyin religiousrites particularly. Except forthe factthat
the Arifa is always the chief,the ranks seem to differ(as do those of Galadimn,a,
etc.,in Nigeria),forsometimesthe Kashekcais higher than the Hagajiya, beingas
it were the Vizier of the Arifa. At the same timethe Magajiya will be the next
Arifa, forthe Kasheka's work is different.The Uwar Sariki is so named because
she is said to have some particular relation with Yerima, the prince or chief.
Kallankuwa may inean charm,but is morelikelyto be the wordused fora coping-
stonie. In Algiers thereseem to be but two priestessesof rank,the Kauniya or
Arifa Baba, and the Arifa Karama.
In somepartsmen and womendance separately,but in Tunis they appear
together(p. 281).-In Algiers also, the sexes intermingle,this being due to the
factthat thereare seldomenoughdancersof one sex to satisfythe desires of all
the bori wishiingto be present. Also, there is money in it, and the strictrules
break downso faraway fromHausaland.
The bori are veryparticularas to theiracquaintances (p. 287).-They always
arrivein a regularorder. Mai-Ja-Chikkimustappear firstbecause he preparesthe
way or "sweeps the ring," forthe others,and if he does not come no other bori
will be able to do so. After him come the leaders of the various classes, not
necessarilythose of the Black Spirits for,in Tripoli,the Mohammedanswere
firstupon the scene.
In Algiers,the dances at the Milud and Sha'aban last for seven days, men
performing by day,womenby night. The animal to be sacrificedis smeared witl
henna on the previous evening,the stainingbeingin the formof a cross running,
fromnose to tail and fromfore-legto fore-leg,the henna beingapplied threetimes.
Fowls will be sacrificedfirst. The Galadimaputs in his mouthwhateversilverand
MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-Bor'i Beliefsand Ceremonies. 67
coppercoins and incensehave been givenby the persons supplyingthe fowls,and

washes the legs of the birds. He then waves them seven times over incense,
holdingseveralin each hand, and touching his breast with them, looking,first
towardsthe east,wherehe salutes Mai-Guraya (Doguwa), and then towards the
north,west,and south. Then he puitshis hands behindhim,holding,out the fowls
to an assistant,whotakesthemand puts othersthere,or else a ram or a goat as the
case may be. Sacrificeis then made in the usual way,and the spiritsmount.
The sacrificermust be extremnely careful to performhis duties correctly
(p. 290).-Although I couldnot see it becauseof the crowd,I knowthat thesacrificer
in Tunis bowed to the different pointsof the compassbeforekillingthe animal and
birds,and purifiedthe knife afterwards. In Algiers, however,the knife is not
washed ceremoniallyafterwards, but the blood is scrapedoffwith the firstfingerof
the righthand,and dottedupon the foreheadand pointof the nose of eachgodiya-
one dot on each-and upon the drums. The knife is not censed again, but the
sacrificermay wash it privately,afterwhichit is sheathedand placed in the temple.
It must be censed before use again,however,else the sacrificerwould cut his
finger.
The Hausas are rapidlyspreadingtheir magic amongst the Arabs, many of
these niowjoiningin the rites,' but they are also convertinga number of Arab
saintsintobori(p. 291).2--The performances of theMasu-Wuta suggestthoseof the
Aissawias,and in AlgiersI was interestedto note that Sidi Ben Isa seems to be
almostas mucha bori as is Sidi Al Khadari,and candles are burntto both. Still,
theyare said to be not bori but "White Mallarns,"and do not appear until mid-
night-afterthe borihave had their turn. The dancersare Arabs and others,not
the same as thosewho are possessedby the ordinaryspirits,I am told,but theyare
also called Dowaki.
Sidi Abd El Khadari is supposedto have come from Medina to Tunis, but
wentto Bagdad, wherehe died. The dancerwears a burnus,and coversup hliseyes.
"If you are lost at aniytime,call thriceupon this saint, and he will guide you
home."
Sidi Ben Isa, founderof the Aissawia, lived in Morocco, dying at Meknas.
Any numberof dancerscan be possessedsimultaneouslyby this spirit so long as
theyare " all of oneheart." Theyeat snlakes,and torturethemselvesin variousways.
1 In Egyptwe finda parallel,forthe greatpopularity ofthe Zar " at thepresentday among

the womenoftheupperclassesis dueto theinfluence ofblack slavesreceivedintotheharemson
a footingofperfectintimacy. Here theircultofthe dead was soonmhodified intoa generalbelief
in spiritswhich reinforced that whichhad perhapsalready reached Egypt fromAbyssinia."
B. Z. Seligmann,Folklore,Sept., 1914,p. 323. The fellahinapparentlyconfoundthe disease-
demonswiththeJinn and Afrit(ibid.,p. 305). The priestessis called goudiat,evidentlythe
Hausa godiya.
2 Sonmethingsimlilar is foundin the Egyptian Sudan, where a flagof red velvetwith a
yellow Copticcrossis said to have belongedto " a Christianspiritcalled Silisilia(? St. Cecilia),
who had possesseda womanin the battalion,and had been made accordingto the directions
whichthe spiritgave duringa Zar." Ibid., p. 306.
F 2
68 MAJORA. J. N. TREMEARNE.-BoriBeliefsand Ceremonies.
The Arifa oftentouchesa dancerin orderto protecthim (p. 293), and may
show special appreciationof his effortsby waving a silver coin round his head.
(See Plate II, D.)-Sometinmesthe Arifa puLtsher arms over a dancer'sback,and
thehead of the latter upon her breast(as in the passingof the albarackadescribed
before),or she may lean both hands upon the shouldersof the leadinggodiyathree
times. These acts not onlyenable the Arifa to obtainmorealbarakcafor herself
fromithe bori, but also actually add to the power of the spirit itself fromthe
reservoir,as it were, contained in the ArPfa. The idea seemed strange,so I
questionedHaja Gogo and Jibaliyaclosely. They had no doubtabout it.
PLATES.
I.-Bori Beliefs: A-The Arifa takes some blood for purposes of divination (the sacrificeris
bending down).-Tunis. B-Haja Gogo and Jibaliya embrace while Amibarra (sitting),
salutes the bori in Ayesha (giving the oracle) with the appropriate incantation.-Tripoli.
c-Haja Gogo offers a prayer to the bori for my preservation on the journey to
England.-Tripoli. D-The cock being sacrificedbetween my legs.-Tripoli.
II.-Bori Beliefs: A-Bori offerings and trappings.-Algiers. B-The shrine of Mai-Inna

(partly covered) and Dundurusu.-Tripoli. c-Censing the instruments before a bori
rite.-Tripoli. D-The Arifa (standing on right) shows her appreciation of a dancer by
waving a coin round her head.-Tripoli.
_ j1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1
301t~ ~ ~~~
A.-THE ARIFA TAKES SOME BLOOD FOR DIVINATION B.ABARRA SALUTES
,4 :A i"fiT;A_
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~t~
1,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A
; - :i;''1 ;
?'ifE' U_4 n.
a-sI^a sos Pssrxa T TlZ OPwI.D.ClIFICEOF
C.-HAJA GOGO0 PRAYING TO THEE BORI. D.-SACRIFICE
_,C.-CENSNG THE INSTRUM NTS BEFORE A BORI RITE-TRIPOLI. D THe ARIFA (S
B.TESBS FMIINNA (PARTL

A.-BORI OFFERINGS AND TRAPPINGS-ALGIERS.
'Mi , "7~~~~~
D.-TEE ARIFA (S
C.-CENSING THE INSTRUMBNTS BEFORE A BORI RITE-TRIPOLI.

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Bori Beliefs and Ceremonies.

BORI BELIEFS AND CEREMONIES.

BV MAJORA. J. N. TREMEAI?NE,M.A., LL.M., M.SC., Dip.Anth.

The Originof the,Hausa Coloniesin NorthAfrica (II).

1 These are givenin Romannumeralsaftereach sectionheading.

hands and formedAdam. Afterhavingb,reathed upon him,and thus caused himto

Certaintribeshave a wasa, or friendlyunderstanding, betweenthem(p. 31).-

Personal Enhancementand Dress (V).

The women'shead-dressmay be a protectionagainst the bori (p. 66).-In one

Ilabitations and DomesticLife (VI).

principle. A womancarryinga black cooking-potmust not pass in frontof men.

1 Doutt6,op. cit., p. 367.

Traces ofcannibalismare still found(p. 80).-In fact,Abu Bakar (who was in

1 Travels in North Africa (1821), p. 314.

Afterthis its eyebrowsare paintedwith henna or dal9ga,and a charm against the

It is not qtuitecertainwhichspiritkills the children,but Haja Gogo says that

Marricge and Divorce(IX).

The bride-electis allowed a littlelicencein Hausaland (p. 114).-On the night

a differentroad,and onlywlhilethebrideis beingtaken to her husband. Professor

Death and the After-Life(X).

The idea of the soul is interesting(p. 131).-The kuruwa is the hankali

I See Doutt6, op. cit., pp. 121 and 197.

have a child. A shipmaysignifya longjourney,but if the personsees hinmself in a

a journey. Haja Gogo asked formygcafcfra forherselfand her householdwhen I

1 Op. cit., p. 51.

Magic in theHottse-Love Charms(XII).

it underhis head if he is awake and suspicious-closing it at the same time,and

a Wednesdayor Thursdaystand naked in frontof a fireplaceand tie an onion to

will make him look towardsone. We cannot be altogethersurprised,therefore, to

1 Op. cit., p. 320.

If one man has been bittenby another,he shouldtake a fowl'sdroppingsand

cases the personsteppingis affected,thus a wifekneeling over her husbaiid will

There are certainceremoniesto make rain fall (p. 189).-In Algiers,Arabs

and everyhumanbeingis representedby a distinctleaf. When that leaf falls,the

Magic in theFields (continued)- War, Hunting,and Games(XV).

anyonekillinga lion forsportwithoutpermissionfromthe chief,was punished,for

a strangetown,yourhair stands on end,youirheartrises,or your flesh creeps,do

Very fewtradersor soldierslike marchingfor its own sake, so any means of

1 See Doutt6, op. cit., p. 269.

23rd/24thday of Ramadan,but in Algiers I was told that it was on the 26th/27th,

1 Op. cit.,p. 466.

Bori-the Spiritsand theirPowers(XVIII).

1 In Abyssiniaa black hen was swungroundthe head of a personafflicted, and thenflung

times. Justas the West and NorthAfrican imaginemanycomplaints(e.g.,boils)

I See R. Crawfurd,Plague and Pestilencein Literatureand Art,ClarendonPress, 1914,

a he-goat(one of his mianifestations) and prevelitssleep. Onl a Fridaymorning

-Previous to and during the rites food should be but sparinglyindulgedin, as

coppercoins and incensehave been givenby the persons supplyingthe fowls,and

1 In Egyptwe finda parallel,forthe greatpopularity ofthe Zar " at thepresentday among

II.-Bori Beliefs: A-Bori offerings and trappings.-Algiers. B-The shrine of Mai-Inna

A.-THE ARIFA TAKES SOME BLOOD FOR DIVINATION B.ABARRA SALUTES

a-sI^a sos Pssrxa T TlZ OPwI.D.ClIFICEOF

C.-HAJA GOGO0 PRAYING TO THEE BORI. D.-SACRIFICE

B.TESBS FMIINNA (PARTL

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