This page presents a simulation of the Mambila system of ngg m 'spider divination'. This allows readers to try out for themselves the principles of interpretation set out below and to see how it can be a practical and useful means of helping one make one's mind up.
All decisions have to be made in a climate of uncertainty.
Sometimes these are unambiguous and clear-cut but sometimes they are not and the expert must rely on their experince to interpret the results in a meaningful way. To see where the similarities and differences may lie takes us straight into the complex heart of modern social anthropology. This example raises more issues than it can answer. The reader must read further to help make their own mind up about whether any difference exists, and if so where it lies. The Mambila people of Nigeria and Cameroon lie at the northern extreme of the South, and at the southern limits of the North, speaking in cultural terms.