New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-22
TIE DOCTRINE or Souls.
CURIOUS BELIEFS or THE SOUTH AFRICAN
TRIBES.



From Nature.
In the ,ccond Of two interesting papers the man
ncrs customs. sup"t,utionS and religions Of south
vol AA.. No. .. a.d vol 40. -, the Rev james
Macdonald. who ha~ had ample opportunities 0f study
dacrac Of >oai; Whici pt,lls among the a6or slnes
TO! south Africa. II Is extremely difficult he explains.
to discover what Ia" people lcdiy believe about the
ptit world 50 many and varied are the traditions
relating 10 H. There ar. howvar. tain outst ondiug
ia,i, Common - all and OF a,se Nh Macdonald gives
Nj human being, are supposed TO have souls but
their souls arc not believed bee entirely confined to
the body. \ man, sou may, 1t IS thought, occupy
the roof Of hi, hut and II he changes hi, residence MI,
soul dos 50 ~ the same time Mr. Macdonald takes
the belief that mans spirit have Influence az
distance from tie place whcr" he j. himself az any
timo.' tn" people ott'n Use the word "Hinu1eh
from ihtunh.' ,hldo"N-to eApr,,,, their IDEAS 81
human spirits and The unseen world generally aud
THIS is The leaie>t description that be Obtained.
\ man J., constantly attended hy the shadow, or ,plrt
81 his ancestor, a. we'll h~ but thu spirit Of
one who dies without speaking to h, children shortly
lcfore death never visits his Gr@c'ndhnt' cN''pl Iv
purposes u OWL In such ca-c, magician. or priests
offer costly sacrifices 40 prevent misfortune and death
Great mp1rtanc. Is attached 70 dreams or visions
which ar: supposed o D" duo g. spirit Influence When
non. tht,Iyh dr,,Il, n tiir dreamer has seen a
departed relative the magician says. II" /, hungry
Minced j., 81 v.'I 49, d.. "A a. r th. hrt n thest fr0m
hc eaten until All the flesh ~ the animal h1' been
uscd. The "c,,,tc." az the food j. ""ItdTa"h N
The spirit during he lcnt. and after .pt!ncd uHr
all may be- eaten except the portions "hch the maxi
Anccs ro..np +, not oul, r,ofts-nd ~ tho south
African tribes, bat they actually regulate thelr con
duct ly 49," say, Macdonald:
n man ha- narrow escape nom a''Iucn' anu
dsath hc ,1vs Ms fathers -uU -tyed M and ne
oilers e .acIir,a Of Thanksgiving accordingly. IN
remove IN, III pleasure % th" ancestor, and secure
return 10 Their favor should any on, }! I!c,t ma
tona custom in the conduit o I, "a" r' ne ,',
on"r sacrifice u avert calamity ao III. '""@'Pu h'c
II hi, neglect Wucu offering pr ptHt'ry -ActNccs
the form ~ PRAYER II, d ay thu priest j.; n' "hp aE
above. accept our ,G'ru- aud icH'v orr " 'un'.
In frocWill oircrng-. I'm escape rom danger OF q.
the ripcnng 81 crap, TIE pave I;t' que !ul,"E,ur
form: We who are above. accept the io'd we nav
provided for von. smell Our Offering now BURNING
ana grant us prosperity and peace ~,
Animal, are mt supposed +? have souls hrltirr
animate objects. and their pcScnc" ms an hnuch'1t
ON many c;.,toms and habits. \ striking example q"
such in0nenCc was offered during the rebellion OF
1870 when IIrhIonhp. after the murder OF the british
Resident. IA, one dy marnS n r '''' rb ,om"on
wa hot and moi 4 cloud wa, 10 be seen: ''eC'htE
the mascianS noticed on TIE horizon ptc"l'iN SiPot
usaIf; H. movcTcnts were intcnuv watched til i
approached the zenith and passed over the sun. in5
v.rr. moriaIy oG,udci. and had come over the army
in shadow Mt noonday In grief and sorrow theif
OF this would Ice certain defeat and disaster mere
was however immediate DANCER in1' no,,,,i1
scouts had reported TINT there were no TonpS Nltni
many miles Of their line of march anu t,cH yo,i i
repair sacred place TO olcr sac rlhocs a" ,
o repair 10 FOR this purpose % snoll column
81 ravay appcar'd unexpectedly Over rising g.ound
ur,,d his mon to form into order OF battle. No one
answered hi summons. lie did his best to orfanlfio
an orderly retreat but IN vain not blow was Ntfuck
and every man took to his heels. making Tor INC
nearest hiding place in mounts or iors'. ihli army
never ra,ermbcd Black hearted Lar "''rS "'
Water or river spirits play grea part in , south
African mythology. They mhalit deep pools where
there arr strong eddie, and und.rcnrirns Ihey arc
dvarf, and are of a malignant disposition when they
within their reach They are ot course ercoy feared
and the popular dread thcm is shown in Way which
ha, hcc, known in many different part, OF inc "old'
Mr Macdonald gives the f,ll0wlng example .u. 49,.
some years ago number Of E,al'' - J. VIZ, "' W,
a fac summer day, bathing in the J." " phr oi
them GOT beyond her depth, ana ucsNl %" .-sr , T..
The water and cry for help. Her cohian' pIpHPll
d,,rt ~ ,,n u'ator,s edge She was still struggling
fcchy. but to the OnlookcrS II was ''' 80 ~ pe
called, by the river ana toS v fbe macicians the
day. when il Wa found ,he iiu nom 49, ~ rs
Of c. G.. H. Eel. esq.,. tie English resident, and he
cited the partIcs maaclans and an to appear before
they could have waded the spot where they say
her struggling bnt also SUI denn, They had
made no Effort to save her. as it woah
be improper and dangerous TO .tee orc' ,bnm
ont Of such absurd nctlons but To little pufpo,e ana
finally came to tie conclusion that SIX nyn,is nalu
Nigh be more eIccual in Graduating suP-Iu on a,'
all his philosophy, ard SIX months h''u II "oooiu
nrly was" A.. - ,o.oeco, rroco.s ~
Macdonald
nurcinc ar dryinC away spirits Without the presence
and aid Of maeicians. ordinary people dare nor m
arf RIO with these myStf rOuS powers, however mang
80 .rd dostrur,ly. they may become. Although "A
man Is guarded 10y tn spirits Of MS ancestors, tcy 90
,ot nrdtoct him demons or from Wllafus ana
u,itcbos certain measure Of protection can, now
vcr II IS supposed be Obtained by the use OF charms
,.iidod ~, ma riciaus. on occasion, when war
ros being carried on with England. the macclans
"avc the Soldiers q charm against English bullets, IL
- tLc bue flower Of species Of rhodCdenlfOn.
- Tbosc who carried this tal'man rushed forward
ar,ipst columns Of infantry without shadow Of fear
OF VISITATION and only when men began 10 bite the
Aust In ali directions did the nature OF the deluslon
break upon the army, and panic ensue'