Evening star., 1936-12-28
PR|ESTESS RULES
POWERFUL TRIBES
AnthropoIogists Told Of Sa'
cred "ChareWa" and Do
main in Southern Rhodesia.


main in Southern Rhodesia.
The story Of a mysterious high
priestess dwelling on q mountain tor
In Southern Rhodesia, ruling
powerful people, and so sacred that
none but q chosen few may look On
her. was reported in paper prepared
for the American Anthropologic
Society meeting here today by DR.
H. e. Wieschoff, University Of Penn.
ylvania archeologist.
The American scientist himself
was repeatedly thwarted In efforts to
visit the lofty sanctuary of this
"charewa" Of the Bahudjas. Natives
did not dare even to guide him close
to the foot Of the mountain. Yet
there Is no question, it was brought
out, that she is a real parsonage with
enormous power.
Not even the King Of the Babudjas
himself Is allowed to see her, yet he
must obtain her approval for every
extraordinary decision. All communi-
cation between them Is carried ON by q
specially ordained messenger.
Natives Tell of Court.
The natives told DR.. Wieschof the
charewa is attended on her mountain
top by few young girls who are
trained to succeed her in the priestess-
hood. They are brought to her sane
tuary as children and never leave it.
The succession can fall to only one
of them and the archeologist never
was able to find out what became OF
those who failed.
Said DR.. Wieechoi: "Charewa is
not only understood as a human be-
ing, but she also has an independent
spiritual existence. called 'Nehoreka.
The king also supposedly has q dual
existence. in one of which he Is kind
Of transcendental lion. These inde-
pendent spirits of all the dead kings
are supposed to constitute q council Of
spirits.
Whenever q very important ques-
ton Is put to the charewa and she
has doubts as to what should be done
she seeks through the medium Of her
own spiritual being. the Nehoreka, the
advice Of this council of spirits, who
are presided over by a supreme spirit
Thus the charewa has the power to
communicate with the world beyond
through her own dual entity.
Strong Political Forces.
"Her political and social position is
q strong one. No king could be pro-
claimed without her consent. She
commissions an official of the tribe to
represent her in preparatory formal
tiles which are held at night. This
official and the king-to-be, accom-
panied by the council of elders, con-
vene at a certain place. The royal
heir Is asked to climb a steep rock
under the eyes of this official. II he
fails, it is an indication that the
charewa as well as the spirits Of all
the dead kings frown upon him, and
the next in succession is put to the
same test"
In spite of the reverence for the
high priestess, DR.. Wieschoff said
opposition parties sometimes make the
rock slippery-the old greased-pole
idea Of the American lodge initiation
so nobody could possibly climb it.
The high priestess absolutely domi-
mates the private life of the King. He
cannot marry without her consent.
She chooses the names Of his children.
One of her most important duties is
the Kings burial. She prepares a
black OK hide which serves as q CONN.
The dead monarch Is dressed in this
hide with his arms inserted In the
forelegs and his legs in the hindlegs
of the animal skin. Then he is buried
In a squatting position in . crevice
between two rocks, closed to the out
side by stone walls.
Monarch's Dual Personality.
It is supposed that in a few days
an insect issues from the coffin, which
changes Immediately into the tran
scendental lion, the dead monarch's
dual personality, and fys away to
Join the governing council Of dead
rulers.
A land where wives are worth SIS
each and a mans status in a COM
munity depends on the size of his
harem was described by Edward Ward,
missionary among the Yoruba Of
Southern Nigeria.
In this Slave Coast tribe of 2,000,-
600 persons, Mr.. Ward said, polygamy
still thrives on grand scale largely
as an evidence Of wealth. He said:
Even If man does possess much
money hidden away in the ground
for that is their bank-his neighbors
will not believe him. Only by showing
that he has number of wives can
he convince his neighbors that he is
somebody, for everybody knows that
each wife has cost him f12 and 10
shillings.
The King Of Ondo had only IS
wives for Chief Lisa's 205. This fact
was very much spoken Of by the ma
tives. Lisa loomed larger in the eyes
Of his countrymen than the king, al
though the latter ruled over 10000
people.
"On the feats Of the god Of iron
the chiefs in order Of seniority and
surrounded by their wives come up to
hand over sheep and goats for sacri-
hce. As the conmoners close In to
see the sight they are careful to note
the number Of wives each chief has
and that forms the nucleus OF their
conversation for the rest OF the
evening"
SESSIONS TO BARE
MINERAL cEcRETc