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117 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett
was here that the following sad event occurred. Three boys, one of them the son of
XIKAWMO, were sleeping in an outhouse serving as a kitchen. One night a leopard
entered this place, and passing over one of the boys, deliberately attacked and killed the
son of XIKAWMO, only wounding the boy nearest the door in his flight.
XIKAWMO went to MALUANGO, and after relating the whole affair to him said, "How is
this? I want to know who had this leopard?" Then they set the NGANGAS to work, and it
was divined that it was a man of the village of NTANDA BILALA who owned this
particular leopard. Then XIKAWMO said," Very well; now I want to know who ate the
flesh of this man of BILALA," for if one of his boy's family had not eaten the flesh57 of
the BILALA man, XIKAWMO reasoned that it was impossible that the BILALA man
should have sent the leopard to "chop" his son. And here this palaver rests for the time
being.
2. The Wife of XIKÄIA was in her house sleeping with another woman when a leopard
burst open the door, passed over the other woman, and carrying XIKÄIA'S wife away,
ate her up, leaving only her head. XIK)LIA called in the ZINGANGA, and they divined that
MAXIENZI was the owner of that leopard. So XIKÄIA went to MAXIENZI'S town and
destroyed his house and plantations, and then went to MALUANGO to complain about
MAXIENZI. MALUANGO arrested MAXIENZI, and advised him to take nkasa at once.
MAXIENZI said, "Let us first hold a palaver."
In the palaver it was proved that MAXIENZI had asked the acknowledged owner of the
leopard to lend it to him. MAXIENZI protested, and declared that in this case he was
innocent. MALUANGO then said that no one would believe him under the circumstances,
and that the decision was in the hands of God, not his. Let him take nkasa. MAXIENZI
went to MAMBUKU'S town, and demanded to be given the nkasa. It was given to him
and he vomited, thus proving that he was innocent.
XIKÄIA and his people, however, said that MAXIENZI used his knowledge as a MUNTU A
NDONGO to avoid the proper and just effects of the nkasa. XIKÄIA and his other wife and
family then left their town and went to live in the Mayombe, or bush-country.
3. A poor old man and his little grandchildren went into the woods to cut the fronds of
the bamboo palm (ntombe), from the leaves of which he meant to make thatch to cover
his house. Having finished their work, they picked up their bundles and were about to
start homewards, when a leopard sprang out of the bush upon the old man. The children
cried out, not being able to run away. The leopard. left the old man, and the party then
took up their burdens and ran away in the direction of their village. At last the old man
threw his bundle of leaves into the grass, and said he could go no further; he would rest
and then come home. Shortly after he had stopped the leopard set upon him again. The
little ones saw it, shouted to it to go away, and then ran home as fast as they could. The
57 Eaten the flesh, i.e., done him an injury, perhaps by sending a leopard to kill some one of his family
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