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45 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett CHAPTER VI. MEASURES, SIGNS, AND SYMBOLS Palavers. -Counting on the Hands.-The Fingers.-Lineal Measures.-The Shroud. -Duodecimal System. -Time. -Days and Months.-Sexual Matters. -The Seasons. -Praying for Rain. - Symbols. -Drum Language. PROCEDURE OF PALAVERS, COUNTING. IF I had not read Mr. R. A. Stewart Macalister's Studies in Irish Epigrapy and had been asked to decipher an Ogham inscription, I should have had no hesitation in saying that it was a record of some ancient African palaver. When the Bavili hold their palavers, after having met and settled down as described by me in Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort, 23 the party on either side smooth the earth just in front of them. Upon this smoothed ground they keep count of all the points in the arguments in the palaver for and against. No. 1 begins by stating the case; and as he opens the palaver he makes a point with the tip of his index-finger upon the ground. He then states that so-and-so has robbed him, and this statement he marks by a stroke which he places just after the dot, thus:- Then No. 2 defends himself, and as he does so No. 1 marks the points in his defence by strokes below a line he draws to divide his side of the question from that of the accused. The palaver then might stand thus:- No. 1 then answers these denials or justifications of the robbery, and as he does so makes his strokes above the line:- Then No. 1 gives his proofs, but first makes a dot to show that another phase of the palaver has been entered upon, and another oration commenced:- 23 And in Laws of the Bavili www.globalgrey.co.uk
46 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett No. 2 answers him, restating his case:- No. I then sums up, and as it is getting late, cuts the palaver for the day; so that, if this " tally" had been kept on stone or wood, the palaver, as far as it had gone, would appear as under:- The cutting of the line, or closing of the palaver, is done by drawing a double line with the index and next finger across the dividing line. Now, in counting, the Bavili mark the ground also, and all this they call "Bisona bintawto," writing on the ground. In counting they make four strokes on the ground, and the fifth they make by crossing the four upright strokes, thus: No. 1 he marks with his index-finger; No. 2 with his second, covering the first mark with the index-finger. No. He marks with his index-finger; No. 4 sometimes with his indexfinger and sometimes with his second finger, running over No. 3 with his index-finger; No. 5, as stated, by crossing the four strokes. Sometimes he will count by tens. Then he marks two strokes with his index and second fingers, and so on five times, and then he makes a stroke apart to show that he has counted ten. Each ten are marked in this way, until the whole number of things are counted. Then he will count the number of strokes and declare the number counted. But when he counts on his fingers he begins by placing the index-finger of his right hand upon the little finger of his left hand. I found that both the Bavili (of Luango) and the BAKOTCHI of Kakongo had their variants of the old nursery rime for fingers or toes. I will give them both, as they differ. BAVILI. 1. Second Finger (no name) Minu i kula i kula e fuana i munto Ko 2. Index-Finger (Luzala xiso anzo) Minu xilandi Xiaku 3. Third Finger (no name) Oho nu kulila ngolo ximbixi mibakaci? 4. Little Finger (Luzala lu sa) Bene boso nu kulila minu unkuluntu inu? 5. Thumb (Luzala mbo mbo) Buãu i mangina lu nãungu lu inu lu keli inu buãu i botokula mundonga inu. www.globalgrey.co.uk
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