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82 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett
Ci and Kici. These three elements of the trinity appear in Bavili philosophy as Xi, Ci, and
Fu. (It is desirable to note Xi and Ci are respectively female and male, whereas Nzambi
Mpungu and Nzambi Ci are male and female.)
Xi means passive matter or things pertaining to the maternal principle. Ci is the paternal
or active principle.
Let us take an example. The sea is regarded as a male principle; from it proceeds rain
which falls on the earth, and the earth is regarded as a female or passive principle; the
rain fertilises the earth and causes it to bring forth fruits.
Fu is, properly speaking, habit, custom, or sequence; we may, perhaps, express it in one
word by evolution, understanding thereby rather the process by which the individual is
produced than the life history of a species. In another sense it may almost be said to be
the individual himself. Thus, when the rain has fallen upon the earth, it forms on the one
hand springs and rivers, and on the other causes vegetation to spring up. Both the rivers
and the vegetation result from the interaction of earth and sea: the process of
production and the product are both Fu.
In order to prevent misconception I expressly state that these ideas are not derived
directly from the natives, but from philological considerations. These three ideas are
naturally strictly abstract and out of all relation with the material universe.
Xi and Ci having produced Fu cease to operate; Fu, on the other hand, continues. Under
the name Vu it becomes active in space and time, and may be called the cause of the
material universe, Vu=time, season.
TEMPORAL IDEAS.
(a) The Divisions of the Year.
Properly speaking, the year falls into three divisions, Mawalala, Xicifu and Mvula. Of
these, Mawalala is a period of rest, Xicifu a period of preparation, and Nvula an
evolutionary period or period of production. just as in the cosmological ideas we have a
progression of three factors, Xi, Ci and Fu, so in the same way in temporal ideas,
Mawalala and Xicifu produce Nvula. just as Fu in its turn became a cause, so Nvula
produces Mawalala of the succeeding year.
(b) The Seasons and Months.
Of the three divisions of the year, Mawalala is itself both a season and a month; Xicifu
falls into two seasons of two months each, and Nvula into four seasons of two months
each. Properly speaking, the seasons only ex'ist as factors in six groups of four, the other
three being in each case the two months, and the product specially associated with the
seasons. These groups of four are related just as our cosmological series, Xi, Ci, Fu, and
Vu; they consist of a principle, male and female causes and a product.
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