If “circumcision” in man or “Intonjane” in woman is omitted the Imishologu (spirits of the dead) are dissatisfied and disease or barren-results.
7. Etc. Certain superstitions are attached by the Kaffir to a number of things or practices; for example.—Heaps of stones, which they call “Isivivane,” a stone lifted from the path and placed on the branch of a tree; a heap of small dry sticks placed by the road-side; tying the long grass by the wayside into knots; chewing certain leaves, roots, or barks, of certain plants; or wearing these last; crossing certain streams, especially in the case of women or children; washing in or drinking of certain pools or streams; dogs howling at [[15]]night; owls hooting as if from the top of cattle or hut etc.
They also have superstitions about the bird “Broomvogel” or “Intsikizi” e.g.: it is terribly unlucky to kill one; about a cow or ox entering a hut or a calf lying down when its mother is being milked; about the killing of the Umntanizulu or mantis, the insect called the “Hottentots God” by the Boers. And many other things or acts of like nature into the description of which it would be foreign to the present subject to enter.
The following superstition and practice with reference to the dead existed in the early times, though it is seldom heard of now. When the head of a family died without saying where he was going e.g. suddenly; immediately after his expiring the sons or daughters were compelled to place a piece of old leather or some similar thing between his teeth or into his mouth to show that he had died unhappily, in consequence of being bewitched. This had the effect of bringing all his acquaintances under suspicion of having bewitched him and the general public were in great danger of being accused by the “Isanusi” of witchcraft. The death of such an one is at once reported at the [[16]]“great place” and the chief despatches a number of men to the kraal to seize and confiscate all his property and cattle.
The belief is that a person dying under these circumstances had gone to a place of punishment; but the Amaxosa have no name for it. They, have, however a name for a happy place although they cannot describe it.
The superstitious idea attached to the death above referred to, is that the soul of the dead man, being dissatisfied is likely to inspire his children or near relatives with a spirit of witchcraft and that they are likely to become a public danger in consequence.
These relatives are therefore forever looked upon with suspicion, and are frequently “smelled out” as the cause of bewitching in subsequent events. They are often severely tortured, sometimes fatally, in order to get them to confess their sins. One of the chief methods of torture is to tie them inside the hut while it is kept filled with dense pungent smoke.
Superstition pervades the whole of the Bantu family. They all believe in the spirit world and the resurrection from the dead even of the lower animals. [[17]]
They believe that a new state of things is going to be, only in a different way from that generally understood by certain christian nations. It will be remembered that at the great “Cattle Killing Craze” of the Kaffirs, they believed, as told by their seer, that their ancestors would all come back on a certain day and help them to drive the white people into the sea. So that they would again come to inherit the land.
Sacrifices. “Idini” are offered by the “Medicine man” to appease the wrath of the offended spirits of ancestors, who are supposed to have caused the sickness of a patient or some such calamity. It being thought that they can by thus appealing to the pleasure of the “imi-Nyanga” (ghosts), buy them off or secure future immunity.