The wandering spirits are
attracted by the images, and take shelter among their rags, like
earwigs or something of that kind. The charivari is to drive any of
the spirits who might be away from their shelters back into them.
The shouting of the mob is to keep the spirits from venturing out
again while they are being carried to the river. The throwing of
the images, rags and all, into the river, is to destroy the spirits
or at least send them elsewhere. They did not go and pour boiling
water on their earwig-traps, as wicked white men do, but they meant
the same thing, and when this was over they made and set up new
images for fresh spirits who might come into the town, and these
were kept and tended as before, until the next N'dok ceremony came
round.
It is owing to the spiritual view which the African takes of
existence at large that ceremonial observances form the greater part
of even his common-law procedure.
There is, both among the Negro and Bantu, a recognised code of law,
founded on principles of true but merciless justice. It is not
often employed, because of the difficulty and the danger to the
individual who appeals to it, should that individual be unbacked by
power, but nevertheless the code exists.
