541

together, and in due course the man proposes marriage. The girl replies that she will have to consult her father and mother1. After a few days' interval the young man [38] sends his friends to the girl's home with a gift of five hoes, two chickens, and a spear. The girl is asked if she agrees to the proposed marriage, and if she does the presents are handed by her to her father, the spear being given to her brother [39]. She is then escorted to her husband's home without any further formalities, except the religious rite already described (which may, however, have been previously performed by the girl's father when she had reached marriageable age). The girl stops at frequent intervals on the road to her husband's home and is given a gift of a hoe on each occasion; and on entering her husband's home she is made the recipient of numerous gifts as already described. Whereas an exchange wife remains idle for the first month of her married life a woman married in consideration of a bride-price remains idle for two months[40] . It was stated that this difference is due to the fact that a woman married under the purchase system has to be shown greater consideration than one married under the exchange system. Under the purchase system the wife can terminate the marriage at her pleasure and take her children with her. The bride-price is only refunded if she has not borne a child to her first husband[41] . This seems an anomalous rule in view of the fact that children born under the purchase system belong to the mother's group, but actually the father derives certain advantages from children even though the children are at the disposal of their maternal uncle. For the father is entitled to the first game-animal killed by his son [42], and he is entitled to the bride-price of a daughter (if she marries on the purchase system) for her first marriage (Game-animals subsequently killed by sons must be given to their maternal uncle, and maternal uncles also claim the bride-price for all subsequent marriages contracted by their sisters' daughters.)

It is not an absolute rule that all children born under the purchase system must go and live in their maternal uncle's home. They can continue to live with their father if they please, or they may alternate between one home aud the other. But they usually gravitate towards the maternal uncle's home[43] for the

1But it is only the mother who can prevent her daughter marrying under the purchase system.

Go to next page