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he does at dawn in the dwellings of each of the disputants in turn.  With his right hand, he mixes maize-flour (mèw’  mèw’) with cold water (mla’ fhlmla’ fhl) contained in a bowl or a calabash held in his left hand.  He chews several grains of alligator pepper and spits in a spray into the air three times; then he places a little of the paste with an upward motion of his right hand on the forehead of every household member, even babies, and splashes the rest on the ground around the house, both inside and out.  6  All the while, he speaks to the ancestors, informing them that everything is now fhlfhl (cool or peaceful) and enjoining them to refrain from bringing further misfortune on the household and the clan in consequence of the dispute.

If the clan head should fail to provide a satisfactory settlement, he can order the

disputants to appear with him and with any other concerned parties before the chief of Ngambe whose judgement, the chief orders his wives to bring kola and maize-wine which will be consumed by all those present, apart from himself.  This demonstrates that the dispute has ended and that hostilities have ceased; but the clan head must still perform the propitiatory rites later.

At the death of a clan head, he clan elders meet to determine who should succeed him.

If the clan head has also a village head, any men with titles within the village political organization, especially those classed as “sisters’ sons” of the leader, would predominate in these discussions.  They take into account the late clan head’s wishes, should they be known, but they are not bound by his choice.  Commonly, succession passes to a brother or a son, but the clan elders are primarily concerned to choose an able successor and they might well overlook close agnates in favour of a man whom they judge to be better suited to the position. It is no uncommon for them to call upon a clansman who has been living far away.  If they cannot agree on a suitable clansman, they may select a sister’s son of the late clan head, generally one who was close to him in his lifetime, but never one who already bears a title. While I was at Ngambe, four clan heads, those of the Nt Nt, the Snku  Snku, the Shindè’ and the Dwnku  Dwnku clans were true sisters’ sons of their predecessors.  In all cases, this was regarded as a temporary measure and it was fully expected that succession would revert to true clan members at their deaths.

Having reached a decision, the clan elders refer it to the chief of Ngambe as it must be

ratified by him before he will authorize the ceremonies which will confirm the authority of the new clan head.  If he disagrees with their choice, he can either ask them to propose another candidate, or, in consultation with his councillors, select one himself. Alimentary taboos and clans 6Alligator pepper (Capsicum frutescens) is called ndwõ-mèdwi’, literally “pepper of the men”. It is an essential component of most magical or medicinal preparations (mbuli), and is also used in the manner described here to impart power or strength (kam’) to words addressed to ancestors, spirits or medicines.

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