ABSTRACT
I have tried to deduce their attitude to different parts of the ceremony by noting the emphasis they give to them in straightforward narratives and the tension displayed by performers on different occasions and by analysing the time and energy spent. Such information does not, of course, exactly reflect the sentiments of the people concerned. Practical considerations and individual differences alter the emphasis in the case of a particular rite. One form of symbolic behaviour interests one mistress of the ceremonies, but does not attract some of her other colleagues. It would be necessary to use a questionnaire with a properly selected sample of individuals before saying confidently what ·the Bemba' think.
