ABSTRACT
Any want of success in the chase is generally attributed to some chance incident. For example, a man, who has had. bad luck in hunting while his wife had her periods, will not hunt again when she is in that condition nor will she eat any of the *noe-di at such times. The meat of an animal killed by a dog may not be eaten by women or by any men whose wives are menstruating. This prohibition is·to preYtmt bad luck befalling the dog in the pursuit of game. If, however, an animal is killed with bow and arrow after having been brought at bay by a dog, the meat is soxa and women may eat the *noe-di. The remains of an animal killed by a lion are not so:ra and may he partaken of by all individuals. Care, howeYer, is taken not to offend the lion which likewise ohserYes certain practiees afte1· each kill. After having had his fill he buries the sacrum and haunchbones and covers them oYer with the dung (stomach contents) of the animal. If l1e should he unsuccessful in hunting his prey he returns to the Hpot of the la;;t kill, digs up the buried parts and inters them in another place. This he does to restore his luck and if he should find that the bones have been taken away he will follow the person who remoYed them right into the If gtius.,
Soa:a applies only to meat killed with bow and arrow and as far as is known at present this practice exists among the Xom-khoin, f Koma-Vwin and Go-gara-klwin. Among these groups the meat of the following animals is so:ca, namely, steinbuck, dniker, springbuck, hartebeest, gemsbuck, kudu, wildebeest alHl giraffe. The eland, which is a comparatively rare visitor to the parts occupied by theRe groups is not killed at all bv the .Y()m-f.>lwin who believe that h:um will befall any per.son who eats its meat. In other words the XD'rnhhoin consider the eland to he absolute so.m. Among other groups the man who shoots an eland must, on returning to the I/ gau.~, <;}eep under the !Aeis as intercourse with his wife will prevent the poison from killing the animal. The same applies to a person who shoots a giraffe.
