ABSTRACT
The East African coast as it extends along most of Kenya and Tanzania is occupied by a dozen or so tribal groups which are often spoken of collectively as Swahili peoples (Prins, 1961). One of these is the Segeju of Tanzania. Among the Segeju a cult of spirit possession occupies a prominent place in the native medical system and in the magico-religious life of the society. It is my impression from travelling through different parts of the coastal area that similar cults are found in most of the other Swahili tribes, but to my knowledge no description of the cult has previously been published. Therefore the primary purpose of this essay is to give a preliminary account of the cult as it appears among the Segeju.
