ABSTRACT
The basis of the village and of the whole Umbundu kinship structure is the household consisting of a man, his wife or wives and their children, together with such other related or unrelated dependants as may be attached and live together in a single compound. It is very important for one who would understand the Ovimbundu to look upon the Umbundu kinship structure with the eyes of an Ocimbundu. To the Ovimbundu the proper, or at least the most desirable, marriage is a marriage within the circle of kin. Umbundu society is subject to various forces which threaten its cohesion and stability both from without and from within. Some of the external forces have been touched upon. Chief of the internally disruptive forces is sorcery. When sorcery is consciously taken up and employed, the purpose is usually economic advancement, but it often involves overt attacks also upon the persons or possessions of enemies.
