102 THE NON-ARAB RACES OF DARFUR i. 4. xxi.

among the Nuba, e.g. at Gebels Tekeim and Tira el Akhdar, at the

present day^.

A less unattractive type of sprite in Darfur is the damzoga

{pi. damdsig). These are mischievous, and, in particular, delight

to curdle fresh milk and break household utensils, but they may also

be conciliated and will then act as guardians of the home and prevent any pilfering or suchlike. El Tunisi gives a long and substantially

reliable account of these damzogas. He heard of them rather in

the role of guardian genii, to whom flocks and household gear were

entrusted for protection. He also relates of them how he was terrified

at Gebel Marra, on calling at a man's house, by hearing a loud cry

of ^' akihey* meaning "he is not here," and was told:

"Cast le genie gardien de la hutte. Ici, presque chacun de nous a le

sien; at nous las appalons an forian damzog^." He was told later in Fasher

that damzogs could be bought. "J'antandis souvant racontar," said his

informant, "qua las Damzog s'achetaient at se vendaient; qua, pour s'an

procurar, il faut allar trouvar qualque proprietaira da Damzog, at lui an

achatar un au prix demande. Una fois la marche conclu, on revient avac un cara^ da lait at on la donna au vendeur, qui la prand at la porta dans le

lieu da sa demeure ou sont sas Damzog. En entrant, il las salua, at va suspandra la cara a un crochet fixe au mur. Ensuite il dit a ses Damzog: 'Un da mas amis, un tal, tres-riche, craint las volaurs, at me demande que je lui fournisse un gardien. Qualqu'un da vous voudrait-il allar chaz

lui ? II y a abondance de lait ; c'est une rnaison de benediction ; at la preuve

c'est qu'il vous apporte ce cara de lait.' "...

The damzogas were at first unwilling, but at the final appeal

:

" Oh ! qua calui da vous qui veut bian allar chaz lui dascande dans ie

cara! '* One of them apparently relented. " L'homme s'eloigna un peu, et

aussitot qu'il entend le bruit de la chute du Damzog dans la lait, il accourt

et pose vita sur la vase ou cara un couvercle tissu de folioles de dattiar.

II le decroche ainsi couvert, et le remat a I'achateur, qui I'emporte chez

lui. Calui-ci le suspend a un mur de sa hutte, et an confia la soin a une

esclave, ou a una famma, qui, chaque matin, vient le prendre, en vide la

lait, le lave parfaitament, le remplit de nouveau lait fraichement trait, at

le suspend a la meme place. Des lors on est an securite centre tout vol

et touta parte ^."

El Tunisi 's comment on this story is "Pour moi, je traitais tout

cela de folic," but it is none the less interesting and it seems to pro-

vide additional evidence of the "sacred" attributes of milk to which

further reference will be made in the note at the end of this chapter.

* For details re this and re the cult at Kdga see SeliRman, Art. "Nuba" in Hastings's Encyclopaedia. Cp. Roscoe, Baganda, pp. 320 and 321.

* El Tunisi, loc. cit. pp. 149, 150. ' I.e. a gourd.

* El Tunisi, loc. cit. pp. 150, 151. El Tunisi relates a further story about a damzdg in the same strain.