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TI .E_ BAIK'LCNG

The ordinary place o t abode o t a Rarolong tam 1 ly cons is t8 ot

,. number of huta whi ch, taken toge ther , con8t i tu te the ~

In the lo l . apa l ive a man, his i t e and children . AI the aonsbecome o ld enougr. to ge t married, and do so , they bui ld t he i r

mal wepa i n c loae proximity to tha t o t t he i r t a t h e r . In time Ue8e

malwapa increa8e and, taken togeU,er, conat i tu te 8 aettleC'lent o tclose l y re la ted tami l ies t rac ing t he i r c o m ~ o ndescent tllrough malea .

The malw pa of close re la t ives t rac ing t l . e i r doscent th l Ough male8

taken tv. e the r torm -hat i s known S the kgotle a t the head o

which i s the 8enior male re la t ive of the k i ~ s h i pgroup l i v ing

within t ha t 8et t lement . The head o tTe kgotla i8 variou8ly

known a8 mong a kgot l a , i . e . the mA8ter or owner o

mogolo wa kg tl l l , 1 . e . the grea t one o the kv,otlp .

the kgoUa , or

T h head8hip

whole depends not 80 m ~ c hupon ge S upon

aenivr l>ty in rank 1n the hi8tory of the combined family uni t8 of

which i & 18 com .0Bed . h u ~ a t anyone time the head o the kgot la

may be a f a i r l y young man who i s the he i r o the aenior branch o

trle kgot l a . T us , t h e founder o 11 kgot l , has four sons , C ,

D T h descendants of r , the e ldes t son o ,w11.I. alway8remain the aenior members o the kgot l , whatever t he i r age, as com-

pEred witT the descendents o C, D n d ~ B may die unmarried

and tr,eretore chi ld les8 , or he may g e t m l ried nd die withoutiBPue . A younger hro t ' e r ; ~ e y be cal led upon by hia t t e r or by

the senior mele Edvi8ers o the family, i f hi8 t e r be dece oed,

to marry a wife fo r B, his dece8aed bro t t e r or m r ~ hi8 ~ i d o wand

80 r a i se up seed for B.rmed are the chi ldren

Tte children o the seent l e union thus

B. C and D may be merrle lready and

have grown up children . [\ut im ,ediately a 80n ie born to Bthrough the seant lo union o E with B' a widow or snot er wvman

married in the m me o D, t t , i s son takes precedence ov er the son8

o C and J , and although C, t r e man next in order o senior i ty

a f t e r tr,1' de c eaaed ' may have al'pum ..d the la t1 e r ' e s ta tus 8 S r.ead

o the kgotla , t t i s posi t ion in due course wil l devolve up n the

son o the eeFntlo union Bet up in R ' s name, thus excl diN( the

descendants o C, t . l e r .. e t d l l r i ~ gthe rrinorit. o the 'eon o B.

Jir. ls /

t

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2 .

i r l s e r e , 1".o w ev er, exc. . d e d t 'r v m t } e h e a d s t i p o f t b e k g o t l s .

J ~ o i n a n d a g a i n in d is c u s F i o n w i t h i n t ' o r m c n t . o n t h e q u e s t i o n o t

s u c c e s s i o n , o n e t e a r s t t e s t e t e l 'e n t t h e t S o e n d So d ie d w i th ou t

i ' ; I '\ u e wl e n 8S e m n t t e r o t f p c t c l o f l e r i n v s t i g a t i o n w i l l sh o w t t . s t

h e 1 . d s e v e r ~ l d D u g r t e rs . n i 8 i s b l c e t ' o r t h e p u r p o s e sa t

d e t e r i n i n g s e n i o r i t y ~ n ~ t t e c o n t i n u n e e o f t h e l i n e o t d e s c e n t o t

t r .e k g o t l - , t'em l e c l i l d r e n a r e n o t r e c k o n e d . R y t t e i r ~ e r I ~ e

t h e w 1.1. e v e n tu U l y p e ll o u t o t t h e i r own k g o U e i n t o 8 1 1 o th r , I ln d

I t ~ o u g h t . e r e v e r th e y m ay b e s v e r y v i t A l &nd d i r e c t i n t e r e s t w i l l

b e t ll k e n i n t h e m o n d i n t t e i r c h i l d r e n b y t h e i r b r o t h e r s , the g i r l s

n d U e i r d e s c e n d s n t s c o n n e v e r t 'o rm . , s r t o t~ ) d p t t e b e i r s a t

t h e i r t ' s t t , e r ' s " g t l n . " l u s d " " g h t e r s , w b s t e v e r t h e i r a g e , U W 8 J ' .

ra n k a f t e r . o n s i n t , e i r t m i ly .

s e t t l e m e n t o f

The t e r m 1 0 1 Fpll i s a p p l i p d e i t t e r t o t h e w h o l e

m lm , i s i f e e n d u n l I l " r r l e d c} 1 1 d r e n o r t o t r , e

c o u r t y a r d w h i c b i s ~ r ~ c t A in f r o n t o t t t e III i n h u t i n w > i c h t h e

f a m i l y l i v e s . h e o n e e n t e r s a j a r o l o r o u s e , o n e t i r s t c ~ me s

l n t o t e 1 1 ; Ill w H c i sL Jrro ;;.n t'le d w i t l . mud . ~ ~ l ~ o u t t ' o u r

t e 1:. t . 1 g h ; w t r d n t t l i s \V 1 1 i s . n o p e n s p a c e w h i c h h . e b e e n

l e v e l l e d e n d s m ee r e d w it h c o w - d u n g I l ix e d w i t h e e r t l , ( b o l o k o) . I n

o n e c o r d e r o t t h i s l e v e l s p ' c e mAy b e e f i r e - p l c e w h i c h Co nS i 8 t S o t'

a c i rc u l, . r d e p r e s i o n s l i g l U y e lO Y I t h e le v e l o f t t e r e e t o t t h e

1 0 1 s p s . I t i s c u s t ' J m r y n o w a d e t o b o rd e r . h i s f i r e - p h oe

w i t t , U e i r o n h o o p o f a b e e r b a r r e l . T he c o c k i n g o f t l ,e t 'am ll y

m ay b e d o n e t U 1 is f i r e - p l e c e o r ~ t n t ~ e r i n A o t l e r p a r t o t

t t e t 'e l l ll y d e l l i n g t o b e d e s c r i b ~ ~ p r e E e n t l y . Cn t h e t ' e r lI id e

a w ay t 'r o m t h e e n t r a n c e t o t h e l o l w , & i l l t h e h u t i n w h i cf t h e

t 'a m l 1 y 1 1 v e s . T he h u t i s r o u n d i n s1 p e w i t h a w 1 1 a b o u t . i x

o r l I e v e n f e t h i g h .

m i x e d i t h cow - d u n g .

rh e w a l l i s t 'o r t h e m e s t p r t m d e o t mud

I t i l l t , j o b o t omen t,o e r e c t t h i s - a l l .

'1'I :e r o e t ' o f t r e t - o u s e s o n e o f t h t c h , t t e t ' r a m e w o rk c o n s i l l t i n g

o f a n ~ mb e r o f b e a m s p u t t o g e t h e r i n s u e a w ay 8S t o t 'o rm a c o n e .

~ e t ' r a .e w o r k o t t h e ro(,C r e s t s o n tl1 e " . 1 J . i n S J o h a y a s t o

p r o , i e c t /

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3 .

projec t to a ce r t s in exten t over the wsl l , making a kind ofnarrow verandah known ss mokAtako . Kat infrequent ly the roof

ia held up by ceane o f a pole s e t in the middle of the hut , to

the top of which the beama m ~ k i n gup the frame ark of the roof

are t i e d by means of loa ther thongs or otherwiae . At in terva la

o f about a foot to eighteen inches down the e ide of t h i s conicsl

fracework are r opes made of bark which are fastened to the polea

making up the framework. The graac, with which the houae i athatched 18 l a id on t h i s framew rk and boun i t t the ropea w},ich

enci rc le the roof . Inateed of the cent ra l pole sup or t ing thef r s ark of the roof we sometimea f ind beaca r ea t ing on the w ~ l l

running hor izonta l ly across t t e walla o f the hut .

beams of the roof re t i e d wit t atrong ropea .

To these the

'rhe f loo r of the touse i s smebred by the omen l nd the wel lawhitewesred with colour- ' sher of d i ffe ren t colours found in the

ground . Somehousea and the

omen pf n t c e r t ain des:\gna on the ' a l l s of t h e i rpat te rns of these d e c o r ~ t i o n ssho. t ha t the

~ r o l o n gwomen are by no means devoid o f ses the t i c t aa te . To-day

most hu t s hsve a: . a l l aperturea in t.l.e wblla which do duty for

indows wti le more advanced people have regular windowa in t h e i r

huta . The in t e r i o r of the hut i a often divided in to two aect iona

by meane of a screen, one aect ion b e i n ~the l ~ e p i n gQuarter, and

and the other the l i v ing cun r t e r . At nig t the l iv ing ouar ter i aalao used as a bedr oom mats made of grass d i t l a t l a ) or made ofakins (diphate) being l a id down on the f loor to m ke a bed, wl .U e

t t e blankets may e i t h e r be made of aheep or g Rt-aKins or may

cons ia t o f karosses made out of U .e skins f wild animnls . Theprepara t i n of skins for the varioua purposes indicated above i s

the d ~ t yof men, some of them scquir ing ' ide reputat ion for t h e i r

a k i l l in t t i s kind of work .SEJ l'LO. the lolwepa and the hut w have so fa r descr ibed

cons t i tu te t e l i v ing r o ~ mof the Baroiong household . Thl8 i s ~ l

the p r t of U e set t lement t which atrAngers are admitted when

they v i s i t the f m i l y . Pu t a t U s bAck of t h i s hut ia an

encloaure a imi la r in construct ion to the lolwapa kn vwn pa the

ae,jotlo. snd wi t l in i t s t rds a hu t known 8 S the segot lo t ,ut .

l' I s Is t l e r lvf ' te p r t of the household or se t le ent to t,ich

s t r '1gers .

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4 .

t rangera are not general ly e ~ i t t e d

membera of the ide r kina l i ' grou to

C.nly membera of t t e family,which t t e family belong. , and

t h l r c lo .e f r end8 .... i t t i n the cocwuni ty are dlDit ed wi t U n the

encloaure . I t i8 ~ mark of 8pecia l f l ' iend8tip to be allowed n.e

pr iv i l e ' e of p a ~ 8 i n gin to t t e aegotlo . Even i f a 8tranger upon

arr1v 1 a t a come .hould f ind n O b ~ d yin the lolw&rya, i t i8 not good

manoers for l ,im to p . ~ in to the . ego t lo , even i f he ahould be

w[,re th t U ere must be people in the aegotlo . Fi8 duty i to

ma e ~ i 8

18 heard

pre.ence known in .ome o t t e r way, e . g . by 8houting un t i l be

or ~ w o i r t i l.ome member of the family a ~ o u l da? ear,WI,o wi l l underv e to ,.nnounce hia arr i . , 1 or l e a d im into the

aegotlo or otlerwiae at tend to h i . wanta. Private undertaking '

8uch a con8ultetlon8 with a witchdcctor re c ~ - r i e dOut in theaegotlo hu t . In par t i cu la r the aegot lo i a the sect ion of U e

household in wtic t women l ive n carry out t t e i r a c t i v i t i e . . 1,en

11 men ere confined, ch i ldb i r th t ~ k o .plece and t i e confined mfother

i a ept i t l in the serrotlo 1.u t . en the daughter. of the ~ a m i l y

become of m 8 r r i g e ~ l aftge Cuts m ~ ybe erac e d for them within the

segot lo enclosure . I'ere .ucr g i r l mAy be vilI ' te by he m n to

wrom s ie i a be t ro t t ed during the S2 r l e l a period . fl,e m o , , ~ e ri

in cnarge of t t e aep,otlo of her family and t e re haa j.er dAughter.

under her di rec t au 'ervieion . According to one informant, in the

older dAyS the 101 ,pa hut uaed to have amall aperture known a .

aetlhol,,-mog): e , i . a . the place through wrich ore llvtcl'es the

8011-in- 810' t h r o u ~ lwhier, t l e motl'er could keep an eye on a l l

paraona p aaing into the aegotlo eve,.., i f sr.e were a t t t l ' time in -

s ide U 101 liP hut . I wea not pbl o to c o n f ~ r ot h i s , but i f eu ch

e C ..stvlD did ex i s t , i t merelv eervea to amphl 81ae the pr ivatect r c t r of '11 t h t t went on in t t e segot lo . Among the B a r o l o n ~

boye 11 re ~ o t s l l o ed to h ve hute b u i l t for t ~ e min the eegotl

nor inde ed outside i t , un t i l t t e r e were married . T'r ey might, of

cour.e , heve huts erec ted fo r t he i r use a t the c t t l a -poa ta , i f a1y .

Ctterwiee t rey l ive in the 101 ~ p a un t i l they mRrry when the se t up

t he i r own houser.olds wr ich wi l l aleou l t i m ~ t e l y

conaiet o f (1) ahut , (3) a apg t l o , (4) f aegotlo ru t .

l r i o r /

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5 .

Prior to his morriage, 8 man ~ l i v e in the segotlo hut o f

his future parents- in - law, when arrangements have been duly mad.

for t h i s purpose as wil l be pointed out in the sect ion deal ing

wi the rn l a l a custom .Thus the segotlo represents l

(1) the privote apartments of the set t lement as a whole;

(2) t l e women s sec t ion of the home in wrich confinements

and domestic a c t i v i t i e s sucl as cooking take place;

(3) the l iv ing quar ters of daughters of marri ag eable age;

(4) the par t o f the household in which the r a l a l a custom(courtship) i s car r i ed out , i . e . the l iv ing Quarters of

the sons-in - law o f the family when on a v i s i t to the

family or to t h e i r future wives .

The sdu l t mAlea of the family apend much o f t t e1 r time a t the

kgotla of the set t lement nnd sleep in the lolwapa hut . The poly

gamist has a separate set t lement for each wife, consist ing o f thevsrious par ts mentioned above. Thus the s e t t l ent of a poly-

gamist or t ha t of a m n with a n u m ~ rof daughtera of mar r iag e

rble ag. would consis t of s main lolwapa a .d one or more aegotlo

huta joined to t by means of walls each about four ept high .

This ensurea privacy t o r tha occupants of each segotlo , and the

lolwaca enaures a c e r t~ i n amount t privacy t o r t e family as awhole .