DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49271#0207
The Kababish, a Sudan Arab tribe
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usually give each widow one or two female camels. If the deceased had not made a pres-
ent of cattle to his daughters in his lifetime, the heir would be expected to put aside at
least one camel or sheep for each daughter so that she might have their increase on her
marriage, or to make her a present of a camel and a sheep when she left her mother’s tent.
These animals and their increase would be inherited by her children, sons and daughters;
if she should die childless, they would not go to her husband but would pass back to her
brothers. A dissatisfied widow would appeal to her father or direct to the sheykh, and it
is probable that distant paternal male cousins would not be sought out to inherit when a
man left daughters but no near male relatives. Daughters would inherit in preference
to sisters, and where daughters and sisters are the only surviving relatives, sisters would
receive a smaller share of the inheritance than daughters.
Presents given to a woman by her husband are inherited by her children, but children
failing must pass back to the husband, and could not be left to the woman’s brothers.
These presents include cattle and jewels. The sebria and all the utensils and camel trap-
pings of a woman’s 'utfa are inherited by her daughters. Daughters failing, the sons
will not take them, but the husband will return them to the mother of the deceased. As
has been stated in the section on the 'utfa, though the husband must provide his wife
with a sebria, all the utensils and decorations for it are made by the mother and her rela-
tives, though the money for some of the objects may be taken from the mahr which the
mother has received for her daughter.
If a man should die shortly after his marriage, his tent would be returned to his
mother. Children whose father has died are under the legal guardianship of his brother.
The latter usually marries one or more of the widows, but he may not take any of these
women without paying a mahr, though the amount is specially reduced for him. It is
said that marriage with the widow of a deceased brother is practised primarily for the sake
of the children, and secondarily for the sake of the property, (i. e. the woman’s own
property). The Kababish do not consider that the widow herself is inherited.
The sons of slave wives inherit equally with the sons of free women.
VIII. Pregnancy and childbirth. Name ceremony. 'Ikka. No special rules of diet are
observed during pregnancy, but it was stated that during the first five months women usu-
ally had very little appetite. Massage, at all times appreciated by the Kababish women,
was specially recommended during gestation. It has already been mentioned that the scar-
tissue, produced by the mutilation to which all girls are subjected, must be incised before
marriage can be consummated. A further incision is necessary before a child can be born,
in spite of which septic trouble scarcely seems to occur, and death during or as the result
of childbirth is certainly rare. An incision is necessary not only in primiparae but also
in multiparae, for after every parturition care is taken to encourage the formation of a
145
usually give each widow one or two female camels. If the deceased had not made a pres-
ent of cattle to his daughters in his lifetime, the heir would be expected to put aside at
least one camel or sheep for each daughter so that she might have their increase on her
marriage, or to make her a present of a camel and a sheep when she left her mother’s tent.
These animals and their increase would be inherited by her children, sons and daughters;
if she should die childless, they would not go to her husband but would pass back to her
brothers. A dissatisfied widow would appeal to her father or direct to the sheykh, and it
is probable that distant paternal male cousins would not be sought out to inherit when a
man left daughters but no near male relatives. Daughters would inherit in preference
to sisters, and where daughters and sisters are the only surviving relatives, sisters would
receive a smaller share of the inheritance than daughters.
Presents given to a woman by her husband are inherited by her children, but children
failing must pass back to the husband, and could not be left to the woman’s brothers.
These presents include cattle and jewels. The sebria and all the utensils and camel trap-
pings of a woman’s 'utfa are inherited by her daughters. Daughters failing, the sons
will not take them, but the husband will return them to the mother of the deceased. As
has been stated in the section on the 'utfa, though the husband must provide his wife
with a sebria, all the utensils and decorations for it are made by the mother and her rela-
tives, though the money for some of the objects may be taken from the mahr which the
mother has received for her daughter.
If a man should die shortly after his marriage, his tent would be returned to his
mother. Children whose father has died are under the legal guardianship of his brother.
The latter usually marries one or more of the widows, but he may not take any of these
women without paying a mahr, though the amount is specially reduced for him. It is
said that marriage with the widow of a deceased brother is practised primarily for the sake
of the children, and secondarily for the sake of the property, (i. e. the woman’s own
property). The Kababish do not consider that the widow herself is inherited.
The sons of slave wives inherit equally with the sons of free women.
VIII. Pregnancy and childbirth. Name ceremony. 'Ikka. No special rules of diet are
observed during pregnancy, but it was stated that during the first five months women usu-
ally had very little appetite. Massage, at all times appreciated by the Kababish women,
was specially recommended during gestation. It has already been mentioned that the scar-
tissue, produced by the mutilation to which all girls are subjected, must be incised before
marriage can be consummated. A further incision is necessary before a child can be born,
in spite of which septic trouble scarcely seems to occur, and death during or as the result
of childbirth is certainly rare. An incision is necessary not only in primiparae but also
in multiparae, for after every parturition care is taken to encourage the formation of a