THE BEMBA TRIBE OF NORTH-EASTERN RHODESIA 87
language (Cibembd), which forms a distinct dialect in native eyes, although it does not differ very considerably from the neighbouring Cibisa or Cilala. (c) The tribal mark, a vertical cut on each temple about i in. long behind the eyes, (d) The common historical traditions of the people—even young men at the present day speak with pride of the coming of their fathers from Luba-land, and take delight in describing the military exploits of their ancestors and the ferocity of the old chiefs, (e) Their allegiance to a common paramount chief, the Citimukulu, whose overlordship of the Bemba territory is unquestioned.
(b) Social Grouping, (i) Kinship. The Bemba are a matrilineal tribe practising matrilocal marriage. Descent is reckoned through the mother and a man is legally identified with a group of relatives composed of his maternal grandmother and her brothers and sisters, his mother and her brothers and sisters, and his own brothers and sisters. His membership of this group determines his succession to different offices and his status in the community, although in a matrilocal society it only occasionally determines his residence. He also belongs to a wider descent group, the clan (umukoa, plur. imikoa) which is also traced in the woman's line. Each umukoa is distinguished by the name of an animal, plant, or natural phenomenon, such as rain. It has a legend of origin usually describing the split-off of the clan ancestors from the original lineage group, and an honorific title or form of greeting. Clans are in effect exogamous, since a man may not marry a woman he calls 'mother', 'sister', or 'daughter', and these terms are extended to the limits of clan membership on the maternal side. Through his clan affiliation, a man traces his descent, rank —if he belongs to the royal clan—rights to succeed to certain offices, such as hereditary councillorship (cf. pp. 100, 108), and claims to his relatives' help and hospitality.
Some clans have a higher status than others, according to whether their original ancestors arrived in the country as part of the following of the first Citimukulu, or alternatively, split off as a separate descent group later. Thus the crocodile clan (Bena rjandii) is the umukoa of the first immigrant chief and stands highest in status (cf. 'Rank'), while various others, such as the fish clan, millet clan, &c., are said to be of similar antiquity. The hereditary councillors described later belong to these clans. All the imikoa are paired with opposite clans that perform reciprocal ritual