204 AFRICAN POLITICAL SYSTEMS
he would go to a diviner (omufumu), who, after consultation of his various oracles, might suggest an entirely unconventional procedure which, if successful, would set a precedent and thus be gradually adopted by the whole clan. The fact that some types of sorcery which were formerly restricted to certain tribes are now recognized and 'detected' by the diviners of other areas and counteracted by new devices, shows that there are some loopholes in the generally rigid convention.
A wider power to enact laws and customs and to induce people to take an unprecedented course of action seems to have been wielded by the dream prophet and by certain clan elders who had gained a reputation as warriors and successful arbiters in disputes and thus stood out as leaders among their age-mates. As far as I could discover, no dream prophet (omung'oti) of any importance is living in Kavirondo at present, but stories are told of men who for years ahead predicted the coming of droughts, disastrous raids, epidemics, and even the advent of the white man and of the railway and motor car. When one of their predictions came true, they gained, of course, in prestige, and their advice to engage in unusual or refrain from customary actions was followed by the whole tribe. A former prophet among the Vugusu is said to have persuaded the whole tribe to migrate from its former home in the Bugishu country to its present domicile. The Nyole, a tribe that lives next to the Logoli, refrained from circumcision for a few generations, paying heed to a curse uttered by a man called Masava. His prohibition was observed for six age-classes until, in the year 1917, the old men of several clans decided to call the circumcision operator again. They performed a ceremony at Masava's grave, neutralizing the curse (xukavusia emiwod), and at first circumcised a few people only to see if they died. They survived and nowadays circumcision is again performed by the majority of Nyole clans.
Thus although there is a strong resistance to breaking away from traditional norms and although there is no governmental organ which possesses recognized legislative authority, law and custom are by no means entirely rigid. Changes were brought about either by the initiative of a strong personality whose word carried much influence, as he had gradually gained confidence by the display of courage and wisdom, or by the example set by any ordinary tribesman if particular circumstances