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Anthropos 65. 1970
result the nutritional balance among the Bisa tends to be better, being less
one-sidedly based on porridge. But even among the Tehla Sandawe this
remains better than among neighbouring Bantu peoples, according to the
findings of a recent nutritional survey 23 .
The traditional hunter's rations of the Sandawe consist of a stiff lump
of millet pudding fermented with honey; this is wrapped up in leaves and
tied to the belt with a string. Called sakaldni, it is still used by Bisa hunters
and honey-collectors who go into the bush on long expeditions, but among
the Tehla Sandawe it is spoken of as a thing of the past. The coarse, dark
grey pudding which constitutes the main ingredient of sakaldni still serves as
the basis of meals all over Sandawe country, but more so among the Bisa
than among the Tehla Sandawe. Among the latter finer and whiter machine-
ground flour is now more widely used. It seems unlikely that this refinement
will result in any nutritional improvement.
In respect of food taboos, and also of eating manners, there are tradi
tional differences between the Bisa and the Tehla Sandawe. On the whole the
Sandawe have few general food taboos. Unlike their neighbours they all eat
eggs and fish, and there are no totemic or clan avoidances. But special taboos
there are legion; the Sandawe observe avoidances for pregnant women, grow
ing children, the sick, hunters, travellers, and in ritual situations. These
taboos are observed throughout the tribal area, but there are also regional
differences. What the Tehla Sandawe refuse to do but the Bisa have a repu
tation of doing, is to eat the meat of hyenas and snakes, in particular python.
In the beliefs of neighbouring Bantu peoples these creatures are associated
with witchcraft and to eat them is unthinkable. These associations have also
become widespread among the Tehla Sandawe. Among the Bisa, on the
other hand, they are not yet very well entrenched although nowadays they
too pay lip-service to these avoidances. There still are people in Bisa country
who are known to have eaten python and hyena meat, but this is no longer
readily admitted to strangers, not even to other Sandawe. In the border
area of the tribal divide there is a small clan whose name is Walampit; it is
said that they have been given this name, long ago, by the Rimi, because of
their lack of food taboos. Wala-mpiti is Rimi for hyena-eaters, and the Tehla
Sandawe still maintain that they are really Bisa.
Bisa manners are considered crude by the Tehla Sandawe, even though
the latter, too, do not always adhere to the standards which they claim to
be their own. Educated Tehla Sandawe have acquired good Bantu manners,
and they eat and handle food only with their right hands. But the Bisa remain
unconcerned and use either hand. They also present and accept gifts with
either hand, and can be seen to blow their noses, urinate, and clean themselves
after defecation, using their right hands instead of the left. The older gene
ration of the Tehla Sandawe, too, have not yet universally accepted the use
of the right hand for “clean” and the left hand for “unclean” actions. At
23 A nutritional survey was made by Latham (cf. Latham 1964). A history of
famines is contained in Ten Raa 1968.