Spirituality

• The Azande believe in ancestral spirits and demons, as well as a primal spirit that permeates all aspects of human existence. Azande view negative events, such as injuries or accidents as resulting from observable physical factors, spiritual factors, or social transgressions. Witchcraft and divination are used to understand the origin of a negative event and when possible, alter the situation in a more positive or healthy direction. One such rite is the benge, in which the involved parties go into the wilderness and give a chicken poison. The participants ask a question, and interpret the answer according to whether the chicken lives or dies. Answers may also be gathered through dakpa, in which the Azande offer termites two types of tree branches and observe which tree species the termites choose.
  
  

Birth

• Zande traditions prevent women from eating certain foods such as the sweet potato called mene out of a fear the food may cause a miscarriage. Four days after the birth, the mother sits with her infant in the smoke of a fire of green leaves. This makes the child strong. Girls are not circumcised, but young men traditionally undergo circumcision at the age of 19.
  
  

Marriage

• Historically, an Azande man offers the bride's family a dowry of 20 spears. Men without the financial strength to pay 20 spears may arrange to marry each others sisters in order to neutralize the need for a dowry. Some men pay this dowry when the girl is still an infant.
  
  

Death

• The Azande attribute all deaths to witchcraft. The deceased family may use clippings of hair and nails in a ritual to discover the person who caused the death. Mourning traditions stipulate that a widow rips off her clothes and ornaments immediately after her husbands death. Widows keep their hair short for a year after the death. The Azande bury the dead in a sitting position with their chins resting on their knees. Men face the rising run in the east, and women face the setting sun in the west.
  
  

Art and Dance

• The Azande perform dances at night under the full moon. The men form a circle and sway to the music with their arms out and palms up. Women form an inner circle and may process in a line around the center of the circle. Drumming and singing accompany these dances. These songs often include racy or obscene lyrics. The Azande also produce traditional handicrafts from woven bark and hardwood products, including baskets, furniture and weapons.