Fetichism in West Africa : $b forty years' observation of native customs and superstitionsNassau, Robert Hamill
Philosophy
Fetichism in West Africa : $b forty years' observation of native customs and superstitions
Nassau, Robert Hamill
Ethnology -- Africa, West; Fetishism -- Africa, West
"In Chikula's yard there is a small roughly cut image, which I believe
represents the spirit of a forefather of his. One day a man and woman came
in and rushed up to this image, dancing, howling, and foaming at the
mouth, apparently mad. A group gathered round, and declared that the
spirit of Chikula's forefather had taken possession of this man and woman,
and was about to speak through them. At last the 'demon' began to grunt
and groan out to poor Chikula, who was down on his knees, that he must
hold a hunt, the proceeds of which must be given to the people of the
town; must kill an ox, provide so many pots of beer, and proclaim a great
feast and dance. Furthermore, all this was to be done quickly. The poor
old man was thoroughly taken in, and in two days' time the hunt was
organized.
"Thus I find, as among the Barotse, that divining and prophesying, with
other religious and superstitious means, are resorted to in order to
secure private ends and to offer sacrifice to the one common god, the
belly.
"At another time a man came to Senhor Porto's to buy an ox. He said that
some time ago he had killed a relation by witchcraft to possess himself of
some of his riches, and that now he must sacrifice an ox to the dead man's
spirit, which was troubling him. This killing by witchcraft is a thing
most sincerely believed in; and on hearing this man's cold-blooded
confession of what was at least the intent of his heart, it made me
understand why the Barotse put such demons into the fire.
"Among the Ovimbundu, old and renowned witches (wizards?) are thrown into
some river, though almost every man will confess that he practises
witchcraft to avenge himself of wrong done and to punish his enemies. One
common process is to boil together certain fruits and roots, with which
the wizard daubs his body, in order to enlist the aid of the demons; and
the decoction is then thrown in the direction of the victim, or laid in
his path, that he may be brought under the bewitching spell."[51]
We quote again from Dr. J. L. Wilson, "Western Africa": "Witchcraft, and
the use of fetiches as a means of protection against it, is carried to a
greater extent here [Southern Guinea] than in Northern Guinea, owing, no
doubt, to the greater imaginativeness of the people. The marvels performed
by those who are supposed to possess this mysterious art transcend all the
bounds of credulity. A man can turn himself into a leopard, and destroy
the property and lives of his fellow-men. He can cause the clouds to pour
out torrents of rain, or hold back at his pleasure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account