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
Arnot[90] says: "These professional diviners are no doubt smart fellows,
arch-rogues though they be. The secret of their art lies in their constant
repetition of every possibility in connection with the disaster they are
called upon to explain until they finally hit upon that which is in the
minds of their clients. As the people sit around and repeat the words of
the diviner, it is easy for him to detect in their tone of voice or to
read in their faces the suspected source of the calamity.
"A man had a favorite dog which was attacked by a leopard, but succeeded
in escaping with one of its eyes torn out. To ascertain the reason of this
calamity, the owner sent to call one of these diviners. When he arrived,
to test him, he was told that a disaster had befallen my acquaintance, and
was asked to find out by divination what it was. The diviner with his
rattles and other paraphernalia, and dances, and other movements to occupy
attention, after the manner of jugglers, asked leading questions of the
spirit he was professing to consult, but really he was watching the faces
of his audience for their unconsciously given assent or dissent. Thus, in
succession, he found that the misfortune, whatever it was, was not to a
human being; then not to certain families; then to some object possessed
by a certain man; then that it was not about an ox nor about a goat; then
that it was about a dog; then, after certain other possibilities, was it
connected with a leopard? So excited were the audience that they forgot
that they had been 'giving themselves away,' and when the diviner asked
the spirit, 'Was it a leopard?' they shouted with admiration at his
supposed skill. After a whole day of such proceedings the diviner
triumphed by announcing 'that the spirit of the father of one of the man's
wives had been grieved at the man's long absence from his town and family,
and had employed the leopard to tear the dog's eye as a gentle reminder
that it was time he should go back to his own village.'"
In connection with the Yoruba custom of parents of twins having images
carved of their dead twins, "the carving of those images is a flourishing
and money-making trade. If the parents of the dead child are in
comfortable circumstances, the carvers tell them that they have seen in
their dreams the dead twin, and that he or she has asked them to send such
and such clothes, articles of food, money, etc.
"Sometimes they say the twins appeared to them in the forest when they
went to cut the Ire-wood to be carved, and bade them not to venture it. In
such cases special sacrifices must be offered before taking any steps. In
this way months pass before the carving is complete; during which time
the carvers demand of the parents whatever they feel they are capable of
supplying them with."[91]
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