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
The following two stories are illustrative of the native belief, mentioned
in Chapter IV, that we possess not only our physical body, but also an
essential or "astral" form, in shape and feature like the body. This form,
or "life," with its "heart," can be stolen by magic power while one is
asleep, and the individual sleeps on unconscious of his loss. If the
life-form is returned to him before he awakes, he will be unaware that
anything unusual has happened. If he awakes before that portion of him has
been returned, though he may live for a while, he will sicken and
eventually die. If the magicians who stole the "life" have eaten the
"heart," he sickens at once, and will soon die.
I. A WITCH SWEETHEART.
A certain man loved a woman whom he expected to marry. He visited her
regularly. Whenever he intended to visit her, he always notified her thus:
"I will be coming such a day" or "such an hour." Then she would say,
"Yes." But it happened on a particular day when he told her, "I'll be
coming to-night," she said, "No, not to-night, wait till next night." He
replied, "No, for I will come to-night." But she refused, "No, I do not
want you to come to-night." Then he asked, "What is your objection?
Hitherto you have let me come when I pleased. What is the matter
to-night?" So she said, "I do not want you to come, because I will be
absent to-night." "Where are you going?" he asked. To this she gave as
answer only, "Don't come! I don't want you to come!" So the man said, "All
right! I will not come. If you don't want me, then I'm not coming." So he
left her, very much surprised at what she had said, and began to think
something was going wrong; he thought he would like to know for himself
what it was.
This woman was one of those who belonged to the Witch Society, and engaged
in its plays. But the man had not suspected this, and did not know that
she was one of those who played.
The native belief is that when a witch or wizard has seized some one to
"eat" his "life" or do him other harm, if there be a non-society witness
hidden or in the open, the odor of that witness weakens the witch power,
and the attempt at witchcraft fails.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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