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
Antyande, a Mpongwe woman of the town of Libreville, Gabun, is a leader of
a company of ten or a dozen women in a certain native dance called
"ivanga," which is performed only by women. Some dance it only as an
exhibition of their gymnastic skill; others mix with it fetich and
witchcraft arts, and claim that their movements are under spirit power.
Antyande, more than the other women of the company, uses witchcraft in her
performances. She seems almost to glide through the air, alighting on the
knees of sitting spectators without giving them the impression of weight,
gyrating on small stools without moving the stools from their position,
and making many other wonderful physical contortions in an exceedingly
graceful and easy manner. She even goes to graveyards at night,
accompanied by three or four men and women, to get what they call the
spirits of the dead. It is said by some of the men who have gone there
with her that they do not understand what she does, but that it is so very
strange and awful that they are afraid. The reason why she goes for these
abambo (ghosts) of the graves is that she may be spry and alert, and able
to do with her body whatever she pleases. She claims also to be
accompanied by a leopard and a bush-cat that are visible to her but not to
others. As these animals are noted for their quick and agile movements,
and are under her witch-power control, they are able to impart to her
these qualities.
In January, 1902, she was dancing her ivanga, and there was a woman among
the spectators who had been drinking to the point of intoxication. In her
foolishness she determined to help Antyande by assuming to be directress
to keep the spectators in order. But, being drunk, she could not do so;
she only made disorder. In attempting to make matters straight she only
made them crooked. Antyande asked her to get out of her way. Many, also,
of the spectators begged the woman to cease interfering; but she would
not, and finally she vexed Antyande by spoiling her movements in getting
too close in front of her. Antyande's patience was exhausted, and she
suddenly revealed a secret that astonished many even of her intimate
acquaintances, saying, "Whoever is related to this drunken woman, please
tell her to get out of my way while I am dancing, because my dance is not
a mere gymnastic exercise. I have leopards and bush-cats about me, and if
she comes too near me, and the tails of these animals should twist around
her legs, then she will get a sickness: and if that happens, her people
must not hold me responsible for it, for I have given you this warning."
This surprised many of the people; for they had supposed she was nothing
more than an unusually graceful dancer, and that her success was purely
physical. Now, publicly, she admitted that the power in her limbs and body
causing her graceful undulations was a supernatural one. So some of the
women laid hold of the drunken woman, and induced her to get out of the
way.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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