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
One day it happened that the two women had arranged to dance on the same
night, each with her own party, at villages quite distant from each other.
Antyande asked Ekâmina to give up her play for that night and join with
her, "for," said she, "I want to make mine grand; and you wait for yours
another day." But Ekâmina was not willing. Antyande tried to get her to
change her mind, and was very much displeased because she refused. Ekâmina
said, "I will not give up, for my dance is by special invitation at
Añwondo village, so I have to go." (Libreville is three miles long; one
end is called "Glass," and Añwondo is at the other end.) Ekâmina lived at
Glass, and on her way to Añwondo she had to pass the village of Antyande.
The latter said to herself, "As Ekâmina is not willing to do as I wish,
and I was the one who gave her this power, I will watch her as she passes,
and see what I will do." So, when Ekâmina passed at night with her party
to Añwondo, Antyande watched her chance as Ekâmina neared her. She went
behind her, and did some magic act which would make the latter powerless
to dance and not be aware of her loss of power. When Ekâmina reached
Añwondo and commenced her play, she was not able to dance at all. She
tried till midnight, and failed. She suspected that Antyande was the cause
of the failure, for the latter had not been friendly since their
unsatisfactory talk. So she took a portion of her party that same night
back to Antyande's village, told the latter her trouble, and begged her,
"Please, if you have taken away the power, give it back, so I may finish
the dance to-night." Antyande said, "No; you would not listen to me. I am
a chief dancer, and you are praised as the same. Go and dance!" Ekâmina
said, "But please give me back the power; I am not able to dance without
it." Antyande replied, "No, go to the graveyard and get other spirits
there for yourself." So there was no dance done by Ekâmina that night.
VIII. ASIKI, OR THE LITTLE BEINGS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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