Viewing page 27 of 83

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

-21-

Shortly after dinner our friends from the Snake Society called for us, and led us through the village and down to a dimly lighted hut.  As we stepped inside the door, a young man wearing an impressive feather headdress, took our flashlights from us.  There was one kerosene lamp burning, and about a dozen people, including two women, were crouched about on the floor.  Chairs were placed for us.  One corner of the room was curtained off, and one by one we were led over to the curtain and shown the "mysteries" on the other side.  A would-be gatecrasher, caught prowling outside the door, was grabbed, brought in, and made to sit in a corner with his back to the room, during the entire evening.  After making sure that he understood none of the languages in which the initiation was going to take place.  After the initiation was over, he was fined five shillings, with the alternative of 60 days in jail.

I was allowed to make notes on the proceedings, and as the various fetiches were brought out I tried to get the phonetic spelling for each.

The initiation fee was 8 shillings apiece, after we had paid this, and it had been duly counted and divided among the members, we were given a speech on the seriousness of the society.  It was not our money that they wanted, they said, but if we were willing to take the oath of secrecy, the rules and by-laws, the passwords and grip would be explained to us.  [[strikethrough]] It [[/strikethrough]]

The fetiches were arranged on a large tray on the floor, and the Gli, or Worshipful Master, picked them up one by one and told us their symbolism.  This is a Mano society; we had taken Bobor with us as interpreter; each lesson was given in Mano, translated into Belle, then into Kpesse, then into pidgin English, and often into an English that we could understand, Si repeating what Bobor said.

A small forked stick is used for catching snakes on the ground, a hooked stick for drawing them out of trees.  A bundle of twigs tied with a string symbolizes a snake crossing the road.

A piece of hollow pith, decorated with cowrie shells, is powerful medicine; if the right herb is placed in it, death comes to the man who breaks the law of the society.

[[underline]] Yangwah [[/underline]] was given to me as my name; it means that I am the judge, the final arbiter in all discussions; I have the power to "cut the palaver".  My symbol was a woman's head fashioned of black clay, with cowrie shells for eyes, and a few feathers for a head dress.

[[underline]] Kplein [[/underline]] is a small knife, with a string tied to it that represents a snake's tail; in giving it to anyone you hold the blade and present the handle.

[[underline]] Mangow [[/underline]] is an oval of clay with two or three cowrie shells, stuck through with a needle.  It represents a snake crossing the road.  In handing it to anyone you proffer the blunt end.

[[end page]]