The World Bewitched, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. That the Opinions and Practices of the African Heathens, agree at bottom with the Sentiments and Cuſtoms of the other Pagans.
Sect. 1. THE Heathens of Africa being duller than the others, becauſe the Men of Letters, are moſt or all Mahometans, we can have little knowledge of their Opinions, unleſs it be by their practices. From them only, we may infer their belief, as to die matter in hand: and thô Travellers have left us but few Obſervations, I ſhall nevertheleſs examine them two ways, to know what ſort of Creatures are eſteem'd and worſhiped as Divine, by thoſe Nations, and afterwards what ſorts of Divination and Witchcraft are in uſe amongſt them. Amongſt the beſt writers, none have given more Information than Carolinus, whom therefore I ſhall take for my leader; but add to his Narration, what I ſhall think convenient out of other Authors in proper places.
Sect. 2. Thoſe Africans, that without living under the Law of Chriſt, or that of Mahomet, having nevertheleſs ſome knowledge of God diſtribute the Deity amongſt ſeveral Creatures, as do all other Heathens. They give the firſt ſhare to the moſt viſible and ſhining, as the Celeſtial Lamps, which they look upon as Lights placed in Heaven, by the Sovereign Creator, for a proof of his Eternal Power and Deity. The Inhabitants of D…mute, a Country lying very near the Equinoctial L…ne, thoſe that live under the Dominion of the Great Negus, and thoſe of Ballagata in the Kingdom of Monopotapa, have time out of mind adored the Riſing Sun. Thoſe of the Kingdom of M…ngibur, Subjects to the Great Negus, render him the ſame, worſhip, and hold him for the Creator himſelf. Thoſe of Suarim, capital of the Kingdom of Morat under the ſame Empire, have the ſame Faith. But they ſay, according to the relation of le Blanc▪ that Heaven is only for the Gods, by which they ſhow, that they acknowledge other Gods, who are doubtleſs inferior to, and in leſs credit than the Sun. Thoſe of Songo, in the Kingdom of Congo, look on the Sun and Moon as Husband and Wife; and as the Firſt and Second God. They adore the Earth, as the Mother of all things. They worſhip likewiſe ſome Birds, particular to the… Country, and as it ſeems what ever comes into th…ir fancy.
Sect. 3. When thoſe of Jaloffe in Guinea diſcover the Moon, they adore her with great Cries. They have the ſame Cuſtom at Mandimanca in the ſame Country, where the Moon is named Bariomari, or the Goddeſs of the Night. Daviti ſays, that the Berbeſeins, in the Kingdoms of Ale and Brocale, worſhip her at the foot of certain Trees. But other People of Guinea, make even of certain Trees and Herbs, their Fetiſſos or Gods. They worſhip the ſpeckled Starry-Hern, as a Divine Bird. Amongſt the Fiſhes they venerate the Tunny as Fetiſſos, and put them before the Emperadors or Emperor's Fiſhes, which they venture to Fiſh, but not to Eat, until they have cut off their Sword, which being dry, becomes then a Fetiſſo too. When it Lightens or Thunders upon very high Mountains, fear makes them believe, that thoſe Mountains are likewiſe Fetiſſos. The Lybians, divided into 4 Nations, do all agree, that there is a particular virtue and even Deity in Garlick. Some Inhabitants of Capo Verde worſhip the Moon and others the God Conculi, becauſe of his Malice.
Sect. 4. Few among them believe the Mortality of the Soul, or if they do, their Faith is attended with many doubts, and mix'd with the Opinion of the Metempſychoſis; ſo far the Sect of Pythagoras reaches. The Inhabitants of Mongibur in Ethiopia, make a favourable reception to ſtrangers, provided they be no Chriſtians, who they eſteem leſs than others. The cauſe of that kind reception is, that they imagine the Souls of their Relations or Friends may be paſſed into thoſe Perſons. They admit pains and puniſhment during this Life, but without any larger explication of it. In Guinea, the Hollanders were told in 1600, that the belief of the Country was▪ that the Souls of the Deceaſed came again upon Earth, and that they took from Houſes, what they ſtood in need of; ſo that when they have ſuſtained ſome loſs, they eaſily ſuſpect, that thoſe Spirits have taken it away. The Inhabitants of Capo Verde imagine, that after their Death, they are transform'd into white Men, and in that State come to dwell upon Earth.
Sect. 5. I find no other particular Obſervation on the ſentiments of thoſe Nations, and much leſs upon their practices. In the mean while, what may be learned of it, ſufficiently ſhows, that they proceed from the ſame Original with the others; they have very near the ſame Gods and the ſame Oracles, which they get from their Gods by the ſame means, viz. Divination and Witchcraft. In The new Hiſtory of the Abyſſines, by Ludolf, may be ſeen, how the Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Zendero, have themſelves in the Election of a King. He is choſen from the greateſt Men of the Kingdom, who go together in a Wood, whither they expect the flight of a certain Bird, that nearks by his Cry, who is to be their new Prince; As they have a great Inclination to Witchcraft, the new Prince gives immediatly a proof of his Proficiency in that Art; for as ſoon as by his Conjurations, he has Notice of his choice, he draws by the ſame virtue, Lyons, Tygers, Vipers, and Dragons about him, and in the middle of that ſtately Pomp, he is received by all the great ones of his Kingdom, who go to meet him. This is what that Author relates, and the pure Truth in his Judgment; but we ſhall examine hereafter, what virtue ſuch a Witchcraft may have.
Sest. 6. The Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Baiafar, on the Eaſt of that Benin, are accuſed to be the greateſt Magicians in the World, becauſe they boaſt of obtaining Rain, and cauſing Thunder and Lighting, whenever they pleaſe, and even of effecting all they deſire. The Brames in the Kingdom of Loango know how to hinder, by their Inchantments, the Fruits of the Earth from being taken away by Thieves, who are in great numbers amongſt them, and yet not ſo bold as to touch any thing; where there is a Basket with a pair of Goats Horns, Parrots Feathers, and other trifles of Nature, becauſe they are conſecrated to their God Maguſchi, otherwiſe Moquiſche, or Mohilo, of whom however Daviti has no reaſon to believe, that he is the Devil.
Sect. 7. When thoſe of Guinea, meet not with a happy Fiſhing, they compel their Gods with their Conjurations, to drive Fiſh into their Nets, which is done by the frightful noiſe of the Fetiſſeres, who are their Prieſts Wives, or by branches of Trees hanging about their Neck, ſuppoſing thoſe Trees to have a Divine virtue, as has been obſerved; or by the beating of Drums, or by ſome words that the Fetiſſero, or Prieſt mutters, as grumbling againſt his Wife, or by ſome Corn, or other matters, variouſly Painted, and thrown into the Sea. If the King happen to have occaſion for Money, and impatiently deſires to know, whether there are Merchants in the way from whom he may hope to get an Advantage, the Fetiſſero goes with his Wives to interrogate a Tree thereupon, at firſt he makes a great many poſtures, then offers Sacrifices, uſes Aſhes, the branch of a Tree cut on purpoſe, Water drawn ſucking from a Beaſon into his Mouth, wherewith he beſprinkles the ſaid branch, then he ſays ſome words to his Wives, upon whom he likewiſe makes aſperſion; afterwards he pronounces the queſtions aloud; then there is heard, without ſeeing any thing, a Voice anſwering, which ſometimes manifeſts it ſelf under the ſhape of a Dog, but that's only practiſed for things that concern this Life, eſpecially for the Kings proſperity.
Sect. 8. But they uſe another ſort of Witchraft either for the King or the Subjects, to obtain a good condition in the future Life. When any body comes to Die, they chuſe a new Fetiſſo for that time, whom they intreat to conduct the Soul of the Deceaſed into the other World. The neareſt Relations come together, kill a Hen, and dreſs her, then they diſpoſe all the Fetiſſos or Idols of the Deceaſed upon a Line, hang about them ſeveral collars of Peas and Beans, adorn them with many Garlands of green Herbs, and beſprinkle them with the blood of the Hen. That's the Duty of the Men. That of the Women, conſiſts in bringing the dreſs'd Hen in a Diſh, and placing her in the, middle of the Fetiſſos, thnn one of the Men begins his Conjurations, by drinking and throwing a mouthful of Water, or palm Wine upon the Fetiſſos. He takes 2 or 3 leaves of thoſe Garlands, which he rakes up, and makes a little round Ball of it, he puts it between his 2 Fingers, and many times betwixt his Feet or Toes, whence he draws it out, greeting the Fetiſſos as many times; when he has ſquezed all the moysture out of that green Ball upon his Gods, he makes another, and then another, till all the Garlands be ſpent, then out of all theſe little Balls, he makes one, with which he rubs his Face, which raiſes it to the dignity of a Fetiſſo, and cauſes it to be kept as an excellent preſervative againſt all ſorts of Evils, and a certain ſuccour in the War. Thus they pretend to bring the Dead to a quiet State.
Sect. 9. They alſo uſe Birds in their Divinations, viz. The ſpeckled Hern, becauſe (ſays Carolinus, who has ſupplyed us with the former Narration,) it lows as much as an Ox, when it ſticks it bill into the ground When they undertake to Travel, and hear it crying, they extreamly rejoyce, ſaying that the Fetiſſo comes to promiſe them a happy journey. They put Corn and a Veſſel full of Water, near the place where they have heard the cry, that the Fetiſſo may find Meat and Drink, thence proceed that many of thoſe Veſſels with Mays, Rice, and other grains, are to be found every where in the Woods and Fields. But enough of the Pagans of Africa, let us go over to thoſe of America.