SacredHutsandMagicalAspectsofFoodPostedon01/04/2015

RobertNassau,asDavidLivingstonebeforehim,wasamissionary,explorer,andrecorderofpeople,geographyandcustomsintheareasthroughwhichhetraveledandlived.Also,asLivingstone,hewasaproductofthecolonialeraofthenineteenthcentury,andthushiswriting,analysesandclaimsshouldbereadinrelationtothathistoricalandpoliticalparadigm.

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DIANABUJA'SBLOG:Africa,TheMiddleEast,Agriculture,HistoryandCultureAmblingthroughthepresentandpastwiththoughtsaboutthefuture

Palmandplantainleaveshavebeenmadeintoclothingforthistraditionaldoctor.Source,Rev.NassauFetichisminWestAfrica.

Earlier,Iwrotethefollowingaboutmagicalityandfood

Premoderncuisineinmanypartsoftheworldcanbemorefullyunderstoodnotsimplyasatechnicalrecipetobeconstructedbutalsoinrelationtothecontextinwhichitissituated.Hence,theremaybesocial,sexual,political,religiousorotheraspectsthatfigureinthetotalrecipeaspresentedinthefinishedproduct.ItisourWesternproclivitytodisassociatefactfromcontextthatmaycreatedifficultiesinunderstandingagivencuisineinitstotality.

DuringhisfortyyearsofmissionaryworkinwestAfrica,theRev.Nassauseemstohavelearnedthisimportantfactalthoughitisnotspecificallystatedassuchinhisworks.ToexaminetheapproachheusesinincorporatingwhatIshallcallthemagicalityofcuisineinanotherwiseseculardish.IwilltalkabouttheroleofSacredHutsandMagicalAspectsofFood.

SourceTheMagicalityofCuisine1:MeatCookedinPlantainLeavesasaLovePhiltre,19thCenturyGabon,WestAfrica

RobertHamillNassauportrait

TheRev.Nassauexplains:

Insomepartofthelongsinglestreetofmostvillagesisbuiltalowhut,sometimesnotlargerthanadogkennel,inwhich,amongalltribes,arehungcharmsorbywhichisgrowingaconsecratedplant(alily,acactus,aEuphorbia,oraFicus).Insometribesarudelycarvedhuman(generallyfemale)figurestandsinthathut,asanidol.Idolsarerareamongmostofthecoasttribes,butarecommonamongalltheinteriortribes.

VotivehutnexttoaresidentialhutinBurundi,c.1910.Source.MeyerLesBarundi:Uneetudeethnologique

enAfrique

ThattheyarenotnowfrequentlyseenontheCoastis,Ithink,notduetoalackoffaithinthem,butperhapstoaslightsenseofcivilizedshame.Theidolhasbeenthematerialobjectmostdenouncedbymissionariesintheirsermonsagainstheathenism.

Thehalfawakenednativehidesit,orhemanufacturesitforsaletocuriohunters.Areallyvaluedidol,supposedtocontainaspirit,hewillnotsell.Hedoesnotalwayshidehisfetichcharmwornonhispersonforitpassesmusterinhisexplanationofitsuseasamedicine.Thatidol,charm,orplant,asthecasemaybe,isbelievedforthetimetobetheresidenceofaspiritwhichistobeplacatedbyofferingsofsomekindoffood.

Ihaveseeninthosesacredhutsadishofboiledplantains(oftenbyforeignersmiscalledbananas)oraplateoffish.Thisfoodisgenerallynotremovedtillitspoils.Sometimes,wherethegiftisaverylargeone,afeastismadepeopleandspiritaresupposedtojoininthefestival,andnothingislefttospoil.

atraditionalspiritualhutatthegateofkayakinondo.thesacredmijikendakayaforestsUNESCO:WorldHeritagesit

Thatitisofusetothespiritisfullybelievedbutjusthow,fewhavebeenabletotellme.Somesaythatthehfeoressenceofthefoodhasbeeneatenbythespiritonlytheformofthevegetableorfleshremainingtoberemoved.

Decle[authorofThreeYearsinSavageAfrica]alsodescribesthereligioushabitsoftheBarotsetribesofSouthernCentralAfrica:Theychieflyworshipthesoulsoftheirancestors.Whenanymisfortunehappens,thewitchdoctordivineswithknuckleboneswhethertheancestorisdispleased,andtheygotothegraveandofferupsacrificeofgrainorhoney.

AboutdianabujaWithagroupofBaTwa(pygmy)womenpotters,withwhomwe'veworkedtoenhanceproductionandsalesoftheirwonderfulpotsfantasticforcookingandserving.Toseethe2blogsonthisworkenter'batwapots'intothesearchenginelocatedjustabovethispicture.BlogentriesthroughoutthissiteareaboutAfrica,aswellasabouttheMiddleEastandlifeingeneralreflectingover35yearsofworkandresearchinAfricaandtheMiddleEastComeandjoinme!Viewallpostsbydianabuja

Theyalsobringtothetombscookedmeats,whichtheyleavethereafewminutesandtheneat.Whentheygotopraybyagrave,theyalsoleavesomesmallwhitebeads.WhilstanEnglishmanwasjourneyingtoLialui,hepassednearalittlewoodwheretherelayaveryveneratedchief.Theboatmenstopped,andhavingsacrificedsomecookedmillet,theirheadmandesignatedamantoofferupaprayer,whichranthus:

*Youseeuswearewornouttravellers,andourbellyisemptyinspirethewhiteman,forwhomwerow,togiveusfoodtofillourstomachs.

AmongtheWanyamwezi,EverychiefhasnearhishutaMusimohut,inwhichthedeadaresupposedtodwell,andwheresacrificesandofferingsmustbemade.MeatandflouraredepositedintheMusimohuts,andarenot,aswithmanyotherpeoples,consumedafterwards.ThecommonpeoplealsohavetheirMusimohuts,buttheyaresmallerthanthatofthechief,andtheofferingstheymakeare,ofcourse,notsoimportantashis.

fetichdoctorpatchhairistheprofessionaltonsure.Source,Rev.NassauFetichisminWestAfrica.

TextsourceNassauFetichisminWestAfricaFortyYearsObservationofNativeCustomsandSuperstitions,bytheRev.RobertHamillNassau.UniversityPress,Cambridge,U.S.A.1904.

Otherentriesinthisseriesare:

1. TheMagicalityofCuisine1:MeatCookedinPlantainLeavesasaLovePhiltre,19thCenturyGabon,WestAfrica

2. TheMagicalityofCuisine2:ARecipeforacomplicatedLoveFiltreforMen.19thCenturyGabon3. TheMagicalityofCuisine3:ADishofFishandPlantainstoGuaranteeSuccessfulFishing,19thCentury

Gabon,WestAfrica4. TheMagicalityofCuisine4:FeedingtheSoilaStewofLeavesandBarktoGuaranteeSuccessfulGardening,

19thCenturyGabon,WestAfrica