From lecturer Raymond prince said about witchcraft. IDI MEJI - TopicsExpress

From lecturer Raymond prince said about witchcraft. IDI MEJI NATURE OF THE WITCH It is clear then that in Yorubaland, witchcraft is a feminine art and has its power from Eshu, the trickster god, and was sanctioned, if somewhat re luctantly, by Orunmila (lfa) the god of Fate, and by Olorun, the Lord of all. This power is generally attributed to older women, but young women or even girls can sometimes be involved. According to some informants, witchcraft power is a kind of immaterial substance which may be kept in a calabash hidden in a hole in the wall of the witchs house, or in a hollow tree. The power itself may be lodged in the roots of a tree or even in a young child (age 1 to 8 years). In the latter case the witchcraft power wi ll not harm the child but, on the contrary, will protect the child from other witches as the child is serving one of them as a refuge. The red tail feather of the parrot is used as a sign of witchcraft power, and may be placed in the calabash or in the tre e containing the witchcraft power. (I have been unable to find out the origin of this use of the red feather or why it should come to have this association with the witch.) Other informants regard the power as a more concrete substance which is present in the womans abdomen. As one man said: I have seen two women vomit it out. It was like a stone or a hard ball of something. They were not is killed the witches after that. Witchcraft seems generally to be held as a desirable skill because of the great pow er it provides; however, there is also the idea that the spirit of the witch after death becomes a restless and disconsolate ghost who wanders about the world in a distraught state. The power is usually passed from mother to daughter, but it may also be be stowed as a gift, or may be purchased. When passed from one person to the other it is often given mixed with certain foods. It is sometimes held that a woman cannot die possessing witchcraft power but must pass it on to someone before her death; in fact, s he will not be able to die unless she does so. Perhaps some actual comments by Yoruba informants would help clarify these aspects. Witchcraft power is like a breeze, you cant see it but it has effect. A woman cant die possessing itwhen she dies, she vo mits out the invisible witchcraft and it passes to her daughter. A wornan can buy witchcraft power or may, as well, inherit it from another person. This mostly depends on the interest or love the witchcraft woman has in the person that is going to posses s it. Sonic people when they suffer too much, seek for this power. In this case she has to buy it. But it is very necessary, and matter of must, to give this witchcraft power to somebody before she should die. In this case, if she could not get anybody eit her to buy it or to give it out as a gift to her friend outside, or to have a daughter she loved that can inherit it, she has to take it to an Iroko tree that is very young. This will become a spirit in the tree. Other witches will be coming to this tree t o have their meetings. It is such trees that herbalists carry their sacrifices to in case they have a patient that is seriously sick. Through many informants I believe that a woman may buy, inherit or be presented with this power. This is not given direc tly. It can be given through foods such as baked beans (Akara), Kola, Porridge, red Yam (Esuru) and many other native foods. When this is taken the power will start to grow, until when the person will start to fly in the night. THE POWERS OF THE WITCH Wit ches are considered to have great powerThey are the rulers of the world, they get their power from God who gave them permission to kill. They have no mercy. They can do anything. They are said sometimes to have favourites whom