A Search for the Heart of West Africa 4

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For a few more photographs from this visit, and an audio excerpt of the conversation between A. and M., see

 http://www.becauseoftime.org/ISD/ScenesDakar.html (gallery 29)

Randi & I met A. this morning and wandered down Rue de Ouakam into the Medina District with the intent of engaging a vendor of traditional fetish items.  There are a dozen or more vendors along Ouakam, each selling a very similar array of products.  We settled on  a vendor with a particularly large selection.

The vendor, as many in the area, was from Niger, and his Wolof was spotty.  Initially, he was hesitant to speak with us, and offered little.  Fortunately for us, his Wolof-fluent brother happened along.  Over the hour we spent with him, M. gradually opened up, and proved to be a passionate and experienced source.  Not surprisingly, access is a function of relationship, and A.'s translation, cultural-understanding, and gracious, gentle demeanor makes such a personal connection possible.  

M. grew up in rural Niger, where a practical knowledge of medicine plants and fetish was commonplace.  It is his culture.  M.'s right hand was deformed, missing several fingers, and those that he had -- the middle and ring fingers -- were twisted.  He showed us an arrow-shaped scar on this right forearm.  His grandfather had made the incision and inserted a gris-gris under the skin when he was ten years old.  The shape of the scar was by intent, as the gris-gris would protect him from attack throughout his life.  

M. explained that vendors are hesitant to say too much about their wares.  My interpretation:  These are not tourists items, and their significance is not often appreciated by browsing toubabs.    

Photo 5 above shows the objects I purchased today.  I'll refer to each by row (top, middle, bottom) and number from left to right.

top 1     This gris-gris is designed to ward off the eye, the evil eye.  It is based on the belief that some people can bestow a curse by the malevolent gaze of their magical eye.  

top 2     This small gris-gris, wrapped in the hide of a relative of the crocodile, is designed to attract good fortune.

top 3      A marabout, like a physician writing a prescription, might require that a particular item be inserted into a lamb's horn, and sewn into a little pouch, to be worn as a gris-gris.  All fetish vendors seem to carry goat's horns, in various sizes, for this purpose.

middle 1     This gris-gris is composed of a goat's horn containing a leaf from each of seven different tamarind trees.  It is meant to be hung in one's home to repulse intruders.  M. explained that the gris-gris would freeze a intruder in their tracks;  they not be able to walk away.  

About the collection of the tamarind leaves, M. explained that trees, being spiritual beings, required compensation.  To this end, oil from cows is applied to each tree after picking leaves.  (I'm not sure here what oil refers to.)  M.  said that it was not unusual to see a snake in the compensated trees, in the very place where oil was applied, representing the appeasement of spirit of the tree.  M. offered to demonstrate this, in person, over two consecutive Sundays.

middle 2     This barrel-shaped gris-gris, surrounded with goat's hair, is designed to ward off the influence of a jinn, as is the little vulture bone (bottom 2).  Note photo 3 above, taken at the Medine market.

middle 3     This little camel hide box is a cure for stomach ailments.  It is to be soaked in water, then the water is to be drunk, or the box worn on one's person.  There is nothing inside.

middle 4     This little gris-gris is designed to ward off bad dreams, and is to be placed under one's pillow.

middle 5      This little rounded stone was found in and around the sea, thus it is imbued with the properties of water.  It is used in the context of one ablutions prior to prayer, when one has a wound and is not able to wash the area with water.  This stone is a substitute, and may be dabbed on an affected area.

bottom 1     This pouch is designed to appease a potential conflict or fight.  By example, were I wearing this gris-gris and walked into a classroom-full of arguing children, this gris-gris would assuage the tension.  Of course, as soon as I were to leave, all hell would break loose again.  I think this gris-gris should be available to everyone spending the holidays with family.  Note photo 4 above.

bottom 3     This red nut (from a vine) attracts good luck.  See Photo 2 above.

bottom 4     I recognize this as what we referred to as sea beans growing up in Florida.  It is a seed from a freshwater vine common in tropical regions.  In this context, the seed is worn around the neck of a pregnant mother, then transferred to the newborn, again to attract good fortune and protection.

M. was quite chatty, and clearly passionate about the subjects of magic, jinn, gris-gris, and traditional knowledge.  He has had contact with various toubabs with similar interests over the years, including a film crew (he was on television), and an American with whom he traveled to Niger, so this is not unfamiliar ground for him.

M. shared a number of anecdotes.  By example, he described an experience in which he had an encounter with a lion after conducting a ritual which involved circling seven times around a particular tree.  The lion, he explained, was not a physical lion, but a spiritual entity, not visible to all eyes.  He was born with this ability, a reflection of the context of his childhood, and the influence of his grandparents.

M. and A. both made it clear the juju acts and operates in spite of one's skepticism and disbelief.  It is a material force that operates independent of one's opinions.  A. offered to take us over to meet a traditional marabout located near the national stadium.  He explained that this marabout would tell my future, that it was her specialty.  Feeling that we were pretty full-up from meeting M., I opted to save this marabout for another time.

I continue interested in developing a relationship with a number of marabouts, and having a series of conversations regarding their practice, training, and beliefs about the world.  

A. carried a thermos in a little back bag.  I assumed it was water.  On the way back to our rendezvous point, as I confided that I was interested in meeting his 84 year old traditional marabout (residing in Kaolack), A. opened the lid of his thermos, and explained that this was the medicine prescribed by his traditional marabout.  In the thermos was a wrapped leaf in a liquid, a kind of medicinal broth.  When we was thirsty, he was to drink his prescription.

M. enthusiastically agreed to meet with us again, and continue the conversation, which we will.