Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-02-03
Human Sacrifices jn Dahomey.

qmh4zoocrlceS "a NanOmey.
A eaaoIs. Sissl5ssr, JAo h.. spen
, %sn ;y EsaEi j saaassEal africa relates
Un1der the reign of Guezo, the late
Kingsof Dahomey, human sacrifices haf
becofe comparatively rare, but his SUD
cessof. Grey, slave to fetish priests,
has reVived them with greater cruelty
and bore lavish expenditure of life than
ever The missionaries, under his gov.
ernnfent, have been powerless to CHECK
this shedding of human blood. The
number of slaves who annually perish in
this way is estimated at several thou.
sand. The King o. Dahomey is, as is
,knpgn, the most Zrocious and powerful
ruler in the who's region. During ten
months of the gear he makes incursions
on the neighooring territories to catch
as large aumber of-siaEes as~possible.
He is ichefyassisted in fhisework by his
two celeb tateds regiments Of -anhazons.
Theiprisoners made in these expeditions
are flivided into three classes; one is
sold ito the slave merchants of the inte-
rior, and was formerly intended for the
European trader: one portion, chiefly
women, is fattened and sold to butchers.
who, revolving as the fact may be even
to relate, openly sell human flesh in
their shops s the third portion is reserved
for thee human Sacrifices, which take
place in the months of August and Sep
tember, during the celebration of the
s@Grnnd Customs These ceremonies
have "a double purpose; that of pacify-
ing Ugun, the god of war, and other del
ties. and also that of recalling the men,
DRY Of dead kings and Of sending to
them Supplies of men and provisions.
There exists belief among the savages
that . man, passing into the future life,
takes with him all that is placed in his
grave. For this reason in Dahomey, as
in other savage countries, provisions are
placed in the tomb. When a king dies,
all his women, slaves, and ministers
mutt follow him.. Is q
During the past year the King Of
Porto Eovo died of poison administered
by = rival for the throne. His funeral
lasted nine days. For the whole of this
time asconsiderable number of human
victims were sacrificed every night in
the fetish forest, destined for the 'sGrand
Customs" The missionaries from their
neighboring dwelling could hear the
cries of the sufferers, whose mutilated
bodies could be seen every morning in
stuC BUoLlC suudI6 ci GHc COWus dTIduGtu
in lines. The heads had been cut off
and nailed along the walls of the royal
palace Ats O'Clock on the morning
of the ninth day, the new King and his
suite, preceded by his fetish priests,
moved to the sacred wood where the
grave of the late King had been dug.
The sacrifice began. Seven slaves were
slain and their blood was mixed with
earth to form kind of plaster, with
which the grave was lined. The seven
heads Of the victims, with provisions of
allSkiads, were placed at the bottom.
The body Of the King was then lowered
Next were seen approaching nine of his
women in their brightest garments, pur-
POsely intoxicated beforehand with copi-
GUS doses of British tafa, or rum. They
crossed through the throng, casting
smiles on each side, believing them
selves the objects of an ovation. When
they reached the edge of the open grave
thsyiwere made to kneel down, stunned
with a. blow on the head before they had
any suspicious. and thrown, still alive,
down upon the body of their roy al spouse.
Earth was then thrown in to cover the
whole pile ofIdead and living. At a
distance Of few steps a stake was pre-
pared. There the Kings ministers were
to beG5urnt. But these sastute politicians
had dressed up some slaves in their
robes of Office, who persisted in their |
stead while they themselves made good |
Their escape So" -
The sacrifices to the gods are marked
by greater and more varied refinement |
of cruelty. The form of the shrines is |
that of dog-house, very appropriate |
dwellings for such hideous-looking mon
e. e. ,.,,zsI Ill
begin, with a dance. A circle is formed |
people sitting down, while the mob re-
mains standing The priest dances in
the center, holding tuft of human hair,
while the circle utter savage cries. clap
their hands, or play some wild instru-
ments resembling bells, tamborines, and |
cymbals. During the night the fetish |
priests provide the god with one or more
victims. The most common form of
sacrifice to the war god, Ogun, is to be-
head the human offering and nail the
body upside down to a tree, with the |
head placed above the feet At other
times a young tree is stripped of its +
branches, bent down by means of rope,
and retained by kind of trigger. The
victim is either enclosed, with the ex-
ception of the head, IN "a wicker-work |
globe, and suspended head downward, I
or has his head encased in the stumps of |
the leaves which formed the, crown of |
the palm-tree. The priest lets the rope
60, the tree springs back, and the man
Is left swinging in the air. Birds of prey
soon dispose of his body.
A Story with the Flavor of the Ara
$50 "a biaY Nights. - - 5>.sa Z