Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1886-01-06
Burying a cannibal King.

n ICtulnSu lHlSSlOHdly lIOil liC
African Gold Coast tells some woeful
stories of the cruelties of human sacri-
fee practiced by the fetish priests.
The disposition of these people is so
mild that it is mystery how they can
indulge in the practice of such cruelties,
such as human sacrifices, for which
they have become famous. The mission
aries believe that but for the fetish
priests, who are exceedingly shrewd,
and who have strong interest in per
petuating these bloody sacrifces, as.
their power is based on them, the
country would be easily civilized. I'm
der the reign Of Gneze, the late King
of Dahomey human sacrifices had be-
come comparatively rare but his sue
cessor Grerry, a slave TO the fetish
priests, has revived them, and now they
are practised with greater cruelty than
ever. The number of slaves who an
nually perish in this way is estimated
at several hundreds. The King of
Dahomey is, as is known, the most
ferocious and powerful ruler in the
whole region. During ten months of
the year he makes incursions into the
neighboring territories, capturing a
large number Of slaves. In this work
he is chiefly assisted by his two cele-
brated regiments of Amazons The
prisoners taken during these expedi-
tions are divided into three classes.
One class is sold to the slave mer-
chants of the interior; another, chiefly
women, are fattened and sold to the
butchers, who, revolving as the fact
may be, even to relate, openly sell
human flesh in their shops The third
class is reserved for the religious sacri-
| fee.
AT the season of the grand GUS
toms," victims are sacrificed in the
fetish forest On the ninth day after
the instalment of new king, he and
his suite, preceded by his fetish priests,
move in procession to the sacred wood
where the grave of the late king had
been dug The sacrifice began. Seven
slaves we're killed, and their blood
mixed with earth to form a kind OF
plaster, with which the grave was lined.
The heads of the seven victims, with
food of all kinds, were deposited at the
bottom. The body of the king was next
lowered into the grave Then were
seen approaching nine of his women
draped in their brightest coloured gar
ments and purposely intoxicated with
''taffin" or rum. Believing themselve.
to be the objects of an ovation, they
cast smiles on every side as they passed
through the throng, On reaching tn,
edge of the open grave they we're made
to kneel, and before they had any sus
picion we're stunned by blow on the
head and flung, still alive, upon the
body of their royal spouse Earth wa
then thrown in to cover the living ane
dead
The sacrifices to the gods ar,
marked by greater and more varied re
fnements Of cruelty. The shrine re
sembles Lighthouses appropriate dwell
ings for their idols, which are hideous
looking monsters. These ceremoniei
begin with dance In front of tn,
shrine circle is formed by the Leaders
of the people sitting down, while thu
rude multitude remain standing
Holding a tuft of human hair in hi
hand, priest dances in the center, the
circle uttering savage cries, clappinl
their hands, or playing wild Instrument
resembling bells, tambourines, and Gym
balls. During the night the fetish priest
provide the god with one or more vic
TINS The most common form of human
sacrifice to Ognn, the god of war, is to be
head the human offering and nail thu
body upside down to tree, the heac
placed above the feet. At other times ;
young tree is stripped of its branches
bent down by means of a rope, and Sc
held bya kind oftrigger. Withthe excep
ton OF the head, the victim is inclosec
in wicker box globe and suspended
head downward, or his head is incasec
in the stumps of the leaves which form
the crown of the palm tree. The prizes
loosens the rope, the tree springs back
and the victim is left swinging in thu
air. Birds of prey soon dispose o
the body.--Anekland Mevs.