The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-28
Superstition in Central Africa.


Central African tribes are greatly in
fluenced by their superstitions. Like the
North American Indians, they have their
medicine men who conjure up all sorts of
occult representations of imminent and
myterious phenomena. With them the
fetish doctor is little less than god.
If this wise man asserts that a village
! has suffered ill-luck because the new
moon dips to the left or right, his deluded
followers collect their effects, devastate
the village, and move into some region
where he may indicate is free from that
curse. II rain has not fallen in sufficient
quantity, and the crops surrounding the
village have withered, or If the rain has
been too abundant, the fetish doctor may
forthwith present an explanation based
upon some new superstition. Indeed there
are thousands of tribal beliefs In the
Congo Free State which are forever dis
turbing the settlement of the population.
Implaeabe enemies of the Congo Free
State, not wholly ignorant of these tribal
beliefs and customs pretend to regard
the migratory nature of the Central Afrl-
can savage as evidence of his fear of the
ing Of insecurity. Such persons point to
the natives ineorrlgible habit of moving
his abode as an unmistakable sign of his
desire to escape from the barbarities
practced upon him by officers and sol
diers of the Congo government. In this
way 1t is sought to deceive those who
are unaequainted with the habits of the
black man-the man who, few years
ago, ate his brother with relish which
civilized white men can hardly conceive.
The state, however, fully cognizant OF
the natural habits Of its black subjects,
has often considered the question of how
effectually to deal with these displaee-
ments of the population. There are times
when neither superstition nor tribal Gus
tom causes large exodus from well
established village Sometimes the fer
tility and luxuriant grass of another re-
gion attracts the more enterprising blRck
who has learned to cultivate his own land.
Allured by glowing accounts OF sueh
nature he gathers about him his friends
and family, and makes OF to what he
considers to be a new Bldorado. In
short time the diablerie of the fetish doc
tor has again unsettled him.
Then, again there have been occasions
when the natives have migrated to avoid
payment of taxes imposed upon them by
their own chief on behalf of the state
taxes which are infinitesimal In value as
compared with the benefits of civilization
which the state confers. To deal general
" with the displacement of the popula-
ton of the Congo Free State has been
matter of much concern to the govern
ment A case of sleeping sickness or
small pox has occurred, and away goes
the whole village pell-mell into another
region The movements of the native
tribes are often inscrutabe, and afford
the state no clue as to how they may
be prevented. Like some species Of wild
animals which instinctiyely avoid certain
districts of the forest at particular sea-
sons. or on account of some unusual phe-
nomena, the black man will sometimes
quit his residence for no apparent reason
at ALL Nine times out of ten. however,
he migrates on account Of things entire
" uneonnected with any administrative
act of the state. Entire villages have been
removed because a death had occurred
there. the cause Of which was inexpli-
cable TO the black man Occasionally
the fetish doctor. inspired by some unex-
planned caprice, will decree that the tribe
shall move-he knows not where. Ignor-
ance and superstition invariably follow
leader whose pretense is some occult
power. The tribe moves; and another
tribe. moving from a similar or other i'm
pulse may occupy the very village which
the first tribe had abandoned few weeks
before.