The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1907-11-01
SLAVERY IN AMERICA.
BY Richard M. Milburn.

by nlcndTu wi. MHDuln.
AS Tillinghast puts it. "The African religion is simply
his science of nature His religious beliefs and principles
are of course not uniform and less modified
by Mohammedan and Christian influence AS Tillnghast
has said among the Feups there is notion of a
superhuman being vaguely identified with the sky the
rain, the wind or thunderstorm" Everywhere the med
cine is feared courted but inwardy detested In
Sierra Leone and Liberia found similar hybrid re
gOnS OF peculiar and confusing character The original
heather beliefs persstenty survive, shown for example
by the universal use of greegree bags charms Miss
Kingsley states that she native there Sin
ona costume without some both around his peck, and
around his leg just under the knee These charms are
supplied for substantial consideration by the medicine
men or priests.
summary of the religion of that section:
Partly through Dreams and partly through the cond-
ton of man during Sleep frances and state OF synocope
the Ish speaking negro has arrived at the conclusions
l. That he has second individuality, an n-dWellmg
spirit residing in his body. He calls this .kra.'
2 That he himself will, after DEATH continue his pre-
in short, the ghost of himself which he calls srahman
No. has very frequently been confounded with No z,
though they essentially distinct The ka existed be-
fore the birth of man, probably the successive ra OF
long series of men, and after his death will equally con-
nue its independent career either by entering new
born human body by wandering about the world as
ssa' e., a kra without tenement The general idea
is that the ssa always seeks to return to human body
and become again kra, even taking advantage OF th'
temporary absence of ra from its tenement to usurp it
place Hence it that any involuntary convulson suci
sneeZe, which is believed to indicate that the kra
leaving the body is always followed by wishes of goo
health Usually only quits during h 5 sleep and rae
the ra during its absence The srahman, or ghost-nan
only commences his career when the corporal man dies
and he simply continues to exist in the ghost world
land of dead There are, therefore, in one sens
three ndivduaties to be considered, O the man, 2) tn
n-dwelng spirit kra 3) the ghost srahman thoug
in another the last only continuation OF the mrs
in shadowy form.
These are worn on the bodies and rlaced around tn
premises in order to ward off evil spirits thieves, prower
and often to oppose On-c0mlng army
Probably the greatest characteristic OF their religion
the belief of sorcery ard wchcraft it being estimated
that seventyve cent of the deathsn this section arr
from execution for witchcraf Miss Kingsley estimates
it has killed more women and than the slave trade
whole villages sometime being depopuated to satisfy th
frenzy of supersous terror This is well described by
Miss Kingsley: .
Terrible is the fear that falls like spell upon vii
lage when big man, big woman is just known to b'
dead The very catch their breaths, and grow gray
around the lips and then every one particularly hOseb
longing to the household of the deceased goes in for the
most demonstrave exhibition of grief. Long, low how
creepup out of the first silence those boodcurdmg, IN
nitey melancholy, wang hows heard, never TO De
forgotten
DuChalu says that he has scores of executions
for witchcraf He once found poor fellow singing
mournfu song seated the ground in village street
and he inquired the cause told that his mother sister
and brother had just been massacred by the exced peo
pie and his house burned charge that they were
possessed of wchcra and had put to death the keeper
of village near by ,
SOCIAL LIFE. Poygamy is everywhere prevalent ir
Western Africa and it is fully believed and defended by
everyone men and women women being probably better
satisfied with than the men, as the wives the less
work and it also greater social distinction to be the
wife of who has score OF wives than tne WIe 9l
one who has only one or two and there said to be little
friction among the plural wives, jealousy whatever
prevailing among the One fact should not DC
lost sight of in the oca lie of this community and that
IS that the women are everywhere regarded species OF
property AS Tiinghast remarks: women are bought
and sold their virginty is valued solely as marketable
commodity adultery simply respass upon the husbands
nronetv tights seduction or rape violence to the par
ents property in daughters and wifehood but ensave
ent to the husbands will Of course many artful anS
weaker spirited husbands up to certain. n.degree"
Ellis defines adultery being intercourse with marret