New-York tribune., 1910-06-12
FeffcbfSn Oppresses f6 e
Wesf African SavaSe
in Many Ways.
CHAPTER XIV.

The word juju, which Is found only in the
neighborhood of what used TO be called the
Oil Rivers District, in Nigeria, is used IN
Discriminatory by Europeans for all matters
which may be considered to form part OF
the heathen's religion.
Thus. a priest is a juju man, his temple a
juju house; to take an oath is TO swear
juju, and if the priest places prohibition
on anything It is then said to be juju-
The number of deities in Nigeria is legion.
Each individual of any Importance has a
god of his own; every family has god; so
has every tribe, while there are a few
deities which are worshipped in common
by various tribes. There are numerous
priests who make a livelihood by interced-
ing between a man and his god for the
superstitious people implicitly obey the in
structions given them.
Now, the fetch man, or tuju man, or
witch doctor-whichever you like to call
him-is supposed to spend his life in COM
batting the evil caused by malignant gods
spirits, and he gains authority in pro-
portion to the influence he is thought to
hold or the favor in which he is believed
TO be with various powerful spirits. II is
dangerous work. for spirits are risky lot
TO deal with So the ordinary native leaves
them as much alone as possible. When he
feels himself unequal to coping with them
he calls in the iuju man as more expert
enced and influential. An educated African.
speaking to Miss Kingsley. explained the
troubles which had befallen his brother by
saying, You see. my brother has got a
strong juju, but It's a. rocky tutu to
get on with" and this we'll illustrates the
natives attitude TO his gods
When native wants to procure for him
self god he betakes himself saws Colonel
Ellis. to gloomy forest where one OF the
higher deities is known to reside, and whom
he propitiates by pouring rum upon the
ground. After this he proceeds to make
himself god either out OF a bough cut
from the spot. and cut roughly to represent
man, or piece of stone, or the root or
plant ground to a paste and mixed with
the blood of a fowl or a handful of red
earth mixed with blood or rum IL he
chooses either of the last two he keeps
them in his own house In a brass pan
adorned with feathers and covered with
native butter.
When he has got the material for his god
he goes through ceremony to induce the
deity resident in the place to pass a spirit
into 1t. after which he takes Il home and
cherlshes II carefully, for he believes that
II protects him from injury and causes his
aHalrs TO prosper, while by its means he
cah' II ne so desires. obtain the death of an
enemy. Its actions are worked by means
OF letlches consisting of, perhaps. a bunch
OF tWlgs or feathers and such like, into
~hlch the power of the god is supposed TO
pass by incarnation. The native does not
oeheVe that these charms are actually gods
themselves though he does believe that the
spirit OF a god has passed into them. and
Ior this reason holds them sacred. Directly
however, the spirit of the god is believed
10 nave departed from ii. the fetich-what-
ever IL may consist of-ceases to have any
efheacy or 10 have any respect paid to il.
IL must be remembered that the charms
Or rather, amulets-which every native
wears upon his person are not supposed 10
contain the spirit of a god like the fetiches
nave Just mentioned. but are rather dis