The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-03-13
GIRL SACRIFICE
TO DEVIL GOD
MkoDOS SENTENCE YOUNG WO-
MAN TO SNAKE-LikE COILS OF
CRUSHING DEATH TREE-ONE
OF THE STRANGEST STORIES
EVER TOLD.
BY MAueERT ST. GEORGES,


| In the southeastern part of NADIA
gascar, there is inland a region bare
" known, whose white visitors can be
numbered on the fingers of one hand.
| In this region there lives race of
natives who call themselves Mkodos.
They are among the smallest races in
! the world, the tallest 1 ever saw
scaz~fy measuring four and half
feet.
The religion of these natives con-
| sists simply in the worship of sacred
| tree This tree is most remarkable in
| appearance. 1t has a strange barrel
shaped trunk rising to some eight or
nine feet in height, covered with a
quaint mosiac-like bark. At the top 1T
lis about nine feet in circumference,
and is capped with a strange saucer
like structure Underneath the edge
of this saucer there stretch out stiffly
AID horizontally a series of green
branches seven to eight feet long. Be
meath these hang eight leaves of great
thickness, tapering to a sharp point
the outer surface being plentifully
strewn with what appears to be large
venomous looking thorn. Lastly above
the green branches there grow point
| ing upwards half dozen frail-looking
palpi. I think the name is. that shiver
as If constantly agitated by some
styong wind.
| Naturally gods have to have some
sacrifices, and 1 was lucky or unlucky
enough to witness one of these cele-
brations, as this tree was no excep-
ton to the rule
one night the natives gathered about
one of these trees and built great
fires. Then they gorged themselves,
5-s, hind ~ native
liuuor. Soon they were all more or
less intoxicated. A specially chosen
band then began to dance around the
tree, shrieking jumping, their .ugly,
distorted faces hellish in the freight.
For while they continued this, sing
ing or rather yelling propitiatory
promises, asking whether the devil god
would be satisfied with the present of
a beautiful girl.
AS far as 1 could understand it,
the ceremony was as follows. The
saucer at the top of the tree was filled
with some sweet juice, the produce of
the tree, the drinking Of which pro-
duces intoxication and then coma. A
woman was forced TO climb into the
tree and drink. If the devil was in
good humor she would be allowed to
iunnp down, but If he was suffering
from a IlL OIL temper IIGu II was
good bye" Exactly how the tree
would stop her from jumping down I
could not see at the time, but was soon
to learn.
Having finished their awful screech-
ing. the dancers suddenly turned and
surrounded a woman, ordering her to
climb the tree. As she refused and
struggled they used their spears, and
.stabbing at her, forced her to go in the
direction of the god. For a moment
she resisted, then seeing that it was
useless, gathered herself for the effort
and sprang toward the tree. Like a
monkey she scrambled up. and kneeI-
ing, drank of the holy liquid Then she
sprang up, seeming mad with fear, and
l thought all was over, expecting her
TO spring off the tree. Suddenly I
stood transfixed with horror. The
tree so dead and motionless a mo-
ment before had come TO life at the
contact of the Woman. The palpi. so
weak looking, suddenly ceased their
quivering. For a moment they were
still, then they coiled themselves about
her head and shoulders The green
branches, so still moment ago, began
to writhe and wrap themselves round
! and round her like evil snakes. Lastly
the great leaves began 10 writhe, and
then closed about the victim, crush
ing her with those terrible thorns. AS
these pressed more and more tightly
together there trickled down the trunk
a pinkish mixture, the Intoxicating
fluid from the. tree and the blood of the
human sacrifice.
Then the feasting began again
amidst much rejoicing. The devil was
lappeased.