Evening star., 1938-09-06
OF STARS,
MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress
in Field, Laboratory
and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

CAMBRIDGE, England (By MaiD -
How an ancient mystery cult Of the AZ
rican jungles has been changed into a
streamlined rocket, American style, was
recently reported to the British Associa-
ton for the Advancement Of Science by
the only white man ever to enter its
sacred grove.
Up to 10 years ago it had existed from
time immemorial as a local cult of an
extraordinarily primitive tribe Of Gold
Coast Negroes. There were several
groves and caves in various parts of this
tribes territory, each presided over by a
medicine man. From the depths of such
a place would come supposedly super
natural voice which, as interpreted by
the priest was supposed to give advice on
crops and family troubles. The fraud
was so apparent that, according to DR..
NJ F. Fortes, the anthropologist who re-
ported it, even the more sophisticated OF
this tribe, unconquered until about 20
years ago, laughed at it,
Then young Negro obtained control
of one of the sacred places and started
to exploit it. He largely ignored his own
tribe, but spread propaganda among
the powerful and civilized Ashanti
Negroes. whose nearest villages were 100
miles away. Most of these Ashantis are
good Methodists or Presbyterians. Sew
eral, who were taken in by the rocket,
were Oxford or Cambridge graduates.
All pretended to laugh at the supersti-
ton, but they came.
1t has been the most profitable enter
prise ever heard of in that part OF
Africa. The exploiter. according to the
wealth of the visitor. charges from 500
to $500 for an interview with the super
natural voice. He is SO rich that he
now has so wives, the symbol Of wealth
in the country. Previously the richest
man ever known there, a sort of leg
endary Midas, was able to accumulate
only nine wives in lifetime. Each wife
is worth four cows and her upkeep Is
heavy.
But the proprietor OF the sacred grove
is getting at least thousand customers
year. He actually keeps a corps of
travelling statesmen" to circulate among
the Ashanti, talking up the merit of his
supernatural wares. Once customer,
always a customer. Each visitor is
scrupulously remembered, and if he fails
to show up again within year the next
visitor from his part of the country is
given message from the voice to take
back to him-that unless he puts in an
appearance with an appropriate offering
all his children will die and his crops
fail.
Even the most civilized Ashanti hardly
is brave enough to resist this threat.
The voice" makes speciality of deal
Ing with recalcitrant wives, which gives
1t an immense advantage over any other
gods of the region where each man who
amounts to anything has several wives
and where the wives themselves. DR..
Fortes said. are An extremely inde-
pendent lot. But they all are desperately
scared of the voice.
The young proprietor has recently hit
on way of augmenting his already
huge income by selling each visitor, at
big price, a bottle of sacred water to
take home. So long as any of this re-
mains for him to sip the protection Of
the voice stays with him, but when it is
gone he must come back again and buy
another bottle.
Strangest aspect of all says DR.. Fortes,
even the biggest contributors to this
racket profess not to believe in it. Sim
cere Christians condemn it as supersti-
tious and yet. they ask. why take a
chance when there might be something
in 1t? After all the Christian god doesn't
concern himself with disciplning erring
wives.
He himself got to one of the shrines
before the racket was we'll under way,
he says, through bribery, and had no
trouble in seeing through the whole OBJ
Vious hocus- pocus. He even recognized
the voice issuing from it. and is conf
dent some of the votarieS must do the
same.
There are about 20 shrnes of this cult
scattered through the territory, but up
to now the keepers have remained con-
servative and satisfied with the slender
revenues from their own people. Now
they are waking up to the possibilities
and recruiting corps of salesmen of their
own This is causing a lot of hard
feeling.
How a nursery rhyme has affected the
marriage map of the English midlands
for 400 years was reported to the asso-
citation by Anthropologist R. F. Peel.
Near the city of Northampton but
quite isolated, is the little town of Maid
we'll Practically adjoining it on one side
are three other villages which are the
subject of an uncomplimentary bit of
local doggerel sung by the children.
So far back as any records can be
found, Mr.. Peel said there has never
been a marriage between anybody in
Maidwell and anybody in any of the
three villages, although for the last CEN
tury intermarriage has been fairly fire.
quent with the villages on the opposite
side.
The only thing that has stood in the
way. Mr.. Peel thinks, is the insulting
rhyme. Any prospective bridegroom is
afraid it might be applied to him.