The Yoruba-speaking peoples of the Slave Coast of West Africa : their religion, manners, customs, laws, language, etc : with an appendix containing a comparison of the Tshi, Gã, Ęwe, and Yoruba languages / by A.B. Ellis.

  • Ellis, A. B. (Alfred Burdon), 1852-1894.
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Yoruba-speaking peoples of the Slave Coast of West Africa : their religion, manners, customs, laws, language, etc : with an appendix containing a comparison of the Tshi, Gã, Ęwe, and Yoruba languages / by A.B. Ellis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    some neglect towards liim on tlie part of tlie parents, or to remind his worshippers of his power. Obatala is also styled Protector of the Town G-ates, and in this capacity is represented as mounted on a horse, and armed with a spear. On the panels of the temple doors rude carvings are frequently seen of a horseman with a spear, surrounded by a leopard, tortoise, fish, and serpent. Another epithet of Obatala is Ohatala gbinghinihi, The enormous Obatala. His special offerings are edible snails. Amongst the Ewe-speaking Peoples at Porto Novo, Obatala determines the guilt or innocence of accused persons by means of an oracle termed Onshe or Onislie (messenger, ambassador). It consists of a hollow cylinder of wood, about 3^ feet in length and 2 feet in diameter, one end of which is covered with draperies and the other closed with shells of the edible snail. This cylinder is placed on the head of the accused, who kneels on the ground, holding it firmly on his head with a hand at each side. The god, being then invoked by the priests, causes the cylinder to rock backwards and forwards, and finally to fall to the ground. If it should fall forward the accused is innocent, if backward guilty. The priests say that Obatala, or a subordinate spirit to whom he deputes the duty, strikes the accused, so as to make the cylinder fall in the required direction; but sceptics and native Christians say that a child is concealed in the cylinder and overbalances it in front or behind, according to instructions given before- hand by the priests. They add that when a child has served for a year or two and grown too big for