9999999999399929099999999999999999999993999999935 Ewé THE USE OF PLANTS IN YORUBA SOCIETY PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER ODEBRECHTCopyright © 1995 by Pierre Veryer Copyright © 1995 by Fundacio Pierre Verger Editorial coordination: Editora MAS Art design and cover Editora MAS Mstrations: Carybé Plant illustrations: Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Copyediting: Laura Bacellar Englisit text proofreading: Roderick Peter Steel Scientific names proofreading: Liicia Rossi ‘Yoruba text proofreading: Doig Simmonds Exitorial advisor: Maria Emilia Bender International Cataloging-in-Publication Data (ciP) (Ciimara Brasileira do Livro, sp, Brasil) Fatumbi, Pier Verger, 1902- Ewé: the use of plants in Yoruba society / Pierre Fatumbi Verger: | illusrations Carybé I, — So Paulo : Companhia das Letras. 1995, 150N 85-7164-514-0 1. Yoruba - Language 2. Yoruba (African people) - Medicine 3. Magic medicine 4. Medicinal plants. Carybé, 1911-1 Tithe 95-0000 {cb-305.46108996333, Index for systematic cataloging: 1. Yoruba : Medicinal and magical plans : Sociology '306.46108996333, 1995 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced oF utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, ‘without permission in writing from [EDITORA SCHWARCZ LTDA. Rua Tupi, 522 0123-000 — Sao Paulo — sp — Brazil ‘Telephone: 55 11 826-1822 Fax: 55 11 826-5523 DOOCCCCOCOCOOCOCOGCCCCOCCOCCOCOCCOOCCCOOCCCOCOE:99399999999993939939999999999999909399999999999393535' A few days ago somebody asked me, quite seriously, whether Pierre Verger actually existed or if he was yet another folk tale from Bahia. Who knows, but maybe an attempt is being made to explain the syncretism of our culture, not by a god, but by a human being. Born in France into — I’ve been told — a noble lineage, citizen of the world, photographer of faraway places from Beijing to La Habana, young adventurer exploring pathways of knowledge and emo- tion, and then a Doctor of science at France’s Centre de Recherches Scientifiques alongside Roger Bastide, a man of great wisdom. In Africa those who want to find him will have to ask for Fatumbi, a title given him by Yoruba sacred men and women which he has incorporated into his name, prompting the professor and researcher, the University man and the man of books, to become even richer is his humanity, to become a man equal to, and an integral part of the sacred circles and initiations of the Yoruba. In Africa he taught and learned not only the complete routes of the slave ships, but also the ways of mystery. He became a sorcerer: Pierre Fatumbi Verger. At the Axé Opé Afonja holy circle, Mae Senhora, she who is so unforgettable, proclaimed from her queen’s throne that he was Ojuoba, the eyes of Sangé, the one who sees and knows all. At the houses of saints he became a well-known figure, master of us all, equal to us in the vibration and warmth of the drums. Professor, researcher, photogra- pher, writer; in Bahia he is Pierre Fatumbi Verger Ojuoba.Here in Bahia, his life’s experience and knowledgelhave become forever syncretized. The mixture of the Frenchman from rue Cardinal Lemoine, Paris, with the African from Dakar, Porto Novo, Oy6, has resulted in the definitive and yet unique man from Bahia, so . extraordinary he seems an invention. And yet he is not an invention because he lives, works, writes and tarvels the world. A sorcerer for sure. It is not possible to hide, to deny. Mae Senhora used to tell my wife Zélia, with a friendly smile: “Be careful with Verger, he is a sorcerer, he has powers.” He has pow- ers, he knows things. Jorge Amado DCCCOCCCOCOCCCOCOCCCCOCOCCOOCCCCECOOCOOCCOCCOCCCOE999993999999939999939355" 239999959995999993995999990909 INDEX Editor’s note ... Acknowledgements . Introduction . THE ACTION OF PLANTS AND THE ACTIVATING WORDS OF INCANTATIONS Chapter | - The efficacy of the word Yoruba system of plant classification ...... ‘The activating words in the ofé (incantations) . 29 The signs odd of Ifa and the verbal links 42 The many meanings of the words 50 Links between names ...... Magical and medicinal names Chapter 2 - Oppositions . Beneficent and evil works .. Stimulants and tranquilizers Chapter 3 - Works most asked for ..... Opulence Power AfoséMEDICINAL AND MAGICAL FORMULAE Oégiin, remedies for healing the body .... Ibimo, remedies relating to pregnancy and birth . Orisa, works to worship yoruba deities Awiire, beneficent works Aili, EVI WOEKS. ecco cecnneoe 1d44b6b6, antidotes to “evil works” or “protective works” 424 ANNEXES 459 501 615 Illustrations ..... seeeeeenesneen coeeseeneeseeneenee Glossary of plants: Yoruba — scientific names Glossary of plants: scientific names — Yoruba Notes ...... Index of Formulae . Table of Llustrations Bibliography DOCOOCCCOOCCCOOCOOCCCOOCCOCOCOCCCOOCCOOCOCOCOCCCOCCE.D1 909299100) Dt sno O))aa DDE a tee et redo ae EDITOR’S NOTE It has been a pleasure to be involved with the production of this most important work and we are extremely grateful for the assistance received from Editora Schwarez Ltda of Sao Paulo, Brazil which has enabled us to bring our side of the work to completion on behalf of the Pierre Verger Foundation. It has been my pleasure to have known Professor Fatumbi Pierre Verger since 1956 when I was curator of the museum at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. I have been associated with Professor Verger’s work from time to time ever since. Fatumbi Pierre Verger has been absorbing the data now pub- lished in this book over a period of some forty years and this has meant that changes in style have probably occurred. It is important for those coming to the Yoruba culture for the first time to realise how essential to it is the “play-on-words” well described by the author in the text. This factor and the plentiful use of metaphor allows the reader, who also becomes an interpreter, a lot of scope for the imaginative under- standing of the ultimate meaning of the message. I am sure this publi- cation will give rise to further investigation and research particularly in the area of Black Studies, now a feature of many Universities. The transcription from field notes and other texts collected over a long time span was done with the help of the following persons: Louise Perks, Linda Reynolds, Jane Fallows, Anna Clark, Femi Johnson and Alan Senior. I am specially grateful to our Yoruba team: Dr. Gbenga Fagborun and Dr Akin Oyétddé, both of whom are profes-10 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER sional linguists and who spent many long hours correcting the Mea and translating some of the more metaphysical texts received form the babalawo, onisegun and others within the Yoruba culture. 1 am also indebted to the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, Dr. G.Prance, for his encouragement, to Dr. Burkhill, Research Fellow at the same establishment, Miss M. Ward, the librarian at Kew and Dr. Joyce Lowe, Reader in the Botany Department at the University of Ibadan, all of whom have given their help most generously. Dr. Karen Barbour of the Africa Department, University of Birmingham and Dr. John Picton, of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London have been very supportive. The documents used for this book were mainly recordings made in Nigeria, which were transcribed and later translated into English. Over two thousand remedies and practices are described in some detail, consisting of plant-parts used (leaves, roots, barks etc.), their prepara- tion (pounded, boiled, burnt to ashes etc.), their use externally and/or internally, the words of the incantations which generate the necessary power for their effectiveness and the Ifd divination sign (odit) on which the remedy depends and which also provides a basis for their Yoruba classification. j This work is completed by two glossaries. The first consists of 3,529 Yoruba plant names and their corresponding scientific names and the second of 1,086 scientific names and their corresponding Yoruba names. Doig Simmonds DCCCOOCCOCCCCOCOCOCCCOCCCCOCOCCCCOOCCCOOCOCCOCCOCO:9993933" toe.) sro: dae aD 939399999993999999 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As a great number of people have helped me in the publishing of the present work, I will mention here only those I may in this short page: the botanical services from the Ibadan Reforestation Department and the French Institute of Black Africa (IFAN), Dakar, who have made the first plant identifications; professor Portére from the Paris Museum, who has confirmed them; doctor Burkill and all the staff from the Botanic Gardens of Kew, London, for the plant identification and for the illustrations kindly provided to us; Ulli Beier, for having published my first book on Yoruba plants in Nigeria, introduced by professor Akinjogbin; Théodore Monod, who invited me to research in Africa; friends Carybé and Jorge Amado; the late and remembered Maria Bibiana do Espirito Santo, Mae Senhora, iydlorisa from the holy circle Ilé Axé Opd Afonja in Saivador; Balbino Daniel de Paulo, babalorisa of the Ilé Axé Opé Aganju; the late professor Alexandre Leal Costa; Araba from Ifé, supreme master of the Orunmild cult in Africa; Oluwe Ojo Awo, my master; babaldwo Iroko, my serifa; the babalawo Babalola, Aworinde and Adesokan, who have told me many stories of If4; Adefolalu Adeyanju, who has helped me collect the first field data and tran- scribe it; Fabio Aratjo, who has checked the scientific names of the plants; Eliana Miranda, for the many readings of my text; Ayodele Fasoyin, for the Yoruba proof-reading; Dione Araijjo; Olga Regis do Alaketo; José Flavio Pessoa de Barros; Jean Marc Bonneau; doctor2 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER Decanio and Isabel for the cure performed on me with Brazilian ewé: professor Leticia Scarolino Scott Faria and professor Luciano Paganucci Queiroz, who helped me name the plants { SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I To the Odebrecht Organization, who sponsored the publishing of this book. 4 DOCCOCOCCOCCOCCOOCCOCCOCCCCOCCCCCCOCCCOCCCOCCOCOO?LiD Oo oon aoe. eo so EOD ie Deno INTRODUCTION My interest in Yoruba botany was awakened as a conse- quence of my initiation as babaldwo (father-of-secrets) in [953 in Ketu, Republic of Benin. Because of that honour, I had to learn the secret utilization of plants for traditional medicinal preparations and practices. I learned that during their preparation, the names of the plants and ingredients are always associated with short incantations called of6, which express their qualities in poetical terms. At the beginning of my research, it was the literary aspect of these of6 which attracted my attention. By 1967, I had already collected thou- sands of these formulas and thanks to Ulli Beier and Professor Akinjogbin’s initiative, eighty of these of6 were published by the Ifé University in a pamphlet called “Awon ewé Osanyin” (Yoruba medi- cinal leaves). The research was undertaken in West Africa, in a cultural uni- verse established through oral traditions, where the values are different to those of a civilization based on written documents. In the first case, memory plays a fundamental role. The recipes were collected among the babaldwo who, in the Yoruba community, perform divinations using a system called Ifa. This is based on 256 signs called odu under which traditional medical practices are classified. These 256 oda Ifi are double: signs derived from sixteen single' ones and paired, either with themselves to form sixteen primary odii,? or with one of the fif- teen other single signs to form the 240 secondary ones’.14 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER The first of these secondary odd results from the aoe of the two first single signs, ogbé and dyékdi, and is called ogbé allimitili, ogbé-owner-of-the-variety or ogbé-owner-of-diversity. During the Preparation of a plant medicine, the babaldwo establishes a link between it and the corresponding /fé sign, w divination board with the powder iyérdstin’. ich he draws on the Iff Divination board of Iff During my studies I observed the existence of verbal links between the name of the plant, the name of its expected medicinal and magical action and the odd, or sign of Ifé under which it is classified by the babaldwo. These verbal links are essential to help them memo- rize the knowledge transmitted by the oral traditions, believed to be the vehicle of asé (power). This means that they consider the written word to be entirely ineffective; in order to have an ef fect and in order to act, words have to be spoken. 4 DOCOCCOCCOOCOCOCSCCOOCOCOCOCCCOCOCOTOOCOCOOOCCOCOCCCOCED090. Oo oD ed Pi) aOoEya EO eos) er Dae) INTRODUCTION - 15 Thus knowledge, verbally transmitted, is an essentially cre- ative force, not just at the intellectual level but at the dynamic level of behavior. It is based more on reflexes than on reasoning, reflexes which originate from impulses that come from the cultural back- ground of the Yoruba society. This knowledge is transmitted by babaléwo to ome awo (from master to disciple) through short sen- tences based on the rhythm of breathing’. Being constantly repeated, they become verbal stereotypes which, in turn, become easily accepted definitions. This method has been used in many other tra- ditions, including those of the ancient Greeks, whose rules for com- posing poetry, according to Jean-Pierre Vernant’, required know]- edge of diction techniques which were composed of pre-established rhymes. : Similarly, ancient Chinese (Marcel Granet’) literature was based on popular sayings, used when even the most original artists wanted to Prove and explain, narrate or describe anything. This did not mean that they were thinking in a communal fashion, rather that the best way to express an idea was to insert it into an established formula borrowed from a well tested influential force. Later we shall see the importance of melody in the magical usage of the Yoruba language, where asso- nance and alliteration play a vital role. CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM Tt was also important to learn the scientific names of the plants used, so I collected 3,529 specimens which were submitted to the Botanical Department of the Institut Frangais d’Afrique Noire (IFAN) of Dakar, the Forestry Department of the Ibadan University,16 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER Nigeria, Professor Portére from the Ethno-botanical Laboratory, of the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris and finally to Professor H.M. Burkhill of the Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew, in London} These 3,529 Yoruba names correspond to 1,086 scientific names, the|reason for this difference being the fact that the Yoruba classificatoty sys- tem is different to that used by western botanical institutes and Carl Von Linnaeus. Fe But knowing the scientific names of these plants is not enough. A study must be made of the medicinal properties of these plants, which I am sure will give us very useful information about the value and virtues of the different plants used by the babaldwo and herbalists of Yoruba land. The aim of this book, is to show what types of plants are used in’Yoruba pharmacology and for what types of medicinal or magical formulae they are used. The medicinal virtues and values of a plant are not easy to find out, because rarely is a plant used on its own. In general, formulae are made up of three to six different plants. A plant may be compared to a letter of a word. On its own it is insignificant, but when joined with other letters it contributes to the meaning of the word. Ihave collected several thousand recipes, or formulae, Which J have classified under six categories: 7 . 237 formulae for medicinal remedies (odgun) which tally, i to some extent, with similar ideas in western medicine. . 31 formulae for remedies relating to pregnancy and birth, (ibimo). 33 formulae for “magical works” relating to the worshipping of Yoruba deities (Grisa). . 91 formuiae for “beneficent works” (awiire). . 32 formulae for “evil works” (abili). . 41 formulae for “protective works” (iddabdbo). wr Dane POCCOCOOCCOCETCCCCOCOCOCOCOOCECOCCCECCOOCOCOCOeCC Ou"ie) Dro di) eDt Dyno EDs) DH ae) DD ees) a) & INTRODUCTION Itis not easy to classify these formulae-under categories, If | take the example of an afdran, “to make people forget a case in court”, I will find it is an awiire (beneficent work) for one of the parties but an abili (evil work) for the other. In this example, a certain leaf is required to “kill” the voice inside a witness and another leaf may be used to “open the mouth but not allow it to speak”. This seems clearly an evil work (abild), but if one realizes that this remedy is required by a person who needs to win a case in court and must neutralize the false testimony of an enemy, it may be classified among beneficent works (Aware) or among those which render protection against evil works (id42b6bd). It is also difficult to trace a line of demarcation between scientific knowledge and magic. This stems from the importance, in a traditional oral culture such as that of the Yoruba, given to the notion of an incantation (of) spoken during the preparation or application of the medicinal formulae (odgiin). If western medicine prioritizes a plant's scientific name and its pharmacological characteristcs, then traditional societies prioritize the knowledge of of6. Countless remedies from around the world were originally extracted from plants and later replaced by chemically recon- stituted drugs, which had the same curative effects on the human body. But in traditional societies, it is the knowledge of the of6 (incantation) which is essential, as it contains the “power-to-alter” the formula’s pharmacological effect. In those of6 transmitted orally, we find a definition of the action expected from each of the plants used in the formula. I have not person- ally made experiments to ascertain the efficacy of the action of these Plants, as this work can be more properly undertaken by a specialists in pharmacology. There exist several plants which at first glance seem merely symbolic but which actually have therapeutic value. This is the case with two aquatic plants, ojt? ord (Pistia STRATIOTES, Araceae) and v18 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER sibata (NYMPHEA Lotus, Nymphaceae) which evoke in their ofd the idea of superiority and domination in the following sentences: 1 Ojai or6 ni i léké omi, Ojti. { Oro is above the water | Osi bata ni i léké odo. Osi bata is above the river This is followed by the pleasant mention: Fila ni i léké ori. * The cap is above the head And a more flattering one: The King is above all of them. I believed for a long time that PIsTIA STRATIOTES and NYMPHEA LoTus were only used in those preparations for the symbolic reasons already alluded to, but I have recently found an article written by Professor Jean-Marie Pelt mentioning the sedative elements found in NYMPHEA LOTUS. At first glance, it is difficult to decide which parts of the recipes have asé, or power, and which parts can be tested experimentally: We must keep in mind that in the Yoruba language there is often a direct relationship between the name of the plant and the plant's qualities! and it would be important to know if the plants received their names because of their virtues or if it is because of their names that certain characteris- tics were attributed to them, like a kind of play-on-words, or of9. i POTCSCEPCTOCASTCOCTCCOGTSCCOCHCHOCOCCECCOGOO9O0 OE BOE° 2: ODDO DLO tL) ED uA os uot EOL Eo ao tae INTRODUCTION These play-on-words, or incantations, have an enormous impor- tance in those civilizations with a strong oral tradition, where they are spoken in a solemn traditional manner. I believe that they can also be considered as definitions. The incantations are often based on a partic- ular reasoning being used for a particular situation or remedy. They also serve as evidence of the continuity in the traditional archive of data transmitted from one generation of babaldwo to the next. This ancient tradition expresses the philosophy of Yoruba culture and is part of the “common sense” of Yoruba people. It is obviously important to know if the interpretation corre- sponds to the reality, and if the qualities ascribed to these herbs are based on their “true” virtues, but I have to leave much of this study to other specialists. My part has been restricted to the catalloguing of the leaves used by the babaldwo and herbalist doctors, and the description of the preparation of the various ingredients, together with the texts of the incantations spoken during their preparation. In those incantations the names of the plants are accompanied by two or three stanzas describing their specific qualities. It is vital to realize that a plant can acquire a variety of attributes dependent upon its relationship with another plant. Thus, a plant ascribed a virtue with one set, will be ascribed a completely different one with another set, It will all depend on the final preparation and the circumstances surrounding its use, not forgetting the relevant incantation. Thave to stress the importance of a new attitude to pharmacolo- gy here. In the western tradition it is often presumed that there has to be one identifiable chemical to produce a given effect. Little thought has been given to the possible effects arising from the complex chemistry that results from the combination of different chemicals. In spite of the many different qualities ascribed to plants, there is sometimes an20 PIERRE PATUMBI VERGER underlying structure in their symbolism, as is shown in the four plants called 4won ako ewé mérin, considered to have masculine attributes due to their power: ewé ind (URERA MANU, Urticaceae), ewé}: (BriDeELIA ATROVIRIDI, Euphorbiaceae), ewé ésisi funfun (TRAGIA BEN- THAMIL, Euphorbiaceae), ewé oldyin (STRIGA ASIATICA, Scrophula- riaceae). There are four other plants which have feminine attributes, called ewé érd due to their soothing qualities: ewé dddndiin (KALANCHOE CRENATA, Crassulaceae), ewé tété (AMARANTHUS. ny BRIDUS subsp. INCURVATUS, Amaranthaceae), ewé rinrin (PEPEROMIA PELLUCI- DA, Piperaceae), ewé iktipérd (DICHROCEPHALA INTEGRIFOLIA, Compositae). OCOCCCCCOOOCCCCOOCCOOCCCOCOCOCCCOCCOOCOOOCCECECOCCO:THE ACTION OF PLANTS AND THE ACTIVATING WORDS OF INCANTATIONS ececcecccececececceccececececececccececececececccce ce?9999399999999999099009999999099999990990099999009099999999393939399999399999999399939999990999399939555 CHAPTER | THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD YORUBA SYSTEM OF PLANT CLASSIFICATION The characteristics adopted by the Yoruba for plant identifica- tion and classification are different from the Linnaeus system. In Yoruba territory, the naming, defining and classifying of plants, takes into account their odour, the texture of their leaves, their reaction when touched and the sensation felt on contact. Many scientific names for each Yoruba name One single name in Yoruba often corresponds to several scien- tific names. Here are few examples: Ahén ekin, leopard’s-tongue, is the name given to leaves with a raspy surface, although their shapes may vary. According to the scien- tific classification they are respectively: HiBISCUS SURATTENSIS, Malvaceae and Hiiscus AsPER, Malvaceae; TETRACERA sp., Dilienia- ceae; ACANTHUS MONTANUS, Acanthaceae. clots-blood, is called amujé sil4, big blood clotter, in the case of HARUNGANA MADAGASCARIENSIS, Rhizophoraceae or dragon’s- blood for its colour, and amujé wéwé, little blood dotter, for BYRSO- CARPUS COCCINEUS and CNESTIS LONGIFLORA, both Connaraceae, which have the property of arresting bleeding.24 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER Bobo awédi is the name given to SOLANUM DASYPHYLLUM, Solanaceae and CApPARIS THONNINGH, Capparaceae, due to tht shape of its fruits, similar to that of the egg-plant. Bujé is the name given to plants used in preparations for tattoo- ing and black hair dyes, classified as MORELIA SENEGALENSIS, Rubiaceae; ROTHMANIA WHIFFIELDII, Rubiaceae; ROTHMANIA LONGIFLO- RA, Rubiaceae; KEETIA LEUCANTHA, Rubiaceae; and SORINDEIA WAR- NECKEI, Anacardiaceae. Dagunré, stop-war, is the name given to thorny plants belonging to three different families: d4gunr6 gogoro (tall) for ACANTHOSPERMUM HISPIDUM, Compositae; dégunr6 kékeré (little) for ALTERNANTHERA PUNGENS, Amaranthaceae; and dagunro fild (big) for TRIBULUS TER- RESTRIS, Zygophillaceae. Eékénné, claw, is the name given to plants that have thoms, né adiye (hen’s-claw) for PORTULACA QUADRIFIDA, Portulacaceae; éékannd ekin (leopard’s-paw) for ARGEMONE MEXICANA, Papaveraceae; éékannd magbo for SMILAX KRAUSSIANA, Smilacaceae and éékanndsé adiye for both STRYCHNOS SPINOSA, Loganiaceae and ZIZIPHUS MUCRONATA, Rhamnaceae. Fém6 comes from the verb m4, to stick, and the various plants thus designated all bear furry fruits which stick to clothing and animal fleece. They are: DesMopiuM CANUM, Leguminosae Papilionoideae; CENCHRUS BIFLORUS, Gramineae; SETARIA VERTICILATA, Gramineae; Pu- PALIA LAPPACEA, Amaranthaceae; POUZOLZIA GUINEENSIS, Urticaceae. Esisi is the name given to plants whose leaves and fruits are coyered with scratchy hairs, such as CNESTIS CORNICULATA and CNESTIS FERRUGINEA, Connaraceae; MUCUNA PRURIENS, Leguminosae Papilionoideae; TRAGIA BENTHAMH, Euphorbiaceae; URERA MANII, Urticaceae; $1DA URENS, Malvaceae. The same name has beeh given to LAPORTEA AESTUANS and LAPORTEA OVALIFOLIA, Urticad¢eae, non DOOCOCOCOCOCOCOCOCCCOCOCOCCCOOCCCOCOCOCOCOOCOCCCOeCCCOO:393333399993 393399393999399999939939990999999933395 THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD - 25 urticating plants whose leaves resemble those of the nettle. Ewiiro, bitter-leaf, is the name given to leaves with a bitter taste belonging to various families such as VERNONIA AMYGDALINA, VERNONIA ADOENSIS, VERNONIA COLORATA, STRUCHIUM SPARGANO- PHORA, all Compositae; SOLANUM WRIGHTII, SOLANUM ERIANTHUM both Solanaceae; and LupwiGia OCTOVALVIS, Onagraceae. Ilasa is the name given to plants which have mucilaginous char- acteristics such as ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS, Malvaceae, for its fruits; URENA LoBATA, Malvaceae, for its seeds; and TRIUMFETTA RHOMBOIDEA, Tiliaceae for its leaves. All having in common this mucilaginous quality. Orobéja, poison-catches-fish, is the name given to the plants THEPHROSIA VOGELU, Leguminosae Papilionoideae, and Diospyros PHYSOCALYCINA, Ebenaceae, whose leaves and pods are used to stun fish in rivers and ponds. Odtindtn is the name given to KALANCHOE CRENATA, Crassula- ceae and also to EMILIA COCCINEA, Compositae, also known as Odtindin etid6fé, dduindtn olékun or ddundtin odd. The name of ert Gdtindin, slave of Odtindun, is also given to abamodé or BRYOPHILLUM PINNATUM, Crassulaceae for the same reason, and know as the “miracle of St. Joaquim”. : Patonmd, keep-thighs-closed, is the name given to those sensi- tive plants whose folioles close at the slightest contact. Jt is applied to Mimosa pupica, Mimosa PIGRA, Leguminosae Mimosoideae; and BIOPHYTUM PETERSIANUM, Oxalidaceae. Saworo, little-bell, is classified scientifically as TRILEPSIUM MADAGASCARIENSE, Moraceae; CARDIOSPERMUM GRANDIFLORUM, Sapindaceae; and CROTALARIA sp., Leguminosae Papilionoideae. All these plants bear fruits with loose seeds in the pod that make a jingling noise when shaken.26 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER Many names in Yoruba for each scientific name If several scientific names exist for one Yoruba name, then the opposite is also often true. Here are few examples: BRIDELIA MICRANTHA, Euphorbiaceae corresponds to three names in Yoruba: |. asa, used for protection against enemies, iddabobo I6w6 dtd with the ofo: “asd I'6 ni k’ibi k’6 mda sd fin mi”: “asd says that the evil should flee [s4] from me”. 2. ira, the bark of which is used in cases of pregnancies supposedly lasting up to three years, oytin énin, is used with the off: “Spo ira K'6 rd omo nda wa”, “iri bark, make the child creep out of the belly” (Formula 249). 3. fond fonti, used as a remedy against worms, odguin ejéonu, with the 9f9: “font fond ba wa fo ejoonu”, “font fomi, wash (expel) the worms out”. The FLABELLARIA PANICULATA, Malpighiaceae also has three names: 1. ajidéré, awakening-secures-fortune, used to obtain honours ard glory, awiire old nini, with the ofp “ewe ajideré di ire gbogbo wa”, “leaf of awakening-secures-fortune, bring good things to me” (Formula 319). 2. aponkdlo, used in formulas to obtain virility, aremo, with the of “Aponkélo, k6 ome wayé”, “aponkdlo, gather children so they may come into the world”. ; 3. lagbolagh6, used in formulas for good luck, awiire oriire, with the 9f9: “lagbdlaghé Ia dna’re fiin mi”, “lagb6lagbo, open the road of good luck for me”. The-IPOMOEA HEDERIFOLIA, Convolvulaceae has two names. 1. etf oldgbé, cat’s-ear, so named because of its shape, is used either to OCOCCOCOOCOCOCOOCOCOOCOCOCCOCCCOCOOCECOCOCCCOOCCCCOCOHO:1919: 1 1 11) Dao De EEO ets Oi as to to ae: . namunama, completely, used to wi THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD - 27 get money, awure owo, with the of6: “Eti oldgbo, 1’6 ni é mda gb’ow6 wa”, “cat’s-ear said that you will carry money (to me)”. Alternatively it can be used to protect from death, iddabobé I’éwo ikd, with the fd: “Eti olégbé 1’6 ni k’6 gbo”, “cat’s-ear said that he should grow old (not die)”; or it can mean to be loved by people, Aware iféran éniyan, with the 9f0: “ett oldgbd 1’6 ni gbogbo yin féran i”, “cat’s-ear said that every one should love me”. Formula 350. . kaw6 kaw6, count-money, is used in two preparations to get money, awure owo, with their respective. of6: “Kaw6 kaw6 6 ni ji ki 6 ma kawo”, “count-money said that indeed I shall count money”; and “Kaw6 kawo kii ji k’6 ma kaw6”, “count-money does not wake without counting money”. The JATEORHIZA MACRANTHA, Menispermaceae has five names: . al eléwé onika méta, \caf-owner-of-three-fingers (because of its shape), used to find work, aware imd’ni eléwé onika méta ni 6 pé ki won 6 fi ire témi 16 mi”, " leaf-owner- of-the-three-finger said that they suggest success to me". . ald eléwé sid, owner-of-big-leaf, used to get a (chieftaincy) title, imi'ni joyé, with the ofo: “Ald eléwé nlé 1’6 ni ¢ fire tilda témi Io mi”, “owner-of-big-leaf said that you suggest a big honour for me”. . aldofohun, grind-not-speak, used to be victorious over an enemy, Awére iségun Oté, with the ofd: “Alddfohiin mé jé ki otd mi fohin”, “grind-not-speak, do not let my enemy speak”. a case, awtire aforan, with the ofo: “Naminami mo mii ran yii je”, “L take this case and eat it up completely”. . b6r6, coming-easily, used for a pregnant woman to have an easy delivery, awébi, with the of6: “Bérd 1’6 ni k’dya méa bi bérd”, “coming-easily said that my wife will bear a child easily”.28 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER The CAmPYLOSPERMUM FLAvUM, Ochnaceae corresponds to three names. 1. afibépo, waking-up-looks-for-palm-oil, used to obtain protection from witches, idaabobé 1’6w6 iyami dsonrénga, with the ot 2 “Ajibépo ni b8 ajé”, “waking-up-looks-for-palm-oil implores the witches”. @, make-blood-with-a-fruit, used to help a woman [become pregnant, imobinrin loyin, with the of: “Fésoséjé k’6 s’3jé domo”, “makes-blood-with-a-fruit makes the blood turn into a child” (Formula 235). 3. fejé séhin, makes-the-back-with- blood, used to heal backaches, odgiin chin didi, with the ofd: “Féjé séhin ba mi wo éhin san”, “makes-the-back-with-blood, help me heal my back” (Formula 12). The PLEIOCERAS BARTERI, Apocynaceae also corresponds to at least three Yoruba names: 1. é , which is used in the offering, or magical work, perfotmed to protect people against accidents (particularly for drivers, who in such cases are supposed to be whisked home safe and sound), iddabobo I’Sw6 ijanba, with the of: “EFS gbé mi f6 nini ibi éfo”, “éf0, keep harm away from me” (Formula 433). . dagba, to-become-old, alternatively, to remain alive, used!also to please the witches, wiwd iyénd iyami, with the ofd: “Dagba ni i dori iyami ajé”, “Dagba always guides the witches (in order to pro- tect me)” (Formula 274). . oldgbokiyan, the cat-salutes-people, is used to obtain money! aweire ow6 nini, with the of: “Oldgbokiyan gbow6 wa”, “Oldgbokiyan, bring me money” (Formula 297). N w The RAUVOLFIA VoMiTORIA, Apocynaceae corresponds to at : 7 least seven names in Yoruba, used in formulae for calming mad- ness, odgtn wéré. The of6 of the four first names are intended for ° Q oO Q o oO o ° Oo oO 8 9 ° Oo °o oO 8 9 eo ° Qo ° o Qo oO 8 ° ° o ° Oo ° Qo 9 9 ° ° ° 9 8 Qo Qo ° ° Qo e93399999939339339939999099999993399999999909099993539 ‘THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD - 2 the following purpose: 1. “Apawéré pa weéré yii san”, “kill (and heal) this madness”. The strong tranquilizing effect associated with this plant is also known and used in Western style medicine. “Awowéré ba mi wé were mi yii san”, “help me to heal my madness”. “D6d6 (dddti) 16 ni k’6 didi I’ara ré k'6 ma se were mo”, “may the madness that blackens his body never let him be mad again”. . “Ind ighd ba wa gbé were yii Io”, “send this madness far from him”, d6rd is used to make a pending lawsuit be forgotten, awtire aféran, with the of: “O6rd 16 ni k’6rd nda k’6 14”, “6rd says that this, lawsuit should get lost”, 6. asoféyeje, fruit-to-be-eaten-by-the-bird, is used to please the witch- es, iyémi iyami, with the oft “fruit-to-be-eaten-by-the-bird, do not give the fruit to the bird owner” (that is, the witch). 7. oléragb6, buyer-of forest, is used in several remedies against small- pare we soféyeje ma fi éso fin eléye je”, pox, odgiin iléégbdné, with the of9: “Oldragbé k’6 ra lamorin kiiré may ol6ragbé save this person from the hands of 1'6w6 iléégb6na”, smallpox”. These few examples show that the diversity of names in Yoruba for the same scientific name derives from the need of finding in those names the syllable which contains the “activating verb” of the incantation. THE ACTIVATING WORDS IN THE OFO The notion of an “activating verb” in an of6 (incantation). accom- panying the preparation of remedies and “magical works”, is described by professor Robin Horton’: “In traditional African culture, the knowl-30 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER edge of the name of a person or thing signifies that one may control them to a certain extent.” Consequently, among the Yoruba, the preparation of remedies and “magical works”, must be accompanied by certain spoken incantations (0f6) connected with the plants, without which these reme- dies and formulae are rendered inactive. The spoken transmission of knowledge is considered thé vehi- cle of asé, i.e. the power within the words which remains ineffective in a written text. Words, in order to become active, must be spoken aloud. Among the Yoruba, the incantatory phrases (fd) which accompany the formulae contain this “activating verb”, repeated in the plant’s/name. The sentence may also contain other magical words naming thel or the ingredients used. plants Such is the case for a remedy for flank pain, odgun iha didn, belonging to od dwénrin méji, for which one must use the leaves of 99y9 ajé (CORCHORUS AESTUANS, Tiliaceae) and of awilsd (BLUKE- NETIA CONOPHORA, Euphorbiaceae), the feathers of agbe and alako. During the preparation of this remedy one must pronounce the fol- lowing ofd: O6y6 ajé wa yo arin ktiré n’iha. 4 Awiisd sa arin iha lo. : Agbe gbé arin iha ktiré. Aldk6 k6 arin iha Io. O6y6 ajé, help me to remove the disease from my flanks." Awusd, pick out and carry away the disease from my flanks. Agbe, carry away the disease from my flanks. Aliiké, take the disease from my flanks. In this short verse the “activating verb” is contained in one of DOOCOCCCCOCOCOCOCCCCCOCOCOCCOOCOCCCOCOCCOCCCCOCCOHC:D309 oO ° 0 i nn c ° ° ° ° c ° o o ° ° 0 a nm ° ° ° ° 0 o a o a A oO a oO a o o ° ° 9 ‘THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD - 31 the syllables of the name of the corresponding plant or object. If, in this example, some of the tones do not sound correct, we must real- ize that sometimes the Yoruba use puns and play-on-words. We shall see below some more examples of incantations where the tones are more rigid William Bascom,’ in his book on Ifa, gives us an example of the same kind and makes the following remarks. “A particular kind of pun contributes to giving an inner connection (to formulae). These puns are of a magic nature wherein the name of the sacrificed object resembles words which express the desired result”. The author men- tions a “magical work” performed to find a place to stay, belonging to the od iwori méji. He indicates what offering should be made and the appropriate incantations: a mortar (odd) is used to find where to camp (do); 1616 leaves are used to find a place to rest (18); gbégbé leaves are used to find a place to live (gbé). These kinds of of6 are very numerous. Here are few more examples. For a remedy to cure coughing, odgun ikO, one must pound ja leaves (QUASSIA UNDULATA, Simaroubaceae) and mix them with lemon juice Grorbd wéwé (CITRUS AURANTIFOLIA, Rutaceae); drink every morning three spoonfuls of this liquid and pronounce the incantation: Ofja ja ik6 kird Prin. Ororitbd b6 ik6 ktiré 1°61 Qja breaks (ja) the cough Ororibd, peel (bd) the cough from my throat. The “activating verb” (pa) of a preparation is often the same for all the leaves used and the same syllable may be found in each of the32 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER. names, as in the following example used against leprosy (Formula 202), odgiin ate: Iki pupa, oparun and drtipa bé mi pa arin é1é Help me kill the leprosy. The same is also true for a remedy used to heal convulsions, odgiin giri. The incantation is based on the syllable sa (run) occurring in the names of the different plants invoked, i.e. to make the disease run, (Formula 204). ‘ For a “magical work” performed in order to procure good for- tune, awure orire, belonging to the odi ogbé Ow@nrin, one must use ajifa bi ala, IPOMOEA CaIRICA, Concolvulaceae and afa (unidentified) leaves to which are added afard oyin, bee hives. These ingredients are burnt until they are reduced to black ashes, which are then mixed with palm oil and licked by the candidate. The “activating verb” is fa (rere), “to draw good fortune”, a syllable included in all the quoted names. To be loved by a woman, aware iféran obinrin, (Formula 337), the preparation employs the “activating verb” md, “to capture”, a sylla- ble included in the names of the plants used, but differently accented. These differences in tone may or may not appear in the words’ of the incantations pronounced during the enactment of the formulae. Here is an example in which the word ré is a part of the “active” principle. HOLARRHENA FLORIBUNDA, Apocynaceae is used to cure smallpox, odginn ileéghdna: Iré ma jé ki 6 ré mi. Iré, do not let the smallpox find me weak (ré). DOCCCCCCCOOCECOCOCOCECOCCOCCCOOCOCCCOOCOCCOCCECOOCE:9993929979299999399999999909999939595 39399 39339959355 ‘THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD - 33 If one wishes to obtain a woman’s favours, the incantation will be: Iré ni ki ¢ ba mi #8. Iré says you are friendly (ré) with me. The tone of the “activating verb” ré is low in the first case and high in the second. The names of /émilé leaf, CASSIA AREREH, Leguminosae Caesalpinioideae, deal with both keeping someone home, muilé (wd) and catching a burglar, mi olé. It is used in the formulae to make an unfaithful woman stay home, iidé obinrin duiré s’ilé, belonging to the odir ogbé iy6nt, with the incantation: Lamilé bé mi mi obinrin témi wale. Lamiilé bring my wife back home. To be protected against thieves, id44bdb6 1'6w6 olé, belonging to the odi dgiinda ogbé or dgtindé olé (thief) one must pronounce the incantation: Lamilé ba mi mi oié s’ilé. Lamiilé, tie the thief down for me. The link between the name of the leaf and the expected action invoked through the incantation is not always limited to the verb alone, but may appear in a short or long sentence. When a formula is per- formed to produce “vigorous” blood, expressed in Yoruba by imi éjé po Iara, “to have plenty blood in the body”, one must employ the leaves of apéjé (unidentified) and amljé (HARUNGANA MADAGAS-34 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER CARIENSIS, Rhizophoraceae) burning them until a black powder has been obtained, which must then be mixed to éko (corn dough), water and be drunk after saying: Ewé apéjé pé j8 ppd wa si ara mi. Ewé amiljé mii éjé wa si ara mi. Apajé leaf, order plenty of blood into my body. Amiajé leaf, bring blood for my body. This is a case of false etymology, as amijé can also be translat- ed as arrests-blood, drinks-blood or brings-virtues and is probably wrongly used in a recipe to “improve” the blood in the case of anemia. | In a formula performed to protect someone against an enemy, idéabébo léw6 dt4, (Formula 446), the following incantation is spoken: Améw6 ayé kro wa mow6 ota ktird l’dra mi. Pull-the-hand-out-of-(the-body), rescue me from the one who grips me. : To lighten the load of a pregnant woman’s body, she personally should wash herself with the preparation described in Formula 231 while pronouncing the incantation: Ewé amata fiiyé (“make-the-body-light”) ba wa mii ara filyé. Leaf of make-the-body-light, make my body light. , The “activating verb” of the incantation may be found in more than one of the plant's syllables. For instance, when pérégtin (DRACAENA FRAGRANS, Agavaceae) is used in to obtain good luck, oocccecocoocococcececcooocoocccoconcococococccoc:3993399359 9593539339339391999999999939999993999939935 ‘THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD - 35 Awiire orire, (Formula 333), the link is done through péré, tion being: , the incanta- Pérégtin pe rere w Pérégiin, send us good fortune (rere). When péréguin is used in offerings to please the witches, as happens in Formula 275, wiwd iyénd iyami, the link is based on gtin, with the incantation: Pérégiin 6 ni ki ayé mi 6 guin Péréguin order that my life will be straight (gun) Foreign plants and names Jlémi is derived from “lime” in English or from “lima” in Portuguese (CITRUS AURANTIFOLIA, Rutaceae). It is used in formulae to obtain money, awure ow6, with the incantation: Hému mu ow wa. Lime, bring money. Taba, derived from tobacco (NICOTIANA TABACUM, Solanaceae), is used as a remedy against the bloating of the body, odgin ara wiwd, (Formula 205) or against convulsions, odgdn giri, with the incantation: Taba ta arin dana. Tobacco, push (ta) the disease away.36 - PIERRE PATUMBI VERGER Concerning rawayé, derived from rawaya (COCHLOSPERMUM TINCTORIUM, Cochlospermaceae) in Hausa, the links are based on dif- ferent syllables of its name. In a “beneficent work” performed to obtain money, award ow6 nini, (Formula 298) one must pronounce the incantation: Rawdyé ba mi wa owo témi fin mi. Rawayé, help me get my money. In a formula performed to remain in the world, ipé I’dyé, the incantation is: Rawayé gbogbo wa I’a 6 yé. Rawéyé, we (awa) shall all stay alive (yé). The name gudbd is derived from “goiaba” (PsIDIUM GUAYAVA, Myrtaceae) in Portuguese, the guava brought from Brazil. Its leaves are used to relieve throat and mouth irritations, odgtin igbalédé, and its incan- tation should be performed with a slight nasalisation of the first vowel: Guida 1kok@ ma ma gun aba. Giidbd, may the hyena not climb up on my hut (gun aba). The ojtitisdjaé (PETIVERIA ALLIACEAE, Phytolacaceae) was also imported to Nigeria from Brazil, where this plant is called “erva-da- guiné”, or simply “guiné”, the name formerly given to the whole of the African West Coast. Ojausdji means favouritism, partiality, respect for a person. Its of are based both on isdjd, “favour”, and isadjd, “which pre- COC COCOCCOOOCOCOCEC OCCCCOOCOCOCOCECCTCOOOCOCOCOCCOOOO:33239393993939393939393999993993939999333939 9933939392953 THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD - 37 cedes” (we must remember that in certain parts of Nigeria such as Osogbo the pronounciation of the hard “s” is scarcely differentiated from that of the soft “s”). Other of@ are derived from the sentence sd oji, “heal the eyes”. Here are a few examples of ofo based on these possible links. Ina “magical work” performed to ask for compassion from the witches, iyOnd iyami, the incantation is: Ojtitisdji1°6 ni ki ¢ fire gbogbo se isdjii mi. Ojtiiisdjti says you will do me a favour (isdjt’) or bring good luck. In a “beneficent work” performed to obtain good luck, aweire orire, (Formula 332) the incantation is: Ojttisejti mii rere se isdjui mi. Ojeiisajii, favour me (isdjti) with good luck. For a remedy to treat eye trouble, odgiin ojti didi, (Formula 163) the incantation is: Ojiitisdjti ba mi sa oft jo. Ojutisdji, heal my eyes (sa ojii) Maize, Agbado (Zea Mays, Gramineae), originally of American origin but recently imported to Africa, is an interesting case because various parts of the plant enter in the composition of formuiae belong- ing mainly to the magical field. The leaves, ewé agbado, can be used for awdire orire, to have38 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER good luck. These leaves are classified in the oda iwor? oftin or iwori agbado. Its incantation derives from a common saying: Orire ni t'agbado. ; Agbado rin hohe d’6ko. Ok6 re b6 wa ‘le. The maize has good luck. The maize goes naked to the field. He collects good luck and returns home with it. Another saying about the maize is: Kini agbado 4 mii 66? Igba omo. Kini agbado 4 mi 6? Igba aso. ‘ What will the maize bring home? Two hundred children. What will the maize bring home? Two hundred clothes. These are allusions to the single maize seed, which wheii plant- ed, yields heavy sheath-covered cobs, bearers of opulence and wealth The leaves of agbado are also used in offerings made to beg favours from the witches, iyénii iyami, and are burned with dwé ata koraiko (CAPSICUM ANNUUN, Solanaceae), ewé sinkinrinmini Barceria sp., Acanthaceae) and a pigeon, eyelé, till a black powder is obtained, which must then be drunk daily with cold éko, Indian corn meal. The incantation for this preparation is A-rin-yé ma ni t'agbado. Ata koriiiko ‘kif bin ajé. Ajé kif bimi sinkinrinmini. Eyelé ki i bi onilé nini. OCCOCCCCCCOCTCOCE OCOECECOCOCCCOCOCCCCOCOOCCOCCOCEE OO:999999999992999999953959 933339959399993 eo 393399333 Maize walks with joy. Ala koriiiko does not hate the witch, The witch does not hate sinkinrinmini. The pigeon does not anger the owner of the house. The cob of maize is used to help a woman go into easy labor, /, which is classified in the odii dealing with childbirth mentioned awe back again”. The odidi agbado (whole maize cob) should be ground in a mortar with ewé ahdrd (MoMORDICA CABRAEI, Cucurbitaceae), iyéré (PIPER GUINEENSE, Piperaceae) and kan-tn biléla, strong potash. This is given to the woman every morning to be drunk with hot ko while pro- nouncing the incantation: Agbado ba wa ghé omo wa Ie, Ewé ahard mé jé ki oytin 6 ha. Kan-tn bildla la 6na f’6mo. Maize, help me make the child come down. Leaf of ahdra, do not let the pregnancy delay. Strong potash, open the way for the child. ‘The grainles cob of maize is called popérd agbado and i used in formulae to make a person victorious in wrestling, iségun ijakadi. This is classified in the odd dsé méji and dse Formula 312. The of6 for that is: quarrelsome), A tisaré ni kan ba mi gbé 6rd subt. ' Pop6rd Agbado ki i ba oldko dim ja. Atatt ni ti gbégi. EFFICACY OF THE WORD - 394()- PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER The cob of maize does not fight the farmer. (May the enemy be as weak in the hand of the wrestler a the cob of maize is in the hand of the farmer.) 4 Gbégi does not fall down. : ‘The expression sisaré nu kan is the beginning of a proverb: A tisdré mii kan ki i sasén bi éniyan k6 Ié Akan, Akan # Ié oliwaré ni. We do not run in vain among the grass (which has sharpleaves) If we run after something (it is because) that something (which is dangerous) is running after us. Maize has generated proverbs in other languages. The Hausa call it “tofa” and the Fulani “soyo™ and their respective proverbs are: “You have to go around, not across a field of tofa” and “A man needs shoes to walk in soyo”’. i The sheath, hariha, enveloping the maize cob is used in a for- mula to help a pregnant woman feel light in her body, imu ara\fiyé or imi ara gégé, classified in the odd ogbé dtuird or ogbé aléso,funfun, ogbé-owner-of -the-white-cloth (i.c. the harihd enveloping the cob). The incantation for this recipe is: Abra 1’6 ni ki ara fidyé. Ara gégé ni ti hérihd, Eérit lo ru ara fidyé. Ahdrd said that the body wili be light. Harihé has a light body. E6rii go (make) the body light. ‘ 3° ° ° 3° °° °o ° o °° ° ° ° 3° 3° oe i) o ° 3° 3° ° ° ° °o iS] oO 2 o °o °o o °o ° Q 9 oo ° 3° ° o Qo QO ° ° ° 80 OL DLO HO) oe) tno iat aeN ED) tO te EDs Huot HO eros all THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD - 41 The roasted maize grains, agbado stinsun, are used in formulae to make a court case be forgotten or fall into oblivion, aware aforan or 5 éj6, belonging to the odd ogbé dtiird or oghé kaléj6, ogbé-has-no-case-in-court. To obtain this result, shake the séré (a cal- abash used as a rattle by devotees of Sangd) full of burnt ingredients, every morning while pronouncing the incantation: Ase-muiré 1’6 ni ki gbogbo ¢j6 mi yit 6 ra. Ki won 6 mé bi mi m6. K’oran naa ma ha m6. Agbado ti a ba sun ki i ha. Eréé ti a bd sun ki i hi. Oka baba ti a bd sun ki i hi mé. Ataare sisun ki i hi Jénjdk66 I’6 ni k Ki won 6 ma ran Power-of-disappearance said that all my cases (in court) will disappear. Make it so my cases (in court) do not come up any more. Roasted maize does not grow. Roasted bean does not grow. Roasted guinea com does not grow. Roasted alligator pepper does not grow. Jénj5kd6 (“let-me-sit”) said that the case will sit (stay where it is). They will not remember him any more. In the same Way that the court case will cease to continue, so will grains of maize, guinea corn or beans fail to yield after they42 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER have been roasted. The incantation may relate to the way in which maize imported from South America spread across Yoruba land. The owner of the first and only maize field sold his crop only after he roasted it, so that nobody else could cultivate it. One of his ser- vants, however, was able to trick him by feeding fowls with non- roasted maize before sending them to farmers in other places, These farmers quickly dispersed and planted the seeds thus smuggled. It was the in this way that maize become widely available throughout the Yoruba land. r THE SIGNS ODU OF IFA AND THE VERBAL LINKS 4 Alll the formulae containing plants are classified by the, babalé- wo in the 256 signs (odd) of Ifa, which often establishes a link between the names of the formulae, the names of the plants ‘and the names of the odd of Ifa, specifically in relation to the second name given to each odo. : A babal4wo seldom uses the name of an odd in its original form, prefering a name derived from its sound, sometimes adding a prefix and suffix which may give it a particular meaning. THis helps the babaléwo deduce the symbolism and the context of the stories, itan, associated with the remedies classified by any particular oda. Here are some examples: : Ogbé ddi may also be called ogbé dina dina, ogbé-blacks-the- road, or ogbé dimtidimi, ogbé-scized or grasped. Irosiin dgtindé may be called irosiin géd4, irdsin-rat-house (gtin édé). OOGCCOCCCOCCOCOCCCCOCCOCOCOCHOCOOCOOCOOCOCCECOOCOEG99999993999999999990993999395905 99999399929999099395 ICACY OF THE WORD - 43 Owénrin dsé may be called dwénrin wese, Swénrin-washes- the-feet Ogtindé édi may also be called dgindé gédii igbin, dgtndé- cuts-the-bottom-of -the-snail, in allusion to the liquid that flows. from the snail’s shell used as a tranquilizer Oguindé Osd is also called 6gtindd masaa, ogtinds-does-not-run- he-is-courageous, or Ogtinds mé Ofiin Osa is also called dfn salésin, oftn-rubs-with-chalk, or Oftin-rubs-with-camwood-powder. It may also be called dftin $’ojo, Ogtinda-is-not-a-coward. sawo, Oftin-applies-medicament. Oyékti Gwonrin may be called dyé w6n rin mi, dyé-breaks-iron- into-small-pieces-and-swallows-them. Obara irosin may become 6! powder (kun osiin). Iké édi may become nkélé nkddii, picking-okra-picking-bottom, in allusion to the funny story of a peasant who went collecting okra in a field but was caught scratching his bottom by a neigh- bour who made the ironical observation: “instead of picking okra he picks his bottom”. 4 kosin, dbara-rubs-camwood- In the formulae to obtain a favour from the witches, iyénd iyami, 634 méji becomes dsé eléye, dsd-bird-owner, and ogbé dgtindd is also called ogbé iyami, my mother. Among the 69 formulae collected by me in order to obtain the favours of the witches, iygnu iyami, seventeen are classified in the od sa méji, also called dsa elgye, another name designating witches. This is the odi: under which the witches, iyami dsdrdiga, have come into the world. Eleven of those formulae are classified in the odi ogbé égtindé, also called ogbe iyénti, he-helps-(somebody-to-be)-pleased, both having links with44 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER iyOnd iyami. Here are three formulae from the different odii groups: Belonging to the odii dsd eléye we have Formula 271 with its incantation: Ajé ti ké kara kara. 1 Won ni eye 6rd 16 wolii Akard os6 ki i jé ki Ajé kobalé 6 ni ki eye 6 ma ba lé mi. Witches shout loudly. They say an evil bird has entered the town. : But the cake of the wizard does not allow them to kill the wizard. The-witches-do-not-perch-on-me says that that bird ate to the witch) will not perch on me. Belonging to the odii ogbe iyGnu there is a receipt which orders the grinding of the leaves ewé igbagba (SOLANUM sp., Solanaceae), ewe 96y6 (CORCHORUS OLITORIUS, Tiliaceae) and ewé ékuku (CYNOMETRA MANH, Leguminosae Caesalpinioideae), add orf (ButyrosPeRmum PARADOXUM ssp. PARKII, Sapotaceae, shea butter) and rub the’ "body while saying the incantation: Ogbé iyénii jé ki ind ajé y6 si mi. t Igbagba gba mi I’6w6 aj O6y6 ni ki won 6 yoni si mi. Ekikt 6 ni ki ibi won ka dana. Ogbé iydnii, allow the witches to favour me. Igbagba, save me from the hand of the witch. O6yé6 said that they will be pleased with me. Ekikii said that their evil will die out. OOOCOCCOCCOOCOCOCOCCOOOCNVOO OO OCCECOCODOOCOOOOOOEG:a a 39993 339399933959 999993935939592939333395959399999999335 THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD - 45 Belonging to the same odd ogbé iyond there is the receipt that designates the placement of the leaves ewé ojtit: aj (PETIVERIA ALLI- aca, Phytolacaceae), ewé oydy (CORCHORUS OLITORIUS, Tiliaceae), ewé adnu (VITEX THYRSIFLORA, Verbenaceae) and ewé agogo ogtin (HELIOTROPUM INDICUM, Boraginaceae) on a plate, add odidi ataare (AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA, Zingiberaceae), two eggs (eyin adiye) and pour honey (oyin) over everything. Make a divination with obj ifin and obi pupa (COLA ACUMINATA, Sterculiaceae) to discover the place where the offering must be placed. Then add the kola nuts and place it ona pad (dsikd) made from aso iddsa funfun (a yard of white cloth). During the preparation of the offering, one should say the incantation: Ewé ojtitisdjté I'6 ni k’é méa fi ohun rere se sdjti mi. Oy6y6 1'6 ni k'6 yoni si mi, Ewé agogo ogiin 1’6 ni k’é ¢ méa da're vémi si mi. A ki méa Id’yin k’4 roji. Ofiin ni ki ¢ maa fain ni rere. Ositn ni ki ¢ maa fi rere stin mi bd. The leaf of ojtidsdjti said that you will bring me good things. Oy6y6 said that you are well disposed towards me. The leaf of adnd said that you are pleased with me. The leaf of agogo dgtin said that you have thrown fortune towards me. We can not be sad if we lick honey! Ofan said that you will bring me fortune. Osun said that you will come bearing me fortunes. Ind ékiin, leopard's-tail, is at the same time the name of a plant{ARE FATUMBI VERGER (DRACAENA LAXISSIMA, Agavaceae) and an euphemism employed in ref- erence to an unmentionable odd of Ifé too dangerous to be pronounced I shall respect this prohibition and say only that it is formed by the fourteenth and fifteenth single signs*. A person born under such a sign may expect bad luck in life’. The other names given to this odii are irété ékiin fird Male, irété-leopard-which-beats-the-ground-with-its-tail, showing its dan- gerous, restless personality, iréré duidti, black: titi t6 yinyin, irété-makes-life-as-cold-as- hailstones. These names are not encouraging but they also have a counterpart, irété alajé, irété-owner-of-wealth which illustrates the ambivalence Present in the odd signs. rit 6kiin, a forest tree that grows up to forty feet high, has a soft porous stem and sap which supposedly can blind people. Its leaves are used for healing’ and the babalawos taught me four recipes which make use of them. Three of these are used for magical works and all of them are classified in the odd iri ékin. To bring a court case against someone, ifi ti éniyan séj6, férmu- la 384, the following incantation must be used: Tri ekiin wa lo réé mu ldgbdja. Bomubémi wa lo reé b6 6 I6jt. Kankén l’ewé ind jémo. Qj6 omodé ba wa oyinrin ayé ni f ri t’Orun. Adi wé I6 réé di lagbaja. Leopard’s-tail come and take (sweep up) so-and-so. Take-the-lid-off, go cover his face quickly. Leaf-of-fire burns the child. OOCCOSCOOCOOCOCOOOCECCOOCOOCOOGOCOGOOCOHOOOCOOCOOCCSE:339927999909 9999999599299939990997999999099999999359 THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD - 47 The day that a little child finds “trouble” (dyinrin) on this Earth, he will first have seen it in the outside world (i.e. the spirit world from which he comes). Palm-kernel-oil, come and tie up so-and-so. To become rich, awtire ow6 nini, the beneficial influence of the oda iri éktin is used by its other name irété (Formula 299) with the following of 3: é-owner-of wealth Ghogbo ara I’ascfun fi i saj Ah6n ékiin 16 ni ki ire mi ki 6 maa won. dra ektin 16 ni ki won 6 d’erd ire wa fin mi. Aséfun makes money with all its body. Tongue-of-leopard said that my fortune will not be small. Tail-of-leopard said that it will bring me great fortunes, To make a pregnant woman give birth easily, imii obinrin bimo, (Formula 234) the of6 is: ird ekin ward ward kif gbé imi ekin méjii Agélété I’6 ni ki omo nda méa saré tete bd wa. The quick-leopard does not stay inside the leopard till dawn. Agélété said that the child should run here quickly. To protect a house against evil, iddabdbo ilé I’6w6 ibi, one should put ewé it ékin, ewé adragbd (ECLIPTA ALBA, Compositae) and ewé itékiin (unidentified) in a clay pot (ikOkd), pour into it fresh water and the liquid from inside the shell of a snail (igbin), bury the pot in the ground inside the house and mark the site with eleven48 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER cowries placed in the form of the odd ird ekén, saying the of: ' Irii ekin a pe 6 0, wa i Pekin ibi. Itékin 1’6 ni ki ibi 6 ma kein ind ilé yil. Aaragbé méa gba ibi da s’éde. Mé omi ki i gona. Né igbin ki i gbdna. Leopard's-tail, we call you to come and shut the door (against) evil. Shut-the-door said that the evil will not fill this house. \ We-buy-to-sweep, sweep away evil, throw it out. The house that belongs to water is never hot. The house that belongs to the snail is never hot. One may note the assonances between ekiin (leopard), ilékin (door) and itékiin (the leaf). The name iri ekiin is explained by some stories (itan) clas- sified in the odi bearing the same name, ird ékun. In one of these stories* the witches (iyami ajé) come to dwell in the belly of the wife of Orunmila. Ifé was consulted and prescribed an offering of crabs (akan), a rat, 6kété, (CRICETOMYS GAMBIANUS) and leaves of alugbinrin (TRICLILIA SUBCORDATA, Menispermaceae). This Potion was acceptable to the iyami as they are used in offerings to beg favours from the witches (iyénu iyami). The offerings then turned into a leopard, the witches were afraid and ran away from the belly of the wife of Ordnmila. When the wife of Ordnmila slept, she dreamt about this and saw a leopard come out of her belly wagging its tail (ekun fi iri yO). The latter could be the etymological source of the name iru ekun. This story seems to complete the incantation DOCOODECOCHOHOOOOECOOOGOOODOCOCOOCOOCEOCODDOC OO:D219 D199 DOO io Dee), 2e0nD uD 11 oso Lo ‘THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD - 49 of the third formula given below: Wara ward kii gbé ini ekiin moja. Quick-leopard does not stay in the belly till dawn. In another story’ hunters prepare a medicine made of a leop- ard's tail, pounded with soap (ose). This preparation is a concrete play-on-words in which the hunters’ action becomes an expression of a name whose pronunciation is forbidden. It is expressed instead by the verb té, to pound, which is also the last syllable of frété the first half of the odd, and soap (ose) which, used in a different tone, is the name of the second part of the oda that may not be spoken. Thanks to this preparation, the hunters kill many animals and become rich, aldjé, which establishes a link with the other name of. same odd, irété aldjé. This leads us to the question of “mute incantations” and the “realized words” about which Marcel Mauss" has spoken. This concerns certain ingredients which appear in magical formulae and are invested with asé (power or force) simply by virtue of their names. Thus the spoken names of these ingredients can replace the full verbal incantation belonging to the formulae. This device allows the supplicant to escape the punishment that might otherwise come about if the forbidden odd were used. The objects themselves may in these cases become the incantation. This is why they are called “real- ized words”. These same “realized words” may be found in a preparation of which William Bascom'' speaks employing irdsin, camwood powder, and 9se, soap, classified under the odd irdsiin ose.50 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGE! The conclusions of research made by Henri Lavondes'* among the inhabitants of Madagascar, may also be applied to the Yoruba: It is worthwhile trying to explain precisely how magical rituals use a collection of articles and ingredients that challenge com- mon sense. The significance of certain magical formulae becomes clear from the moment we realize that the vocaliza- tion, the objects and their effects are considered as a totality. The very language itself is the vehicle for the desired result. There is a vital connection between the incantation pronounced by the master of ceremonies and the objects used in it.The objects symbolically represent the incantation but the spoken word realizes the action of the ingredients. A magical composi- tion seems to be thought of as a collection of material things, articulated by language. The spoken incantation provides the description as well as the explanation for their meaning THE MANY MEANINGS OF THE WORDS i + ra Ulli Beier in his book on Yoruba poetry" gives a definition on the subtleties of this language: Not only are the Yoruba highly conscious of the meaning behind the names, they also like to interpret every word they use. They believe that every name is really a sentence that has been contracted through a series of elisions into a single word. Naturally, in the attempt to reconstruct the original sentence one may arrive at various meanings. OOCOCCCCOCOOOCCOOCOOCOGCCOCOCOOCOCCECECOOCCCOOCOCCOO:99399999992995959992993993999999999393399993999099959959355 THE EPFICACY OF THE WORD - St We have already seen the example of $bard késiin with its dou- ble meaning. We shall also examine the case of ogbé wéhin, which can mean both ogbé-washes-the-back, oghé-cures-the-back and oghé-looks- back. Similarly, the name of the leaf amajé can mean drinks-blood and, with a change of tone, arrests-blood or brings-blood. The multiple symbolism of words is a notion defined by Malay-Polynesian peoples, according to Paul Ottino" Contrary to western logic which requires a direct relation between significant and signified, the form of expression can be understood in different ways. This understanding depends on the degree of the person's knowledge. To the non-informed, the allusive sentence which corresponds to an unknown proverb, tale or theme, will remain incompre- hensible or out of context. The extensive use of the metaphor, the dissimulation of the real meaning under a symbolic image, makes it obscure as long as the system of the symbolic correspondences of that particular culture remains unknown, To use another example, L. Renou'’ says that the hymns of the Rigveda, the most important documents pertaining to the Vedic religion and the oldest texts of India, which at first sight appear to be the expression of an adoration of the forces of nature, are in fact very clever poetry, used by the author to describe the correlation between the human and the supernatural world. Poets participate in oratorical tournaments in which each plays with an enigmatic lan- guage of his own invention, interpreting and re-examining the rela- tionship between language and nature52 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER Gilbert Rouget" writing about the songs performed at the court of the king in Porto Novo says that the ajogan songs also havé this strongly allusive style. They are composed of words that flatter the local king, and make abusive threats to the enemy. They are expressed in the form of conventional hints understood only by those familiar with the subject. “The more the words have a hidden sense, the more they are appreciated by those in the know, the most successful ‘jokes being those that are sung in the very presence of the person alluded to, without he or she understanding it!” This custom exists in Bahia among the descendants of the Yoruba, who, during the ceremonies for the Orisa (deities), sing songs called “cantigas de sotaque”. They are songs in which a Slight change in the pronunciation can transform praise-like words into ironical or abusive ones, sometimes directed at a visitor, who for his own part, if he is able to, must answer by another song to show that he was not tricked. The many meanings of the words is also commented by Reverend Father Huc” on his travel diaries about Mongolia in 1844: A subterranean sea impeded the erection of a temple. A lama met an old man who explained the reason for this failure. Later, regretful that he told this secret, the old man sent his son after the lama to kill it. But the son contented himself in taking back a leather strap given to the lama by the old man, having decided that the lama did not deserve death for such a trifle. The son had understood “leather strap” and not “secret” because the same Mongol word has both meanings. The old man told his son to kill the stranger who had stolen his “secret” and not his “Teather strap”. OOCCCCCOOCCOCOCOCCOOCOCECCOCCECCOOCECCOCCOOEOCOCCCCCO:99999599993993393999999999999939999593999999999599959095 1 ICACY OF THE WORD- 53 In certain cases the multiple meanings of a word may accentu- ate the cohesion exi ing between its different meanings in spite of the fact that at first glance they seem so different from one another. The word afomoé means at the same time “contagious disease” and “parasite plant” (mistletoe, orchids, etc.). A link exists however between those notions apparently very remote from one another: The main leaves used for formulae concerning Sopdnné, the god of small- pox and other contagious diseases, are generally parasitic and epi- phytic plants. LINKS BETWEEN NAMES As we have already seen, the names given to the plants, the for- mulae, the odd of Ifd-under which they are classified, and the effect expected from them, show verbal links. We are now going to examine some examples in more detail. 1. frosiin méji Irosin (camwood) is simultancously the name of the fifth odd, the name of several odd of fd, and denominates the plants BAPHIA NITI- Da and Prerocarpus Osun, Leguminosae Papilionoideae. It is also the name of the cardinal bird (EUPLECTIS FRANCISCANA). This group shares the red colour of the cardinal bird and the camwood powder extracted as a dye. Many formulae classified in odd irosiin are connected. with the notion of the red colour and blood, regulate menstruation of women, odgin a: The medicaments used to é obinrin, are classified inMe ERRE PATUMBI the odd irostin méji, 6bara irosin and Ogtnda irostn. This last odt also alludes to blood: Ogtindé féjé kunié irosiin. Ogiindd smears the house of irosin with blood. And: Ogtinda éjé ta sors. Ogtindé makes the blood flow copiously. This formula uses ewé séjésdrd (BASELLA ALBA, Basellaceae) whose name means makes-the-blood-flow-copiously. For formulae performed to increase virile power (aremg), classified in the od dsé irosin, also called Osa eléjé (6s4-owner-of-blood), one must use the leaves of olddddd, owner-of-the-scarlet-flower (HEISTERIA PAVIFLORA, Olacaceae) with the incantation: Ol6dods eléjé ti i wwe Se. Owner-of-the- arlet-flower who wears a gown of blood. This same odd sd irosin is also called: ds4 elépo, Osd-owner- of-red-oil. rosin méji is also called irosin odideré, irosin- parrot because of the parrot's tail-feathers which are very red. The odd irostin 0 é is also called irosin éjé, alluding to camwood and bldod’s red colour. Numerous formulae classified in the irostin odii are related to the idea of sleep (stin) or sleeplessness (distin). COCCOCCCOCOOCOCCCOCOCCOCCOCOCCCOCCCCECCECCCCCCOCCCO:cola) VED) aay tava yn Hayy Psa) L Oy EO) tai) apt ha aay) aoa) ape yO) eta) a DEE tt PAD aati): THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD - 55 a) To sleep We have eight recipes that make someone sleep, odgun imu ni réorun stin, of which we shall give two. Belonging to the odti irosan méji (Formula 207) there is the incantation: Irostin méji jé ki ldghaja 6 18 stn. Aké6 od6 ni i mi oorun wa. Asiin dé ragbada Ia d ba igi ak6 odd. Ala l’6 ni k’6 ta isin jéde. Aliibosa ba wa saisin yii daa. ly6 yo aisiin jade. Frosiin méji let so-and-so sleep. AK6 od6 always brings sleep. Plentiful sleep is what we find at the ak6 od6 tree. The alligator pepper says that sleeplessness will go away. Onion, help us to chase sleeplessness away. Salt, deliver us from sleeplessness, Belonging to the odt: iwori irostin (iwori-owner-of-sleep) there is the Formula 208 which uses the incantation: Aaja ki i ba omo re ja aja. Erow66 ni ti gbingbin. Ojté or6 ni 6 léké omi. Aaja does not fight against his own son. Gbingbin is always fresh and calm. Ojeé or6 Floats over water.56 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER Not a word is said about sleeping but the incantation calls for calm and peace. b) To cause sleeplessness Formulae to make © people sleeples ess, inn distin si éniyan, are owner-of- sleeplessness, and in the ‘oda di irosun or idin asin! cater- pillar-does-not sleep. The following incantation accompanies a formula Maia jé ki lighaja k'6 Ie sin. Idin aisin ni ki é fi fin un I'6jti k’6 ma Vojt oorun. Efun ni ki e fi fin I‘6ju k’6 ma ojti orun. Ostin mé jé k’6 18 sii Obi ifin ni ki ¢ fi Fin I'6jti k’6 ma Ie sin. Obi ipa ni ki e fi pa ojd ré da si od6 lagbaja. Do not let so-and-so sleep. Idin-does-not-sleep, do not let him sleep. Chalk, do not let him sleep. Camwood, do not let him sleep. 4 White cola nut, spray him on the face so he will not be able to sleep. Red cola nut, turn so-and-so’s face to a place of sleeplessness. c) To cause and avoid nightmares The babaldwo may send nightmares (a/ékdl4) through various @O©OCCCCCCOOCCCOCOCCCCCCECCECCCCCCOCCCCCCCCCCCCCCECCCO999999999999393999993991939999593993939999959395953599599559 ‘THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD - 57 formulae, abild alakdld, (owner-of-nightmare) or conversely protect clients from nightmares by using odgiin aldkalé. First we will deal with sending nightmares. Abilii imé ni Palékalé (to send a nightmare to someone) belongs to odd ogbé oftin (Formula 390). Its incantation invokes a powerful entity called Sigidi, specialized in malevolent nocturnal activ- ities such as killing people while asleep. The formulae covering these activities are classified in the odd already mentioned: odd irosin or idin aisin for which the incantation is: Idin aisin ma jé ki 6 18 sim. Caterpillar-does-not-sleep, do not let him sleep. According to tradition," Sigidi, a nightmarish human form somewhat akin to the European idea of an incubus, follows the orders given by his “owner”, goes and sits on the chest of his enemy to suffocate him. Sigidi can only sit on people while they are asleep. But the person (the current “owner”) who sent him must stay awake (aisdn) until he comes back otherwise Sigidi will come back without having accomplished his mission and then suffocate his “owner”. Against nightmares, odgin aldkélad, there is the antidote belonging to the odii iwori Oftin instructing the communal burning of: ewé akdla ddan (MALACANTHA ALNIFOLIA, Sapotaceae), ajékbbalé, witch-does-not-perch-on-me, (CROTON ZAMBESICUS, Euphorbiaceae), ewé abirikolo, turn-at-once, (HAUMANIASTRUM LILACINUM, Labiatae) and orf aja, the head of a dog, till one has a black powder that must then be rubbed over cuts under the eyes and eaten with cold éko. The incantation is:58 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER Al rere ni t'akéla ddan. : Ajékobalé ¢ mé ba Ié mi. Aja mda gbé won. Isinkté Gran péhinda. i Ow6 te ewé abirikolo. Isinkt érun péhinda. Good dreams are of akala ddan. + Ajékobalé, do not perch on me. Dog, bark after them. Dead in heaven, go back. My hands have touched abirikolo leaves. Dead in heaven, go back. 2. Ogbe iwort The odii ogbé iwori has another name, ogbé wéhin, ogbé- cures-back, ogbé-washes-back or ogbé-looks-back. This odd is related to odgiin éhin diddn, a remedy for backache. Of the nineteen recipes 1 have for this odgiin, twelve are classified in the ogbé wéhin. One of the leaves used in the odgiin é hin (RAPHIOSTYLES BENINENSIS, Icacinaceae), should be ground together with egbo dpe, root of palm-oil tree (ELAEIS GUINEENSIS, Palmae), iyéré, (PIPER GUINEENSE, Piperaceac), and cooked with a snail (gbin) in oil. Add salt and give it to the patient to eat. During the preparation one must say the incantation: in didn is ewé Igbéhin gb’éhin lo. Ehin ki i dun Ope. O©OCCCCCCCOCCCECCCCECCCCCCCCCEOCCCCCCCCOCCCCCCECCOHO933935399999993999939993939359999999395393953955 39939395 THE EFFICACY OF E WORD - 59 Ehin ni iyéré fi i ti igi. Ehin ki i dun ighin. igbéhin, carry away the backache. Ope's back never hurts. Iyéré leans against the tree-with its back The back does not:pain the snail. Anothe recipe requires the grinding together of ewé féjé séhin (CAMPYLOSPERMUM FLAVUM, Ochnaceae), and sixteen seeds of ataare (AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA, Zingiberaceae), rubbing them on sixteen cuts made on the patient’s back, saying the incantation: F8jé schin ba mi wo éhin Ataare ti mi I'¢hin. F8jé shin, help me to cure my back. Meleguetta pepper, back me up. One may also boil ewé jomo oruke in water (CROTON LOBATUS, ceac), ewé opon atakun (UAPACA HEUDELOTH, Euphorbia- éru, (XYLOPIA AETHIOPICA, Annonaceae) and drink it every morning, saying the incantation: Euphor! ceae), ¢ Jomo érake ni f wo éhin san. Opon ba mi pon omo yii dagba. : Eéru k'6 ma jé k’éhin 6 din mi. Jomo éruke cure the back (ache) Opon, help me to carry this child till she becomes old. Eéru, do not let (my) back pain (me)60 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER MAGICAL AND MEDICINAL NAMES 1 In the following examples we shall see how the names given to the leaves bear a relationship to their inherent curative qualities and virtues, reflecting a similar “name-to-result” system that can be found in other cultures. However, sometimes verbal links seem to bé based more on magical reasoning than on direct medical/physical results. In the formula for good luck, awtire orfire, classified in the odti dgtinda sorfire, dgtinda-has-good-luck, one must grind ewé aw6réré (COLA MILLENI, Sterculiaceae), ewé réré (TRICHILIA MONADELPHA,}Melia- ceae), ewé ori (viTEX DONIANA, Verbenaceae), mix them with soap ose, wash one’s head with the resulting mixture and pronounce the following incantation, so rich in assonances that I have shown them in bold type. Aworéré, je ki n se ortire. Ewé réré, jé kin se ortire. : Ogund4 sortire 1°6 ni ki n se ortire. Ori rere ni t’émi. Leaf of awéréré let me have good luck. Réré leaf, let me have good luck Oxgtindé-has-good-luck said that I too should have good luck, Good luck is mine. The oda dgundé ogbé is also called dgtinda egbd (dgtinda- wound-of-knife) within which is classified odgtin egbd ogbé, the recipe to cure knife wound. This uses ewé pogbé pogbé, leaf-killer (of pain) of-knife-wound (CYATHULA PROSTRATA, Amaranthaceae). The same leaf is used to cure ndrun (crawcraw), according to Burkill”. Formula 78 deals with knife wounds and uses the incantation: OOCOOCTCCOCCCCOCOCOCCCCOCOCCCOCCOECCCCCOCCOCCECCCOCE:93939939993993992999339939399993939903395935 395 335 ‘THE EBFICACY OF THE WORD - 61 Pogbé pogbé ba wa wo egbo ogbé san. Ahun bé wa hun ara po. Killer-(of-pain)-of-knife-wound, help us cure the knife wound, Ahin, belp-us-contract (heal) the body. ‘The latex of igi ahiin is mentioned by Burkill” as being used in a bandage against “Calabar swelling”. This same igi ahun is employed in a formula belonging to the odd oftin bara, mixed with snail shell, ikarahun igbin, ground in a mortar with leaves of tannd jOgbé, light-of- fire-burns-out-wound (HosLuNDIA OpposiTA, Labiatae), Dalziel” also describes the treatment of wounds using the juice and fresh leaves of Hostunp1a. The name of the leaves of iktijénjé (DALBERGIA LACTEa, Leguminosae Papilionoideae) means death-let- me-dance and is used in the formula idd4b0b6 1’6w6 ikt, protection from death, classified in the odd dyékd ikujénjo or oyéka duttir on. Its incantation is: Tkijénj6, by8kti ba tirtpén, Ofojénj6, Syéka ba uinipdn. Death-let-me-dance, dyékt meets tirtipan. Loss-let-me-dance, dyékti meets tirti 0 The leaf of méytindiiro, make-pregnancy-remain, (unidentified) is used in a formula to make a pregnancy run smoothly (imi oytin diré), with the incantation: Moytndiiro tété ba mi mi oytin atiro, Make-pregnancy-stay, help me keep the pregnancy.62 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER Without the proper identification of this leaf it is not possible to know if we are dealing with its purely magical use or whethet there is also an underlying medicinal use | The leaf Ortiru, night-has-come (SPATHODEA CAMPANULATA, Bignoceae) is used for curing blindness, odgin ojti fifd, being ground in a mortar with ewé ylnyun (ASPILIA AFRICANA, Compositae), and ewe Od6d6 kun, (COMBRETUM PLATYPTERUM, Combretaceae, leaf flower- of-the-sea). This product must be licked with palm oil while the suppli- cant pronounces the following incantation: i Gbagbé ni driru ri’na. Ari’na d’alé ni ti yényun. Ewé ddéd6 dkun bé mi mii ojii ri. ' Night-has-come to see the light clearly. Yinyun sees light till nightfall. Leaf flower-of -the-sea, help my eyes see the light. The leaf awéfin, white-washes (OLAX SUBSCORPIOIDEA, Ola- naceae) is used to anoint or wash the symbolical elements of the Oris (deities), wiwé Orisa, and is classified in the odi 6wénrin ofiin or ow6nrin woftn, white-washes, using the incantation: Awéfin we funfun, awéfin Orisa. Washes-clean-washes-white, wash the Orisa clean. i The leaf jémo éruke, let-the-child-grow-well (CROTON LORA- TUS, Euphorbiaceae), is used in the odgtin imu dmg d’agba, to make the child grow well (Formula 180). During the preparation one must say the incantation: ‘ oococecoceececococeccocccecoceconceccocccoececce:9272933923939993299999399399979999395995 29999 fs g2900 FICACY OF THE WORD - 63 Jémo oruke jé ki omo mi 6 ruke.” Ordru m jé ki omo mi 6 ri. Ow1ti ni ki omo mi 6 wii d’agba. Let-the-child-grow-well, let my child grow Night-has-come, don't let my child grow weak. Cotton says my child should grow well. This same leaf smo druke is used for treating backaches in young children, odgiin éhin didin omodé, and is classified in the same odit ogbé iwori or ogbé wéhin, ogé-cures-the-back (ache) referred to in Formula 179. The incantation used for this infusion is: J6mo 6ruke ni i wo éhin Opén ba mi pon omo yit d’agba Eéri k’6 ma jé ki chin 6 din in. Let-young-child-grow-well always cures back (ache). Opén, help me to carry this child (so that he may) become old. Eéru, do not let the back pain him. The same leaf CROTON LOBATUS is known under the name of érimogalé, he-who-makes-the-child-grow. It is used in formulae which deal with questions of pregnancy, such as the remedy made to guarantee that a child is born, irOmobi. This is classified in the oda ogbé dtiripén, or ogbé témopén, ogbé-carries-a-child-on-the-back, already spoken of. In this case, érimdgalé is boiled in water with ewé Ggungun Ogun, the silk cotton tree (CEIBA PENTANDRA, Bomba- caceae). The infusion is given to the pregnant woman to drink. Its incantation is :64 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER Egungun dgun ba mi bi omo mi. Eriimogalé ba mi bi omo mi. Egungun ogun, help me to bear my child. Eramogalé, help me to bear my child. The same arémobi with the same ewé érimdgale is used in Formula 225. Its incantation is: Arakobalé nii tin omo se. ‘ Eramégale j’6mo 6 ru gale. Eéra jé ki omo 6 ru. | Body-does-not-rest, restore the child’s health. He-who-makes-the-child-grow, let the child grow quickly. Eérai, let the child grow. In order to retain the pregnancy, imu oytin diréd, there is a recipe classified in the odd Owénrin iwori or Owénrin bi iwori,using the same ewé ériimOgalé pounded with the same ééri and es with black soap, ose dtidti, with which the pregnant woman should wath her body. Its incantation is : Eramogalé ba mi mi oytin ri s’6ké. Eérit ba mi mioyiin yif d’agba He-who-makes-the-child-grow, help me to carry out this pregnancy. Eéri, help me to let this pregnancy develop. QPOCGCOGVDOOOOGCONCOCOSCOOCHOOCOCOCOCOCOOCAOCEOOOGCCOOOCCOOTE:DEED Deo Dee HOLE Los LETH OTD aO obey 3 DD IDEO OHI OLED, CHAPTER 2 OPPOSITIONS BENEFICENT AND EVIL WORKS The different formulae given by the babaldwo and herbalists cover a large choice of medicinal remedies and magical works, that have both negative and positive effects. It is rather difficult to separate formulae that belong to the medicinal field from those that belong to the magical field, as they are profoundly intertwined. To start with I will list works made to beg evil favours, or “evil works” (abila), and also list protective works, or antidotes (iddabdbo). Diseases and accidents Abilti irdn onigbé méji si éniyan, to send diarrhea and vomiting to someone, one can use the Formula 399. To complete the effect, pour some of this preparation on the threshold of the door. But there is also a recipe to cure diarrhea and vomiting, odgiin onighd méji, 1 have two formulae which are very much alike. Use ewé aginmdna trample-to- know-the-way (CULCASIA SCANDENS, Araceae), and odidi ataare (AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA, Zingiberaceae), to which is. added in one formula an ewé agbado (ZEA MAYs, Gramineae) (Formula 112), and in the other a partridge feather, iyé apard. Burn all this to obtain a black powder and store it in a small calabash, making one hole on top and66 another on the bottom. Then seal it shut. In a very symbolic manner, extract the powder from the upper side to combat vomiting and from the lower side to combat diarrhea. In both cases the patient should eat the recipe with cold éko. During the preparation, pronounce the incantation : Agbado ki 6.gba mi l’6w6 arin, : : : i Climb-to-know-the-way, do not let the disease climb on me. Maize, rescue me from the hand of disease. Abili ifi ndrun si éniyan, to send crawcraw disease to someone, one can use Formula 385 classified in the odti ogbé irdsiin.This nérun disease has the privilege of being the first disease to appear onfearth, following a story classified in the dangerous odil 6ftin 6kanran or Ofiran ékun, leopard-teaser. | must say to the credit of the babalawo and herbalists that while | was given only one abilu (aggressive work) to cause this disease, I was provided with 26 formulae of odgun to cure it. Two of them are published in this book, belonging to the odi 6wdnrin méji, Formula 68, and odii ogbé os4, Formula 69. Here are two more, the first belonging to the odd) dturd iwori: grind together ewé itakiin aran (FLABELLARIA PANICULATA, Malpighia- ceae), ewé oj oldgbd (ABRUS PRECATORIUS, Leguminosae Papilionoi- deae), ewé efun ilé (EVOLVULUS ALSINOIDES, Convolvulaceae), and eat the preparation mixed with cold éko. Its incantation is: i takin arin k’6 ba ni ran an kiiro. Ojté Slégb6 ki i jé ki ibi-6 ri ni. Efun ile ma jé ki 6 le fin mi. OCOCCCCCOCCCCCCCCCCOCOCCCCCCOCOCCCCCOCOCCCCCOCCCE:iD DDno HOR) tote Eo ie not ETO Eo TO EEO Ld ED nO TOs DEE OTe). OPPOSITIONS - 67 Itakin aran, do send the disease away from us. Ojié oldgbo, do not let the evil see us. Efun ilé, do not let the disease press me down. The second formula belongs to the odti ika 6 pound together ewé okiin epd (IPOMOEA OBSCURA, Convolvulaceae), dépo, bark of péridérd (KIGELIA AFRICANA, Bignoniaceae), a good amount of ordgbd (GaRCINIA KoLa, Guttiferae), ata gidi (ZANTHOXYULUM SENEGALENSE, Rutaceae), and ‘strong potash), and eat it with hot éko. Its incantation i Ewé oktn epo pa narun k’6 ku. Périd6rd pa ndrun k’6 ku. Orégb6 gbé narun kuré. Kan-tin biléla kan an dani. Leaf okdn epo kill ndrun so that it dies. Péridoro kill nérun so that it dies. Ordgbé carry narun away. Strong potash knock it out. Abilti idé nilésé, to make someone break his/her.leg or arm. The recipe belongs to the odd irdsiin Ogtindé or irésiin géda, irdstin-pounds- the-rat-in-a-mortar (éd4) Formula 383. Its conterpart, odgiin eegun didé, to mend broken bones, belongs to the od iwori Oftin, Formula 91. Rain (6j6) The question of the rain-makers and the rain-restrainers seems to generate great controversy among Europeans, but the power of rain doc-68 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER tors seems to be quite accepted in a great part of Africa, including inYoruba land. Formulae to ee these effects are used by the babali- wo to make rain fall, imi 0 rO or aw6jo, and to stop the rain, inti ojo dur6. These are both considered beneficent works, in spite of their antag- onistic actions and in spite of the fact that what is good for some people, and called awdie, is bad for others and ought to be called abilii. Awitire imi j6 rd or aw6jo, to make the rain fall or “puller of rain”, belongs to the odi 6 ira Osé, Formula 370. The incantation is: T'omi t’omi l’éf06 bo oja. 5 ma domi. S ri ij nda w’ayé. Obara 636 waa lo r8é 96 ri Oj6 nda wa'le. Together with water the vegetables come dripping to the market. We do not keep salt without it becoming water. Obara O86, go along and direct the rain to earth. Obara Osé, go along and direct the rain to the ground. Belonging to the odi dttird ogbé, also called dtira oldjé or turd eréji, Ottrd-owner-of-rain, there is the work that requires one to pound together ewé oldjongbddd, owner-of-rain-gets-Gdti (COMMELINA ERECTA, Commelinaceae), and a freshly killed and skinned frog akéré. Draw the odd with iyérosin and mix the pounded substances and the iyérosin with palm wine, ému. Then put the iyérésin on Esi, draw the odi again and recite the following incantation: B’akéré ba I’égidié, a l’6mi I’éhin ese T'6j6 t’ériin omi ki f tan nin ol6j méjeéji hin. | igbodi. Emu ni k’6o fi m’&ji néa wayé Id 0. 1 ococccoocccoccccecoceccoccccecoccececcoccecoccceOl Diao Deo Po iH) HOt i HOT ate Et HHO LTE a OnE OH p OTOH OHO: OPPOSITIONS - 69 Otiid eréji ni k’6o fi 187j6 ile. If a striped frog jumps out of the river, it will have water on its two hind legs. During both wet and dry seasons water does not end inside ol6jorigbodi, Ifa, use palm wine to bring the rain to earth. Otéé-of rain, you should untie rain and let it fall to the ground. Awéire imd 6j6 diiré is the work to stop the rain, belonging to odu ogbé oyéki. Burn together ewé ékikd (CYNOMETRA MANII, Leguminosae Caesalpinoideae) and ewé oktinkiin (PALMAE sp.). Put the offering in a broken pot and add ashes, then place it on the roof or an open space facing the sky. Curses (épé) An important and frightening activity performed by the babald- wo is to help someone put a curse on another person, sépé so or épé isépélé éni) Epé isépélé éniyan, to put a curse on someone, belongs to the odii ogbé irété, Formula 401, while id4abébo I’Sw6 épé, protection from being cursed, belongs to the dangerous oda iri ektin. Pound together in a mortar the fruit and leaves of aidan (TETRAPLEURA TETRAPTERA, Leguminosae Mimosoideae), the bark and the leaves of odén (Ficus spp., Moraceae) and ewé ttidé (CALLIANDRA PORTORICENSIS, Leguminosae Mimosoideae), mix the preparation with black soap ose didi and wash the body with it. The second recipe belongs to the oda oftin iwori or Oftin wore, 6ftin-looks-well, Formula 426. Its incantation is: The protecting counterpart is idéababo '6w6 épé10) - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER Wa ba mi pa épé ti w6n fi mi sé yii. Sawerepépé ba mi pa elépé fiin mi. : Come help me to kill the curse that they put on me. Sawerepépé, help me kill the one who sent me a curse. Judicial cases (¢j6 or dran) The babaldwo are able to help a person take another person to court, iff eni s’€j6, as well as to Protect someone already involved ina judicial process idéabobo I’¢ “ aféran, Once again, if I was given one aggressive formula, I was alven eighteen t to defend against an aggressor. ‘ 6, “to push someone into a judicial process”, Formula 384, is classified in the dangerous odit ini ektin, idéabobo I’6w6 &j6, “protection from a case”, or af@ran, “free oneself from the judicial case” belongs to the odit (0, oftid-owner-of-case-in-court: Pound together ewé agbawi kowéeé, interpreter- of-kowéé-bird (MILLETTIA THONNINGII, Leguminosae Papilionoideae) and ewé d6rd, that-which-disappears (RAU- VOLFIA VOMITORIA, Apocynaceae) and eat them with cold éko. Its incantation is: , or to free someone from a case, Agbawi kowéé yié gba t'émi wi. i Ora 16 ni ki 6rd nda k’6 ra. | Interpreter-of-kowéé-bird will speak on my behalf. i That-which-disappears said that the case should disappear. { Another recipe belonging to the odd ogbé onird or ogbé-alara, also called ogbé késéj6, ogbé-there-is-no-judicial-process, Formula 301 has the following incantation: ooocecccoccoeccececeecececooocceccocooccocccce:99339999999999993999939999953399939595395 0 a oO a a oO oa oO ao oO OPPOSITIONS - 71 Ogbé aléra bd mi gbé oran yii ra. Gbégi ni ki 6 fi gbécré. Akdfé ni ti agbon Ataté ni ti gb Ahont I’eésiin ho. Oxgbé aldré, help me to make this case be forgotten. Use gbégi to make it be forgotten. To crack the case is agbon’s (coconut), destiny. Gbégi will never be overcome. The noise made by eésiin is,harmless The third belongs to the odi iw6ri Okanran and requires one to burn together ewé abésokord (PYCNOBOTRIA NITIDA, Apocy- naceac), ewé ard (CRrossoPpTEeRYXx FEBRIFUGA, Rubiaceae) and ewé alupayida, (URARIA PICTA, Leguminosae Papilionoideae) and then rub the black powder obtained on the head using the following incantation: Abésok6r6 k’6ran lo. Ar 16 ej lo. Aliipayida pa ibi ej6 da. Abésok6r6, carry the case away. Aré, send the case away. Altipayida, cancel the bad case. To kill a wife’s lover (agin) Formulae exist both to kill a wife’s lover (magun) or to be pro-72 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER ' tected from it, idéabobo I’6w6 magin. The magun belongs to the odd ogbé Okanran, Formula 404. The iddabobo I’6w6 magin belongs to the odi dsé 6di, Formula 440. Evil (/bi) 1 Twas given seven formulae to bring someone evil, inin ipi si éniyan, and 36 formulae to protect against acts of evil, iddabébo ’6w6 ibi. 4 Irdn ibi si éniyan belongs to the odit ottré méji, Formula 398. Its incantation is: Ija oké ni ki w6n mda bd ldmorin ja. Abirikolo jé ki lémorin 6 mda bind. Ottid méji ti ija ba a. Heavenly-fight said that they must fight with so-and-so. Turn-around, allow so-and-so to be constantly angry. Ota méji, let him fight. idéabdbo I’6w6 ibi, “protection against evil”, belongs té the oda 6ftin méji, Formula 430. Akéjé wogbé omo Ogun. ' Osri fégé Aldkan gbariri wosa ni f se omo Ilésédjikan. Gbégbé 16 ni ki ire 6 maa ghé ow6 mi. : Eéw6 orisa omi ilé aldkan ki i dana. é omo Al6ran. OCCOCOCOCOCCCCOCCCCCOOCCCOCCCCCOCCECCCCCCCCCOCCCCO:933993993339 339993939999993939999999999993939595959" OPPOSITIONS 73 He-who-takes-dog-into-the-bush, child of Oguin. Ori tree, vast child of Aléran’s b Crabs-that-rush-noisily-into-their-holes are the sons of Iloséojikan. Gbégbé said that fortune should stay in my hands. Orisa. prohibits this, the water inside a crab shell never leaks. ss. Death (iki) We have nine formulae to kill people, which we are not going to give, but we are giving one of the twelve formulae that protect against death, idéabobo I'6w6 iki, belonging to dguin called dguinda ikti, Ogundé-death. Grind together ewé ékikir (SESAMUM RADIATUM, Pedaliaceae), ewé akisan (TRIANTHEMA PORTULACASTRUM, Aizoaceae) and agidi magbdyin (Spa acuta, Malvaceae) and eat them with cold éko for a week or two. Its incantation is: Ekikii dgéréré 16 ni k’ibI Akisan 16 ni k’dyé 6 san. Olorun ti’kin a 6 ki. Owo te wé agidimagbayin. Olgrun a ti’kain. Ekikt smoothly said that evil flows far away. Akisan said that life will be good. Ol6run will shut the door, we will not die. The hand touches the leaf agidimaghayin. Olgrun will shut the door.74 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER STIMULANTS AND TRANQUILIZERS Both babalawo and herbalists have formulae to stimulate® the body and mind, or calm them”. Stimulants belong to different kinds and grades, ranging from mental stimulants, isoyé, to stimu- lants of virility, aremg, and body stimulants, marale or imi ara le. Those stimulants are calmed by odgiin érd stimulants which are able to make people act as if they are crazy, imé ni se wéré, antidotes that protect against this craziness, iddabobo | were. But there are also super- Ow6 were, and remedies that cure craziness, odgun Good memory (isdyé)* I was given 36 formulae for isdyé, 16 of them belongihg to the odi Obara iwori, also called Obara akoyé, Sbara-collects-under- standing. Out of the 40 plants used to make different formulae for isdyé, 21 have syllables in their names which are linked to notions of memory or intelligence: yé, to understand; md, to know; ran (or ranti), to remember; gb¢, to hear and gbén, to be wise. Here is a list of them: | ayé (makes one understand) iyé (memory) iyé ataare (memory, alligator pepper) iyeyé (to understand and live) kéyéjo (focus memory) POCOOCCCOCCCOCCCCCCCCOCCCCCOOCCCCCCCCOCOCCCCCCCC99299999939399955 DOE, Dies HOLE DR EEO tO.» 23 5 Js aot eo HD OPPOSITIONS - 75 oniyéniyé (master of knowledge) oye (understanding) yéyé (understand) abo imo (female wisdom) éémé (that sticks in one’s memory) im6 6pé (knowledge, palm tree) 6mé (knowledge) alaran (reminds) dparan (to beat to remember) €éran (remembrance) ééran ésin (memory like that of a horse) iran (remembrance) ogb6 (you hear) We must also add, agbérigbédé (raise-head-to-understand-lan- guage) and a rat that is part of the formulae, eku émé ( rat-you-put-to- memory). There is a formula for isdyé belonging to the odii ébara iwori, also called odi Obara akoyé, Obara-collects-understanding, Formula 345. Its incantation is: Agbérigbédé ba mi gbé iyé t’émi fin mi Oniyéniyé ba mi ko iyé v’émi fin mi Atori ba mi to iyé Vémi fin mi Iyé tara ni t’ejo Raise-head-to-understand-language, bring my memory to me. Master-of-knowledge, help me to collect my memory. Atéri, help me to place my memory. Sharp memory is characteristic to the snake.16 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER i Virility (aremo) In aremo, the focus is placed on a more physical trait. We shall see formulae belonging to the odti dyékii méji for awakening a dead penis, a formula belonging to the odti ogbé ddi, also called ogbé kaké or ogbé life, ogbé-strong, and another formula belonging to the odir Ogtinda dsé to have plenty of semen. Other formulae celebrate the result of the formulae listed above: to have many children, belonging to the odd 8? ogbé, ogbé-puts-a-child-on-the-back; belonging to the odi ogbé dtinipdn, also called ogbé témopén, of which we have already spoken; and oda 6ftin dtird, also called dftin olémo s6 add, dftin-owner-of- child-throws-knife. Belonging to the odd dyéka méji, to-awaken-a-dead-penis: burn together ewe ajaltigbordégan, beat-to-stand-erect (TRISTEMA LIT- TORALE, Melastomaceae), the fruit of aliigbdak6, kick-penis-stroigly (unidentified) and ataare (AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA, Zingiberaceae). Mix the black powder so obtained and eat it with hot éko. Its incan- tation is : Ajaligborégan gb’6ké gan. i Alagbdak6 gb’6k6 gan. 3 Alaare ki 6 tari ré s’6de. Beat-to-stand-erect, make the penis hard. Kick-penis-with-force, make the penis hard. May ataare push it out. ‘ Belonging to the odii ogbé ddi, also called ogbé kaka or ogbé Tile, ogbé-strong, there is Formula 30. Its incantation is: SOCCOOCCOOCOCCOOCCCCOCOCCOCOCOCOCCCCCCOCCCOCCCCCCC:OPPOSITIONS - 7 Opastipa ni i pe omo wa. Agbonyin gbé omo wa. Ogéngan jé ki omo se dgangan mi Killer-of-pain, call the children (to come). Carry-goodness, bring the children (to come). Straight, let the children come straight to me. Belonging to the odti dgtindé ds, to have plenty of semen: pound together ewé afato, puller-of-semen (CANAVALIA sp., Leguminosae Papilionoideae), the root of Ogb616 (GREWIA vENUSTA, Tiliaceae), ewé ésisi funfun (TRAGIA BENTHAMI, Euphorbiaceae) and kan-tn biléla (strong potash). Dry it, mix it with hot éko and drink it. Its incantation is Afato bé mi fa ato wa. Esisi '6 ni ki n ni ato. Ogb6l6 1’6 ni ki ni ato. Kan-tin bildlé la ato omo si mi lara. Puller-of-semen, help me to pull the semen over here. Esisi said that I must have semen. Ogb6I6 said that I must have semen. Strong potash, open the way for the semen into my body so that I may have children. Belonging to the od éjiogbé there is the recipe to obtain virili- ty that requires one to grind together the fruit of obi garé or obi edun (COLA MILLENII, Sterculiaceae), ewé odyd (CORCHORUS OLITORIUS, Tiliaceae), éso ild (ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS, Malvaceae), ewé ékuka (CERATHOTECA SESAMOIDES, Pedaliaceae), the root of ininirin (unidenti- fied) and kan-tin bildla. Eat it with hot ék6. Its incantation is: oO oO oO oO oO a ° ° c ° o ° ° oO ° a ° 0 ° ° ° a a ° o ° a oO 0 co o 0 o 5 a 9 o a 0 ° o 0 oO o °78 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER ‘ Eso obi garé jé ki omo k’6 po ftin mi. Omo yoyo ni t6 dy6. Bi odtin bé dé ilé 4 bi'mo. Ewé ékukit ki i wa omo ti. Omo weere ni ininirin. Fruit of cola géré, let there be plenty of children for me. j O6y6 always has plenty of children. As soon as New Year comes the okra plant gets new children. The ékuku leaf never lacks children. Ininirin is always blessed with little children. ogbé-place-child-on-back: pound together ewé oytin ninti, pregnincy- inside (DYSCHORISTE PERROTTETTH, Acanthaceae), Opd iréké, sugarcane (SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM, Gramineae), the fruit of aidan (TETRA- PLEURA TETRAPTERA, Leguminosae Mimosoideae) and dry fruit of ilé (ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS, Malvaceae). Extract the water, two spoon- fuls of which must be drunk by the man every sixth day. | 4 The recipe belongs to the odii éjiogbé and requires one to pound together eleven orégbo (GARCINIA KOLA, Guttiferae), eleven ataare (AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA, Zingiberaceae), allibésa eléwé (ALLIUM AESCA- LONICUM, Liliaceae), roots of ifon (OLAX SUBSCORPIOIDEA, Olacaceae), root of ipeta (SECURIDACA LONGIPEDUNCULATA, Polygalacaceae), root of 6rtiwo (MorINDA LUCIDA, Rubiaceae), the bark of parid6rd (KIGELIA (fish), four addn (fruit-bats), four To make the body powerful (mdrale or imu ara Ie) AFRICANA, Bignoniaceae), four-eja Oj! DOCOCOCCOOCCOOCOCCCOCOCOCCOOCCOCCCCCCOCCCOCOCCCCOOPPOSITIONS - 79 agemo (chameleons), and kén-tin biléla (strong potash). Dry everything and mix with hot éko, to be drunk every morning, Its incantation is: De) 2) enor ei 1 at ct ers 23 999999939595359993993 Agh6 Pagbara I’6régb6 gb6 Agb6 6 s’aisan ni ti ataare 6 Ifon ni ki ¢ fi fon arin ara lagbajé. Artin ki i se ifn ki 6 mé Ie rim ka igbo. Antn ki i se ipeta ki 6 ma le rin ka Aliibdsa ni ki e fi sa arin ara ldmorin jade ki 6 méa l'agbéra. Patidor6 1’6 ni ki cegun 18 6 ji. -Ortiw6 lo réé ru gbogbo aisan Kurd I’éra 18. Nijoojimé l’6jfjt jf péré péré. Ako kan-un ni ki ¢ fi kan gbogbo arin ara ré dana. Iyéré I’6 ni k’6 méa ji péré péi Adén I’6 ni k’6 méa ji péré péré. Agemo dé aldw6 aw6 gba aw6 ti ké déra ktird I’éraa mi. Ripeness-has-power is ordgbé that is ripe. Alaare 6risa ripens without becoming diseased Remove this person’s disease with ifon. Tfon is never ill to the point that he is unable to smell the forest. Ipéta is never ill to the point that he is unable to smell the desert. Remove this preson’s disease with a small onion so that he can become strong. Parid6r9 said that his bones will wake up. Ontiwo, go remove all disease from his body. The 6jiji fish completely wakes up every day.- PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER Expell all disease with strong potash that has masculine strength. Iyéré said that he will completely wake up. Fruit-bat said that he will completely wake up. Chameleon-owner-of-colour, take the bad colour out of my body. Softness, calm [antidote] (ér0) Strong recipes such as odgiin akg can be neutralized by the anti- dote odgiin érd, that brings calmness and gentleness. One of these recipes belongs to the odt irdsiin dtéripon, also called irdsun (fresh) tuti, Formula 199, uses the following incantation: Elés6 més6 9 témi. iso és6 n’6 fi gbalé yii Iwo won. Jémoniho 6 ni ki ¢ jé mi nihdo. Diindiin ni ti odtindiin. Tuth ni ti te. : Erow66 ni ti wodrow6. | Ero ni ti ikipérd ' Leaf-owner-of-gentleness, bring me gentleness. Gently I will take their land. Awaken-child (all-is-well) tell them you must say yes. Odindtin is always calm. Teété is always fresh. W66rdw6 is always fresh and calm. | Ikiipéro is always fresh and calm. : DODOOCCOOCOCOCOCOCCOCCCOOCOOCCCCOCOCOCOCCCCCOCOCCECH:99999579: 39 99399D93939979399990999909909 ODdIoO9D5NI5955 OPPOSITIONS - 81 Madness (weré) Some stimulants produce extremely powerful energy, which are capable of making people go insane, by affecting their equilibrium. The babaldwo and herbalists use the formulae to provoke and cure madness. Abili imi ni se wéré, to make someone go insane. The Formula 393 belongs to the odii 6sé ottird and uses the incantation: Igb6 a bi iyi mo I’6ri birt lo yi lémorin I6ri. Gbogboise a bi ise’mo niwin warawara. ni ki opolo limorin 6 riti 0. 1'6 mii abi iké mo léyi biri. K’6yi were 6 méa k6 lémorin. Nijojtimd l'omikan kan Ikanra ni ki lémorin 6 méa ba kiri. Igbo which turns a child's head, go immediately and turn so-and-so’s head. Gbogborise makes a child quickly lose his head. Isumeri says that so-and-so’s brain should be polluted. Leaf of fresh tobacco, make the child giddy at once. May giddiness and madness seize so-and-so. Bitter water is forever bitter. So-and-so must wander about in low spirits. Oodgun wéré, medicine to cure madness, belongs to the oda dw6nrin iwori, also called odi Ow6nrin wéré. Grind the root of apaweré, killer-of-madness (RAUVOLFIA VOMITORIA, Apocynaceae), ewé éékanndasé adyie, claw-of-hen (PORTULACA QUADRIFOLIA, Portula- caceae) and kan-tin bildla, strong potash. Mix them together with anN02 - PIERRE PATUMBI VERGER European brew, for example gin (otf oyibd). Drink a cup daily saying the incantation: ! Eékanndsé adyie ki i sinwin. Ata pupa ni ipa iwin. Killer-of-madness, cure this madness, Claw-of-hen is not mad. Red pepper kills madness. Another formula for an odgtin wéré, Formula 201, is remark- able because among the plants used, outside the RAUVOLFIA VOMITORIA already mentioned, we find SaBicea CaLycina,Rubiaceae which is used in Europe as a tranquilizer. Babalawo sometimes mix stimulant plants with tranquilizer plants to make people go mildly insane, imi ni se wéré, as in a recipe belonging to the odii 6gdndd Okanran where ewé poporidd (PHASEOLUS LUNATUS, Leguminosae Papilionoideae) which may also be used, though this makes people rather aggressive. It is used in a formula iran Esii pa éniyan, send-Esi-kill-someone but may be tempered by ewe asoféyeje, fruit-eaten-by-the-bird, alternative for RAUVOLFIA vowTo- RIA, Ground tobacco, taba, NICOTINA TABACUM is added. Burn the ingre- dients to make a black powder that must be blown off the palm of one’s hand. DOOCHECOCOOCOCHOOCSCCOCCCOCTOCCCOECCTCCOCCOOCoSCKE:Deo) OD D492) Do 4) oo O01) ao 211 EH ED PO TOE Oe CHAPTER 3 WORKS MOST ASKED FOR OPULENCE Babalawo are often asked to help people realize their earthly desires for all that is opulent, which in case of the Yoruba, means a desire for money, wives and children. To have money (awiiré ow6 nini) ‘The desire to have money seems rather obvious when we consider that we were given no less than 161 formulae towards this desirable end. The majority of these preparations, 106 in total, consist in grinding or pounding certain types of leaves and combining the result with black soap, ose diidti with which money seekers must wash themselves. Sixteen formulae are prepared by burning the leaves until a black powder is obtained, that one must then eat with cold éko, lick with oil, drink with ott oyibé, (gin) or rub on cuts made in the wrist. In another 32 formulae the leaves are cooked and eaten with a pigeon (eyelé), with oil and salt, with snails (igbin), with fish éja ard, and with eggs. One recipe requires one to mix the plant with shea butter (6ri) and rub the product over the body. Some others are more elaborate and seek the protection of Esi, or of iyami ds6rénga, the witch. Here is one formula of this, awiire ows nini, belong-4 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER ing to the odt Ogbé irété also called Ogbé moléwé labira, ogbé-I-have- money-in-pocket, or ogbé alahéré ow6, ogbé owner-of -hut-for-money. Pound together ewé pérégtin (DRACAENA FRAGRANS, Agavaceae) and imi 9j6 pupa (red sulphur). Mix them with 9s¢ dtidi, black soap, and wash with it while reciting the incantation: Astiré p'ajé. Adi girigiri p'ajé. Ord ap'ajé ma ye ohiin. Péréguin ni { pe irinmolé I'it’dde drun w'iyé. Pérégiin wa lo réé pe ajé temi wa 'ét'de Grun. Run call richness. Rush furiously call richness. Speech call richness without failing. Pérégtin calls 400 gods from beyond to come to earth. Pérégtin go and call my richness from beyond. To marry women and to be loved by them (awiire iféran obinrin) I have been given 44 formulae to obtain a wife and be loved by her, from which I have extracted the following, belonging to the odit Oturtipon ogbé. Pound together ewé abo dédo (TAPINANTHUS HETEROMOR- puus, Loranthaceae), ewé GdOfin igbo (TRICHILIA PRIEURIANA, Meliaceae) and ewé Jdali (LAWSONIA INERMIS, Lythraceae). Mix them with ose dudu, black soap, with which one should wash, reciting the incantation: Abo dad6 ni i férin dodo. Odéfin igh6 ni i féran ighd. Laali ni i féran ows Ile. ocoocoooocccoocococococecccccoocececcccooccocca93399993935933339999999993933939999939993399399335559 WORKS MOST ASKED FOR - 85, Abo déd6 tikes making love. Chief-of-forest likes the forest. Laali likes a strong hand. Belonging to the odil ika oftin, Formula 338. Its incantation is: Soboh8¢ 6 ni ki obinrin se 6bd héé han mi. Ob6 ladyie se héé han akiko. Opens-vagina said that woman should show open vagina to me. Hen-opens-vagina and shows it to the rooster. [To get] children (ibimo) Ihave been given 175 formulae that deal with the desire to have children. Included in these are remedies to ease conception, odgiin imi obinrin I'éydn, guarantee pregnancy or avoid termination, odguin imi oyin duird, and ease child-birth, odgin awébi, classified in great num- ber in ogbé dttinipdn and also called ogbé tin omo pon for which the incantation is: Oxgbé stiré pon mo. Ogbé tin omo pon. Ogbé run put a child on back. Ogbé put again a child on back. | puts-the-child-more-conveniently-in-his-place (that she carries on her back) or even ogbé abiyamo, ogbé-mother-of-child.86 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER The expression gbgmopdn, “to carry a child on the back” alludes to the notion of happy maternity; it could be related to the word igbadi, the strip of leather containing charms which promote fertility, which some Yoruba ladies wear round their waists. It is the symbol used by a married woman, even before having a child, in order to make a show of her new status and as a promise to have numerous children. Children are considered as being the greatest symbol of wealth in a Yoruba family. They are the guarantee of the continuation of the lineage. Women, when they walk in groups along the streets, during days of festi “money, money, the child is profitable”. Gbémopén is the name of a plant (DysCHORISTE PERROTTETTH, Acanthaceae). It is also called ponmo sé é on-back, or omoni séséki, child-just-saluted or even oytin nind, |the- pregnancy-is-in-the-womb, showing the links between the plant and notions dealing with young children and childbirth. The incantations of the gbémopén plant for these remedies are: : ies, proclaim this in their songs: ow6d, ow6d, omo Téré, éki-carries-a- -child- Ewé ghémop6n ki i féhin silé Idi ponmo. Leaf-carry-a-child-on-back cannot leave her back bare without carrying a child. : Séséki ki i ji k'6 m6 ponmo. | i Séséki cannot awake without carrying a child on back. Odoodiin ni omo sés8ki i ponmo. Each year, child-just-saluted puts a child on the back. Here are two formulae to help get a woman pregnant imébinrin ocoocococccococccooececeoeocoocececoceececccce:Dio oa oie Oai) Dap Laotian DEO i) uno tht ae to! WORKS MOST ASKED FOR - 87 loyun classified in the odi ogbé turdpén given to me by two different babalawo. In the first, Formula 236, ewé omoni séséki (DYsCHORISTE PER- rotterti, Acanthaceae) and ewé éém¢é (DESMODIUM VELUTINUM, Leguminosae Papilionoideae) are ground and cooked with eku émé, a rat (PRAOMYS TULBERGIA) i oil and salt and given to the woman to eat. In the second, ewé gbdmopén (the same DISCHORISTE PERROTTETTH) and the same rat eku émé are used in the same manner and eaten by the woman the first day of her menstruation. In these formulae, the presence of éémé (whose fruit stick to clothes and animals fleece) and the rat émé are explained in the incan- tations by the “acting verb” m4, (to stick): Ewé é6m6 I'6 ni k’éyun 6 mo omnini, Leaf of éémmd said that the pregnancy should stay in her womb. The same incantation is used for the rat émd. But there is anoth- er proverb for it which illustrates its prolific nature and in which the assonance émé resembles omg: Qi6 kewad a ba ri emé la & ri omo Fé. Ten days after having seen the ém6 (rat), we see its child (omo). POWER The babaldwo may also help people attain their desire to remain on earth for a long time, to have good luck and to be victorious over their enemies.88 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER To stay long on earth (ipé I'éyé) : Here are a few formulae out of the 36 that were given to me, that belong to the oda éjiogbé. Mix together ewé asogbdsaté, maker-of- old-age, (DiOSCOREA HIRTIFLORA, Dioscoreaceae), ewe 810, last long (DRACAENA SURCULOSA, Agavaceae), ewé adpé, we-should-live- long (CELTIS INTEGRIFOLIA, Ulmaceae). Burn them to make afblack powder that must be eaten daily with hot éko, reciting the incantation: Asogbésaté se mi ki'n ghd, se mi ki n t6. Adpé se mi ki n pé l'ayé. Et6 jé ki n t6. Maker-of-old-age make me live to be old, make me last long. We-should-live-long make me stay long on earth. Last-long let me last long. t Belonging to the same odti éjiogbé: Gather together ewé awayé méakini, come-to-earth-and-not-dic, (DRACAENA LAXISSIMA, Agavaceae), ewé ar6, (CROSSOPTERYX FEBRIFUGA, Rubiaceae), ewé ddpé, we-shall- live-long, (CELTIS INTEGRIFOLIA, Ulmaceae). Grind them and rub them into 21 cuts made on the head, reciting the incantation: Awayé makid k6 ni jé ki émi 6 kié ni kékeré, Aépé 16 ni ki emi 6 pé I'ayé Ar6 1'6 ni ki émi 6 r6.mé ayé. Come-to-earth-and-not-die do not !et me die in youth. We-should-live-long said that I will stay long on earth. Ard, said that I will cling to life. OCOCOCOOOCOCCOCECCOCOCCCOCOCOCOCCOCOCOCCCOCCCCOCDeo aed DOr eed oo ea eet nie Toe 2? WORKS MUST ASKED FOR - se Belonging to same odi éjiogbé: Grind ewé agbohews dhaha, we-become-old-with-plenty-white-hair, (HOSLUNDIA OPposITA, Labiatae), and cook it with a snail, (igb/n), cut into sixteen pieces, then add salt and oil and eat it at night saying the ofo: Agbohewti ohaha ni témin 6 gb6 gbo ghd. N’6 hewdi ohaha, ag hewsi ohaha. We-become-old-with-plenty-white-hair I will grow old. We-become-old-with-plenty-white-hair I will have plenty white hair. Good luck (oriire) I was given 71 formulae for this, some of them belong to the od 6gunda ogbé, also called oginda soriire, Ogtindd-has good-luck. The two formulae given below both belong to that od. Collect ewé gbawdjo, gather-money-together, (ACALYPHA CILIATA, Euphorbiaceae), ewé ajé, “money”, (AERVA LANATA, Amaranthaceae), ewé akisan, we-salute-comfort, (TRIANTHEMA PORTULACASTRUM, Aizoaceae). Pound them with imi oorin pupa (red sulphur), mix them with ose diidt, black soap which one must use to wash oneself with. Its incantation is GbAwéjo ba mi gb4 ow6 jo. Gbogbo ara l'ajé fi i s ows. Akisan ni ki 6 san mi. Gather-money-together help me to gather money together. Money-makes-money with all parts of its body. We-salute-comfort said that I should be comfortable.90 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER Collect ewé aw@ rere, promoter-of-goodness, (COLA MILLENII, Sterculiaceae), ewé rere, “goodness”, (SENNA OCCIDENTALIS, Leguminosae Caesalpinioideae), ewé ori, that-sinks, (ViTEX DONIANA, Verbenaceac). Grind them, mix them with ose dtidd, black soap, and use it to wash head while saying the following incantation: jé ki mi se ortire. Ewé rere I'6 ni ki mi se orfire. Oguindé sorfire 'o ni ki mi se oriire. Ori rere ni témi. Promoter-of-goodness let me have good luck. Leaf-of-goodness said that I will have good luck. Ogtindé -has-good-luck said that I will have good luck. Good luck is mine. Victory over an enemy (iségun Ota) Belonging to the same od ogbé 6: ogbe-victorious. Bring together ewé abafin, we-meet-albinos, (RINOREA sp., Violaceae), odidi ataare, (AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA, Zingiberaveae), and a rat, eku éliri. Burn them all to make a black powder that is ribbed into 21 cuts made on the head. Its incantation is: Abafin ba mi ségun dtd mi. Liti liri ni éliri fi i sdégun ota ré. We-meet-albinos, help me to be victorious over my enemy. Little by little is éliri victorious over his enemy. OCCOCOCOCOCCCCOCOCOCOCCCOCOOCOOCOCCCCCOCCOCCCOCE93999399393999-:39939933999939939959990999233333993993 3959 WORKS MOST ASKED FOR - 9 Belonging to the odi ogbé irété, also called ogbé sété, ogb3- victorious-over-revolt. Gather together ewé ahdn ekin, tongue-of- leopard, (Hipiscus asper, Malvaceae), odidi ataare, (AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA, Zingiberaceae), iko odidé (tail feathers of a parrot). Burn them all to make a black powder then rub this into 21 cuts made on the head. The incantation is: Fan ra ah6n ekiin ni i ségun ota ré. Ik6 odide ba mi ko ibi lo. Ataare bé mi tari 6té lo orun, Tongue-of leopard wins (by itself) over its enemy. Tail's-feather-of-parrot help me collect evil and make it go away. Alligator pepper push my enemy to heaven (away from me). AFOSE An offering called afdsé, “may-what-is-spoken-become-reali- ty” is frequently comsumed by people, babaléwo, and herbalists, in order to beg for favours. I was given 29 formulae for this prestigious “work”, from which I extract three, though I must say I never personal- ly tried them out. Belonging to the odii ds¢ méji. Collect together ewé omon: ganrogan, child-stand-upright, (COMMELINA DIFUSA, Commelinaceae), ewé mésén mesén gogoro, (SCOPARIA DULCIS, Scrophulariaceae), ewé mésén mesén itakin, (ABRUS PRECATORIUS, Leguminosae Papilionoideae), odidi ataare, (AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA, Zingibera- ceae). Burn them to make a black powder that must be eaten daily with cold éko. Its incantation is :9 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER Ase gangan ni ti omonirdganrogan. Mésén mesén gogoro ki i pa ohin Obarisa da. Mésén mesén gidi ki i pa ohiin Obarisa da. Strong is the power of child-stand-upright. :n gogoro never contradicts the words of Obaris Mésén mesén gidi never contradicts the words of Obarisa. | Belonging to the odti bara 6s6, also called Obara alasé, Spark owner-of-power, there is an offering that requires bringing togethet ewé tidé, (CALLIANDRA PORTORICENCIS, Leguminosae Mimosoideae), ewe yaya (unidentified), ewé dfid, (LAPORTEA AESTUANS, Urticaceae), ewe af6foro, (TREMA ORIENTALIS, Ulmaceae), 6kunkun (a centipede). Pound them all and mix them with ose dtidii, black soap, that must be put inside a shell of ilékdse (a snail). One must touch the soap with the tongue when expressing a wish The odd Osé ottird, requires one to bring together ewé andmu 6ga, stretch-to-take-chameleon, (IPOMOEA sp., Convolvulaceae), ewé se, “power”, (ODES AFRICANA, Icacinaceae), ilé kokord (worm). Pound them and mix them with ose didi, black soap that must be put in a horn. Lick the soap when expressing a wish. Its incantation is: Anamié se ni ti oga. Ase jé ki drd témi 6 se. Nijo ti kOk6rd ba Iu ilé ni i ja run. Stretch-to-take is like a chameleon Power, allow my words to be fulfilled. , When the worm falls to the ground it travels beyond. ‘These examples of the verbal links that exist between the names of plants, name of remedies and names of the odd of If, show te fe per DOCCOCOCOCOOCCOCOCOCCCCOOCOCCOOOCCOCOCCOCOCCCOCCCOCCCE:3399999393997 90993993909399359 29 29 3959399999 392995999939 WORKS MOST ASKED FOR - 93 tinence of the system of thought of the Yorubas. Their memorization system is difficult to seize and apprehend due to the changing nature of an oral culture. Their cultural patrimony has been saved from oblivion through these verbal links, which help them to remember the knowl- edge transmitted by generations of babaldwo.The number between brackets is the number under which the formula is catalogued. at the Pierre Verger Foundation. The number following the odt of Ifa points to which one of the 256 odt the recipe belongs. DOCOCCCOCOCCOCOOOCOCCCCCOCCOCOOCCCCCECCCECCCCCECCOCMEDICINAL AND MAGICAL FORMULAE eccceccceccececccecccceccececece ce ceccececccce cccOOGUN 1 (2) Odgin abike Otiird Ow6nrin, 202 Ewé nakénaké Ow eyo igba A 6 gin po, a6 si € nind ikoko. A 6 wa fi aso funfun sinu omi ré gbigbéné a 0 si w6 éhin ati aya. A 6 si méa pe of r6. Nakénaké ba mi na iké yii Ow6 eyo ki i buiké 2 (3) Odgin ara gbigbon Ewé abo dstipé (a 6 pe of 18. A 6 si fi pa ara. stipe ki f j6 ki ara 6 ghon Ilasa agbonrin ki i jé ki ara 6 gbon Esisi ma jé ki ara 6 gbon sisi. ococoecoooocoocoocococecccocooecoccccocccoccecccocceOooo) oa Po 1) i eo 1 iLL ate 399999399935939 REMEDIES FOR HEALING THE BODY 1 (2) Medicine for the treatment of hunchback Leaf of Rinorea sp., Violaceae Two hundred cowries Grind then boil in a pot, and then rub the body with the hot preparation using a white cloth, while pronouncing the incantation: “Nakénaké, help me straighten this hump Owé eyo is never hunchbacked.” 2 (3) Medicine for the treatment of shivering Leaf of ALAFIA BarTERI, Apocynaceae Leaf of URENA LoBaTA, Malvaceae Leaf of SIDA URENS, Malvaceae BUTYROSPERMUM PARADOXUM subsp. PARKI, Sapotaceae Grind the leaves with shea butter. Recite the incantation-and rub the mixture over the body. “Abo dstipé prevents shivering Ilasa agbonrin prevents shivering Esisi, do not let so-and-so shiver again.”98 » PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 3 (10) Odgan ara riro Oyékii méji, 2 Bwé éwa igtin Egbo ata Egbo ipeta Egho ope Egbo ahin A 6 sé € nin omi, a 6 si maa mu tn ni araaro. A 6 si mda pe of 18 Ewa ign jé ki araa mi gin Ipeta ba mi ta arin dani Ata bd mi ta arin dant Ara ki i ro 6pé " Ara ki i ro ahin. 4 (12) Odgin ara riro Osa méji, 10 d Ewé ipé erin Ewé ori Ewé akééri Ose diidd. A6 gtin un po mé ose diidti. A 6 méa fi wé, a 6 si mia pe o' Ipé erin k’6 pa ara riro Oni méa jé ki & ri ara riro ba mi ko ara riro lo. MPOOCCCCCOOOCCCOCOOCOCCCCOCCCOCGCOOCCCOOCCCOCCCCOCOC9999339393999 999999939999399599399990339959399909° 39 993 OOGIIN, HEALING - 99 3 (10) Medicine to cure body pains Leaf of Paverta CorYMBOSA var. NEGLECTA, Rubiaceae Root of ZANTHOXYLUM SENEGALENSE, Rutaceae Root of SECURIDACA LONGIPEDUNCULATA, Polygalaceae Root of ELacts GuINEEsis, Palmeae Root of ALSTONIA Boone!, Apocynaceae Boil all together, drink in the morning. Pronounce the incantation: ‘Ewa igdn, help me relax my joints Ipeta, help me expel this disease Pepper, help me expel this disease Palm trees never have pains The tortoise never has pains.” 4 (12) Medicine to cure body pains Leaf of ALBIZIA FERRUGINEA, Leguminosae Mimosoideae! Leaf of BUTYROSPERMUM PARADOXUM subsp. PARKII, Sapotaceae? Leaf of HiBiscus ROSTELLATUS, Malvaceae" Black soap Pound with black soap. Wash yourself with the mixture, reciting the incantation: ‘Ipé erin kills body aches Ori, do not let us have body aches Akééri, help me carry away body aches.’60 - PIERRE PATUMBI VERGER 5 (23) Odgan ara riro Ewé aftin Ewé adésiish Ewé légiin Oko Egbo pérégtin A 6886 nin omi. A 6 méa mu tin ni &émeta léjoojtimd, a 6 si mda pe of re shi. Ara ki i ro ewé aftin Iéhin Adostisit ki i ri irora Légiin 6k6 ki 6 bé ni lé aburii Io Ara k6 ro pérégtin etf odd. 6 (28) Odgin ara riro Oftin ireté, 255 Ewé oki irora Ewé d6ringd Ewé ato A 68 € nind omi, a 6 pe of6 6 Okiin irora ma jé ki ara 6 ro mi Ooriingd mé jé ki ara 6 0 mi Alé ba mi to ara yii ki 6 mé ro mi m6. i. A 6 si méa mu in légmeji Idjoojims. OCCOCOCCOCOCOCTCOOCCOOCOCCOCCCOOCOCOOCOOCCCOCCGCOCCCE:339277399999999999939539933999393995395595° 295 ii Deo Die OOGUIN, HEALING - 11 5 (23) Medicine to cure body pains Leaf of PARINARI CURATELLIFOLIA, Chrysobalanaceae Leaf of CocHLOSPERMUM PLANCHONI!, Cochlospermaceae Leaf of PsorosPERMUM FEBRIFUGUM, Hypericaceae Root of DRACAENA FRAGANS, Agavaceae Boil in water. Drink three times a day, reciting the incantation: *Aftin Ighin never feels pain Adosiisit never suffers body aches Léguin 6k6 should help us drive evil away The pérdguin at the riverside never suffers body aches.” 6 (28) Medicine to cure body pains Leaf of DIOCLEA REFLEXA, Leguminosae Papilionoideae Leaf of VERNONIA AMBIGUA, Compositae* Leaf of CHASMANTERA DEPENDENS, Menispermaccae Boil in water. Drink twice a day, reciting the incantation: ‘Oki irora, do not let my body ache Ooriingé, do not let my body ache AI, help this body so that it will ache no more.”2 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 7 (30) Odgin ara tita Odi méji, 4 Ewé asin Ewe atapari obtko Ewe ifon Eépo ifon Egbo ifon Kanéfiiri A 6 se € pélti omi ninti ikoké. A 6 y6 omin a6 pe of r8. A 6 po ghogbo ré po mé omi. A 6 mu sibi kan. A 6 si fi pa ara |. A 6 lo kanafurd, a 6 fi tefa, Odi méji ba mi di arin kuird ' Asin 16 ni ki ara 6 mia sin : Atapari biiko ki i ba obtko ja 5 Ifon ba mi fn arin karo Aidan 1°6 ni ki ara 6 dan Eérit ru arin kiird. 8 (33) Odgin ara t6 1é Ow6nrin méji, 6 Ewé iri eku Ego gbogbéri Egbo dginw6 Egbd abido Kin-tin bildla A688 nini omi, a 6 pe of 18, a 6 si maa mu tn ni 6émeji I6joojimé. Ewé iri eku 6 ni ki ara 6 na tan Gbégbéri gbé ara diré Oganw6 k6 tin ara gan k’6 ie Abado bd ara diiré Kin-tin bildla ma jé ki arin 6 kan mi lara. ecoccocoooccooecoceccocccooocccocceccococccoccc:9939939999393.9999399999999999993999999993939599595959"' OOGUN, HEALING - 103 7 (30) Medicine to cure an itching body Leaf of DICHAPETALUM MADAGASCARIENSE, Dichapetaleceae Leaf of CLAUSENA ANISATA, Rutaceae Leaf of OLAX suBSCORPIOIDEA, Olacaceae Bark of OLAX SUBSCORPIOIDEA, Olacaceae Root of OLAX SUBSCORPIOIDEA, Olacaceae Fruit of TETRAPLEURA TETRAPTERA, Leguminosae Mimosoideae Fruit of XyLopia AETHIOPICA, Annonaceae Camphor Put all in pot, add water, cook, filter. Grind camphor to a powder and draw the odi: odi méji in it reciting the incantation below, mix all ingredients with water then drink one spoonful, rubbing the rest of the extract over the body. ‘Odi méji, help me remove the disease Asin says that the body will be cured Atapiri dbuiko never fights with the he goat If pn, help me carry away the disease Aidan says that the body should be smooth Eéri, carry disease away.” 8 (33) Medicine to cure contracted body’ Leaf of STACHYTARPHETA CAYENNENSIS, Verbenaceae Root of ACRIDOCARPUS SMEATHMANNI, Malpighiaceae Root of KHAYA GRANDIFOLIA, Meliaceae® Root of HEXALOBUS CRISPIFLORUS, Annonaceae Strong potash Boil the above ingredients in water, recite the incantation and drink twice a day. “The ird eku says that the body should stretch completely Gbdgb6ri, make the body straight Oganwé6 should strengthen the body Abado, support the body Kn-tn biléli, do not let the disease touch my body.”4 - PIERRE PATUMBI VERGER 9 (34) Odgin ara t6 16 Ewé éwon funfun Egbd éwon agogo Eso aidan A688 é nind omi, a6 pe of #8, a6 si maa mu tin ni drdird. Ew6n funfun w6n ariin kur Ew6n agogo won arin ktiré Aidan ni k’6 mé dén-an w6 mé 10 (36) Odgin ara yiyi Ogbé alaré, 28 Ewé dwatets Igi rogbo agintan Ewé t6t6 Egbo toto A688 6 nin omi, a 6 pe off 13, a 6 si maa mu Gn ni é8meta I6joojtims. Owatété ba mi tin ara se Rogbo agintan ki i ka ti Ewé t6t6 16 ni ki ara mi 6 mda dén Exgbé t6t6 16 ni ki ara mi 6 mia din. 11 (40) Odgin om didin Oftin édi, 245 Ewé awagba Ewé ayanré Ewé oripa Eso éérit A686 é nin omi, a 6 pe ofd r8, a6 si méa mu tin ni S8meji Iéjoojtimd. Awagbi ni gba omi sémi Aytinré ba wa be oma yit Onipa pa arin ti fibe nibé Berti rat. occcecccoceccooceceecocccecoccoceecoocecoceececHota ae aE Dao) adam) a ye yt poy v4n) ches) Opa pE cy) Iovate yt) NE) Deo) ada ING - 108 9 (34) Medicine to cure contracted body Leaf of ACACIA KAMERUNENSIS, Leguminosae Mimosoideae Root of LANTANA CAMARA, Verbenaceae Fruit of TETRAPLEURA TETRAPTERA, Leguminosae Mimosoideae Boil in water, recite the incantation. Drink every morning. ‘Ewén funfun, snatch out this disease Ew6n agogo, snatch out this disease Aidan says it should not trouble him any more.” 10 (36) Medicine to cure a tense body Leaf of TRICHILIA MONADELPHA, Meliaceae The whole plant of PALIsoTA HIRSUTA, Commelinaceae Leaf of MARANTOCHLOA LEUCANTHA, Marantaceae Root of MARANTOCHLOA LEUCANTHA, Marantaceae Boil in water, recite the incantation. Drink three times a day. “Owatété, help me cure the body Rogbo agintan never contracts T6t6 leaf says my body should be smooth Toét6 root says my body should be smooth.” 11 (40) Medicine to cure pain in the breast Leaf of Cextis wricitti, Ulmaceae Leaf of ALBIZIA sp., Leguminosae Mimosoideae Leaf of HYMEBICARDIA AcIDA, Euphorbiaceae Fruit of XvLovia AETHIOPICA, Annonaceae Boil in water, recite the incantation. Drink twice a day. ‘Awagba always brings water to the breast Aytnré, help us beg to cure this breast Oniipa, kill the disease which is in it Eéri, carry it away.”(6 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER ‘ ‘ 12 (45) Odgiin éhin didin Ogbé wéhin, 18 ‘ Ewé f8je séhin Omo ataare mérindilégén gbéré mérindilégtin si éhin, a 6 sh F8jé séhin bé mi wé chin sin Alaare ti mi I’éhin. 13 (47) Odgin éhin didin Ogbé wéhin, 18 Ewé asokara Ewé égbési Egbd égbési ' Eépo égbési A688 € nind omi, a 6 méa yO omi ré mu ni dsmeta I6joojtimd, a 6 si mda pe of ré péli. Asokara mé jé ki ariin se mi lira Egbési bé mi wo hin mi. 14 (49) Odgin ehin didiin Ogbhé wehin, 18 Ewé ekhue Egbo gbogbonse ats Egbo ipeta Gbogborise se ariin ghin ké san Ebr ijt K6 rit i si ij Ipeta ko ta 4 dani OCCCOOOCOOCCOOOCOCHOCCOCOCOCOCCCOCECOCOCCOCECCECEE999999399399 99999939999993999999999999990995955: OOGUN. HEALING » 107 12 (45) Medicine to cure back pain Leaf of CAMPYLOSPERMUM FLAVUM, Ochnaceae Sixteen seeds of AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA, Zingiberaceae Gritid, recite the incantation. Make sixteen cuts on back and rub. jé shin, help me to heal my back Ataare, support my back.” 13 (47) Medicine to cure back pain Leaf of DryPetes FLORIBUNDA, Euphorbiaceae Leaf of SaRcocEPHALUS LaTIFOLIUs, Rubiaceae Root of SARCOCEPHALUS LATIFOLIUS, Rubiaceae Bark of SARCOCEPHALUS LATIFOLIUS, Rubiaceae Boil in water. Drink three times a day, reciting the incantation: ‘Asokéra, don’t let the pain affect me Egbési, help me to cure my back.” 14 (49) Medicine to cure back pain Leaf of Lycopersicon ESCULENTUM, Solanaceae Root of Uvaria AFZELII, Annonaceae Fruit of UVARIA CHAMAE, Annonaceae Root of SECURIDACA LONGIPEDUNCULATA, Polygalaceae Boil in water, recite the incantation. Drink a cup each morning “Ekhue, carry away the pain, so that the back may heal Gbogborise, maintain the back healed Eérii ija, carry it into the bush Ipeta, kick it away.”10 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGIER 15 (59) Odgin iha didin Owdnrin ingji, 6 Ewé o6y6 ajé : Ewé awisa Ort iyé agbe ‘ Iyé alakd A 6 sun tn, a 6 pod mé ori. A 6 pe of ré. A 6 si maa fi pa iha. Oby6 ajé wa yo ariin ktiro n°iha Awusa sa arin iha lo Agbe gbé arin iha kuird Alak6 k6 arin iha lo ; . 4 16 (65) Odgin ina didin Owénrin ogbé, 92 t Ewé fémo 16, Ewé agbonyin Ewé ejinrin wéwd Fémo I6jti toki ki 6 md jé ki iha 6 din mi Agbonyin ki 6 m jé ki iha 6 din mi t Bjinrin ki 6 ma jé ki arin w6 mi ni tha Eéri) ru ardn kuird. ' 17 (73) Odgan ila dédé iwori okanran, 53 Ewé éri A 6s €nini omi. A 6 si méa fi pa ara, a 6 si tin maa mu tn. COVCOOCOCCOCTCHOOCE OCECCOCOCOCEOCCECEEOOCOCECEEEOCEE93992999993999999999399999359595959 DD 9590000009955 OOGUN. HEALING - 109 15 (59) Medicine to cure flank disease Leaf of CoRCHORUS AESTUANS, Tiliaceae Leaf of PLUKENETIA CONOPHORA, Euphorbiaceae BUTYROSPERMUM PARADOXUM subsp. PaRKII, Sapotaceae Feather of a blue guinea fowl Feather of a red guinea fowl Bur, mix with shea butter, recite the incantation. Rub the mixture on the flanks. ‘O6y6 ajé, help me to remove the disease from the flanks Awasd, pick and carry it away the disease from the flanks Agbe, carry away the disease from the flanks Alliké, take away the disease from the flanks 16 (65) Medicine to cure flank disease Leaf of Hypris suaVvoLens, Labiatae Leaf of PIPTADENIASTRUM AFRICANUM, Leguminosae Mimosoideae Leaf of Momorpica CHaRANTIA, Cucurbitaceae Fruit of XYLoPIA AETHIOPICA, Annonaceae Boil in water, recite the incantation. Drink daily “Fémo I6jai t6ki, don’t let my flanks pain me Agbonyin, don’t let my flanks pain me Ejinrin, don’t let the pain get in my body Eériy, take the disease away.’ 17 (73) Medicine to erase a tattoo Leaf of EUCLINIA LONGIFLORA, Rubiaceae Root of EUCLINIA LONGIFLORA, Rubiaceae Leaf of CROTON LoBaTus, Euphorbiaceae Boil in water. Rub the body with it and drink it.FATUMBI VERGER 18 (74) Odgin oga ara wiw6 Okanran méji, 8 Ewé ériwa ako Ewé ilésin Egbo ata Alabésa eléwé A 6 gtin un ninti od6, a 6 sit omi éso Grdmb6 si i, a 6 si ro 6 simi Iga. A 6 méa mu tin Iéémeji léjoojtimd. f 19 (75) Odgiin imd ara fdyé Ow6nrin iké,,101 Eépo dginw6 Ewe oganw6 8 é nind omi, a6 pe off ré, a6 si mda mu dn Isémeji Idjoojimé. Oxganw6 ba mi wo ara yit ' Berit ba mi ri arin kuiré. OOCOCOCOOOCCOOCCOCECOCOOCCOOCCCCCOOCOCECECCoCoOEee a0 48) Des) 2 Io 4) 4h) 10 Oar OOGUN, HEALING - 111 18 (74) Medicine against pain in the whole body Leaf of ANDROPOGON GAYANUS, Gramineae Leaf of PENNISETUM HORDEOIDES, Gramineae’ Root of ZANTHOXYLUM SENEGALENSE, Rutaceae Bulb of ALLIUM AeSCALONICUM, Liliaceae Pound in a mortar, add orange juice, pour into bottles, drink twice a day. 19 (75) Medicine to make the body light Bark of KHAYA GRANDIFOLIOLA, Meliaceae* Leaf of KHAYA GRANDIFOLIOLA, Meliaceae Three fruits of XyLoPIA AETHIOPICA, Annonaceae Strong potash Boil in water, recite the incantation. Drink a cup twice a day Oganw6, help me heal the body Eéri, help me carry away this disease.”112 - PIERRE PATUMBI VERGER 20 (84) Odgan imi ara le Otird édi, 200 Ewé odtindin ‘ Ewé tété Ewé rinrin Oxzédé abo Ed6 okuta ‘ Ipépé irin Kérofo eyin adiye A 6 lo ghogbo ré papd. Ad méa mu tin ni alé p sda. A 6 tin un Id, A 6 tefé, a 6 pe of6 ré. Ojté ki i p6n irin k°6 maa ni pépé Vagbede Tiiti Vadiye yé, uitir l’adiye pa 4 Ofifo I’aa ba korofo 18 Avojé ateérin ki fre 6dindin At aj At ojo ategrin ki i re rinrin Ogédé abo ki i j'ayé inira Edo giti ki i dun dktita. ateérin ki i re tété 21 (87) Odgin ild tété Oyékié méji, 12 Ewé ériwa ako é Exgbo isé Egbo ijokin Eso éérii Oktita ako mesan A 688 € nini omi. A 6 pe of 18. A 6 si méa mu tin Igémeta I6joojims. Bi eériin ba yan ériwa 6 gbe Didi ni tegbd ijokin isd ba wa sa arin yii lo Arinkéran ki i se okiita OCCOOOCOOCOGCOCOCOOCCOCOTCECOOCOCCOCOOCECOOECOCEEDO... 2). 92) 9.) 9) 2959 1.9) 9.9 01), 9.) dao oe OOGIIN. HEALING 115 20 (84) Medicine to have a healthy body Leaf of KALANCHOE CRENATA, Crassulaceae. Leaf of AMARANTHUS HYBRIDUS subsp. INCURVATUS, Amaranthaceae Leaf of PEPEROMIA PELLUCIDA, Piperaceae Fruit of MUSA SAPIENTUM, Musaceae One firestone Residue of iron from a blacksmith An empty egg shell Grind all together, dry in sun, grind again. Draw the odii in the powder, recite the incantation. Drink at night with cold white corn meal “The iron is never so poor as not to leave a residue at the blacksmith The hen calmly lays its eggs, the hen calmly broods its eggs The egg shell is always found empty Odtindtin is never ill, neither in the rainy season nor in the dry season 816 is never ill, neither in the rainy season nor in the dry season Rinrin is never ill, neither in the rainy season nor in the dry season Qgédé abo never experiences a hard life Edo oktita never provokes pain.” 21 (87) Medicine to cure swelling of face, hands and feet Leaf of ANDROPOGON GaYaNuS, Gramineae Root of STROPHANTUS HISPIDUS, Apocynaceae” Root of MuCUNA poccE!, Leguminosae Papilionoideae Fruits of XYLOPIA AETHIOPICA, Annonaceae Nine firestones Boil in water, recite the incantation. Drink three times daily. “When the dry season comes ériwa dries up The ijékiin root is always black Isa, help us to take away this disease No disease ever troubles dkiita.’114 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 22 (89) Odgiin ill tith iwori awéedé iwari dgtindé (iwéri awéda), 54 Ewé itakiin dai A 6 tof Iori iygrésiin, a 6 pe of6 18. A 6 po ghigb6nd, a6 si fi we Iwori awedd wa we ldmorin yit dé Daiji ni kara v8.6 dé i Sakdsika ni érawa dé i k6 sa artin Kir ara ré ! Jjokin ma arin ikin ki go 18 po. A 6 sé é ning omi 23 (93) Odgin oriwo Ejiogbé, | 6 ré si i, a 6 si fi aso funfun si ind un 18, a6 rora maa fi j6 ara. ; E6rti ni k6 rit Ogtingtin 16 ni k6 gin t Eatin o ni ko gin Ejiogbé gbé ipa yit kiird. i 24 (97) Odgin oriwo Oftin méji, 16 Ewé ewuro i Ewé taba gbigbe Ori A616 6 peli ori, a 6 pe ofd r8, a6 si Fi pa ara. Ewtiro 16 ni ki oriwo k6 ti Taba ta oriwo ktird Ori ni ka maa ri oriwo mé. VDOKDHOOPSSOOCHOCRCOOOLOCOCECSHOOGOCHOOOCOTOTOOCECCOCECEES:9999999097 909939799929939D993999999999959 Sa9DD 393399 OOGIIN, HEALING - 115 22 (89) Medicine to cure swelling of face, hands and feet Leaf of Cissus sp., Vitaceae Root of SrROPHANTUS HISPIDUS, Apocynaceae"* Root of Mucuna poacti, Leguminosae Papilionoideae Root of ANDROPOGON TECTORUM, Gramineae Mix, draw the odti in iyérasiin, recite the incantation. Boil in water and wash the face with it Daji says that his body will be well Erawa is always fit Isd, remove the disease from his body Lidkiin, remove the disease from the bowels.’ 23 (93) Medicine to cure swellings Leaf of COLA GIGANTEA var. GLABRESCENS, Sterculiaceae!" Leaf of ZANTHOXYLUM virIDE, Rutaceae Fruit of XYLOPIA AETHIOPICA, Annonaceae Boil in water, recite the incantation. Immerse a white cloth in the water and rub the body carefully with it, “Eérii says it should shrink back [to normal] Ogiingtin says it should become perfect Egiin says it should become perfect Ejiogbé, carry away this swelling,” 24 (97) Medicine to cure swellings Leaf of VERNONIA AMYapaLina, Compositae Dry leaf of NICOTIANA TABACUM, Solanaceae BUTYROSPERMUM PARADOXUM subsp. PARK, Sapotaceae Grind, mix with shea butter. recite the incantation, rub body with the preparation. “Ewaro says the swelling should ooze out its impurities Taba, kick out the swelling OeF cave wie chauld nan ne116 - PIERRE PATUMBI VERGER 25 (98) Odgiin oriwo iwori oftin, 61 Ewé omi titit ‘ Ewé 1ibéka Ori Kooko ind un yaya A616 6 pO mé ori, a6 pe off 18, a6 si maa fi pa ara wiiwi. ; ti oriwo k6 san Ewé omi tit Tiibeké ti oriwo k6é sin 4 Kooko ind yaya ki f ba ikan ja Ort ni-ki ama ri md. ‘i é akinyodé), 228 26 (105) Gogin ami omu yo Ewé ata oldigh6 Eépo ogingiin Ewé dgingtin Eépo patidord Eso patidord Eso aidan A 6 gtin un po a6 si sé € nind ikdk6, a 6 tefé lori iysrdstin, a 6 pe of r8, a 6 po gbogbo ré pd, ki omobirin we omd peli ré. Ala olifigbé réé gbé omii omidan wit Piridors 6 ni ki omii 18 dyo wa si éde Ogimngtin 1'6 ni ké giin si ode Aidan 1’6 ni k6 md 18 dan an t ) 5 sé @ si dde. CECOPTHIHSGOAHOBAONG DOHOOCHOHOSCOGCAOSHOTCECCAECCHOCECEE:> 93999999999999999995999999995999999099939999995339 OOGIIN, HEALING - 117 25 (98) Medicine to cure swellings Leaf of BRILLANTAISIA LamiuM, Acanthaceae Leaf of ACALYPHa CILIATA, Euphorbiaceae BUTYROSPERMUM PARADOXUM subsp. PARKII, Sapotaceae Grass cut by white ant Grind, mix with shea butter, recite the incantation, Rub on swollen part “Omi titi, ease the swelling that it may heal Tibékd, ease the swelling that it may heal The grass cut by the white ant does not quarrel with it Ori says we should see the swelling no more.’ 26 (105) Medicine to help a girl develop breasts Leaf of PLEIOCARPA PYCNANTHA, Apocynaceae Bark of COLA GIGANTEA var. GLABRESCENS, Sterculiaceae!? Leaf of COLA GIGANTEA var. GLABRESCENS, Sterculiaceae Bark of KIGELIA AFRICANA, Bignoniaceae Fruit of KIGELIA AFRICANA, Bignoniaceae Fruit of TETRAPLEURA TETRAPTERA, Leguminosae Mimosoideae Pound, boil in a pot, draw the odti in iyérdsinn, recite the incantation. Mix everything. The girl must wash her breasts with it, “Ata oltdigbd, go and bring the damsel’s breasts Patid6r6 says that her breasts should come out Ogitingtin says that they should shoot out Aidan says that they should not be afflicted Oséyékti should bring them out.’Hx - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 27 (108) Odgiin aremo Ewé ikin irtké i Ewé ésisi ilé Egbo ogbol6 Iy6 A 6 giin un, si sd a ghe, a6 fi tefa, a 6 pe ofd 18, a0 si mda mu tin pélti éko I 6joojtime Ewé ikin gbémo wa Omo roro ni ti és) Omo ki i tan nidi 6gb616 Kan-tin biléla la 6na omo wa Iy6 ki 6 yo omo wa. 28 (110) Odgiin aremg Ejiogbé, | Egbé enisa odgin ! Odidi ataare méwa Ogédé agbagba didi i A6 136 po, a6 fi tefa, a 6 pe ofd ré, a6 gin un po m6 dgeds agbagba didi (iéhin ti a ba ti yo éépo ré). A 6 méa mu in pélié oti lile tabi éko. Enis odgiin ba mi sa obgin s6k6 mi : K6 méa ni agbara Agbira kaka ni ti dgéde agbagba : Ara yiya gdga ni Cataare. OCCCCOCOCCOOCOCCCOCOCECCECCCOCOCECOCCCCGOCECCCCCCCE9939999939999939399399993999999599939995999999993959599559 ALING - 119 27 (108) Medicine for virility Leaf of PANIcUM Maximum, Gramineae Leaf of SIDA URENS, Malvaceae Root of Cissus POPULNEA, Vitaceae"* Strong potash Salt Pound and dry. Draw the odd in the dry powder and recite the incantation. Drink with hot white corn meal every day. *Ewé ikin, bring children to me always bears beautiful children Ogbél6 never lacks children Kan-tin bildla, open the way for children to come Ty6, bring me children.” 28 (110) Medicine for virility Root of RITCHIEA CAPPAROIDES var. LONGIPEDICELLATA, Capparaceae Ten whole fruits of AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA, Zingiberaceae Fruit of Musa SAPIENTUM var. PARADISIACA (black), Musaceae Having peeled the banana, pound everything together. Grind. Draw the odd in the preparation and recite the incantation. Drink with spirits or white com meal. “Enisa odgin, help me apply medicine to my penis May it be powerful Oxgédé agbagba is always very powerful Alaare is always very active.’120 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 29 (121) Odgin aremo Ewé eké ile Ewé arinigo Ewé aka Ej kan : Alibahun kan A 6 j6 0, a6 Fi tefé, a6 pe off 18, a 6 pa 6 po, a 6 si maa li a péli osin. Arinigo jé ki omo 6 rin m6 mi Aka kd omo wa Omo yoyo ni t'ejo Atomodémo I’alébahun di ert. 30 (126) Odgiin aremg Oxbé dai, 19 Ewé dpastipa Ewé agbonyin Ewé ogangan Kan-in biléla A 6 gin un, s Opastipa ni i pe omo wa ' Agbonyin gbé omo wa Oxgangin jé ki omo se 6gangan mi. Gi OCOCCOCOOCCCOCCOCCOCCECECCECECCCOOCECECCCECCECCCCCE9999399999993 99999399999999999999999999995995935 OOGUN, HEALING - 121 29 (121) Medicine for virility Leaf of MELIA AZEDERACH, Meliaceae Leaf of CaRPOLoBiA LUTEA, Polygalaceae Leaf of MICRODESMIS PUBERULA, Pandaceae Leaf of Lecantopiscus cupanioies, Sapindaceae One snake One tortoise Burn the ingredients. Draw the odii in the preparation, recite the incantation. Mix everything and lick with honey. * Eké ile, bring forth children Ostinstin, draw children near to me Arinigo, let children walk to me Aka, pluck children and bring them to me The snake is always blessed with many little children ‘The tortoise is always loaded with many children.” 30 (126) Medicine for virility Leaf of CLERODENDROM POLYCEPHALUM, Verbenaceae Leaf of PIPTADENIASTRUM AFRICANUM, Leguminosae Mimosoideae Leaf of STACHYTARPHETA ANGUSTIFOLIA, Verbenaceae Strong potash Pound and dry. Draw the odti in the powder and recite the incantation Drink with hot white corn meal every day. * Opastipa calls children Agbényin, bring forth children Ogangén, let the children come straight to me.”122 - PIERRE FATUMBI VEE ' 31 (132) Odgiin aremg Ogbé dsd, 25 Odidi ataare kan igbin kan ‘ J6 0, fi tefS, pe of0 18, pa 6 po, si maa mu tn péld éko gbighdnd I’6j5 méta méta. 4 Apongbé pon omo wa Ogbdld gbé omo wa ' Tipé tipé lo réé fa omo t&mi wa Atomodémo lad bd igbin Ara yiyd gdga ni Vataare. . i 32 (145) Odgiin aremo Otiré Oftin, 211 Egbo aka égi Ewé aka égi Egbd irinigo Ewé arinigo Eja ojiji é 5 ré, a 5 mu Gn pélii éko gbigh6nd. Aka égi jé ki omo da wa giirigi ' Oj Arinigo jé ki omo 6 rin mé mi. ji ni ki omo 6 ji wa ba mi COOCCCOCOOCCOOCEGOCCOCOGCECOCOCOCOCOCCCOCCCCcCccccce2090-00 0) OOO) Doo 0) 24900919 D100 00 00.0 io, OOGHIN, HEALING - 128 31 (132) Medicine for virility Leaf of TRILEPSIUM MADAGASCARIENSE, Moraceae Leaf of Grewia MOLLIS, Tiliaceae™ Root of DesMoDIUM GANGETICUM, Leguminosae Papilionoideae Awhole fruit of AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA, Zingiberaceae One snail Burn, draw the odii in the preparation, recite the incantation. Mix everything and drink with hot white corn meal every three days. ‘Apéngbé, carry a child on your back and bring it to me Oxgbdld, bring a child to me Tipé tipé, go and pull my child towards me From generation to generation we meet snail’s children Ataare is always very active.” 32 (145) Medicine for virility Root of LANNEA NIGRITIANA var. PUBESCENS, Anacardiaceae Leaf of LANNEA NIGRITIANA var. PUBESCENS, Anacardiaceac. Root of MICRODESMIS PUBERULA, Pandaceae Leaf of MIcRODESMIS PUBERULA, Pandaceae One electric eel Strong potash Grind everything, recite the incantation. Drink with hot white corn me ‘Aka égi, let children come to me quickly Ojiji says children should wake up and come to me Arinigo, let children walk to me.”124 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 33 (147) Odgin aremo Ireté ogbé, 212 4 Ewé aika Ewé igbé Ewé dsinstin Ewé irinigo Sun tn, fi tefa, pe of r8, po 6 pd, si méa mu dn pélié oti dyiné. 4 Aika kd omo wa Igbé gba omo wa Ostinstin sin omo si mi Arinigo ni ki omg rin m6 mi. ' é mola), 235 1 34 (148) Odgin aremo Ewé okiin ikalé Odidi ataare kan Sun tin, tefé lori 1ébd r8, pe of 18. A 6 po 6 pd, je pélti éko I6joojims. Oleé 6 ni ki n ni olé omo Atri ni ki omo 6 t6 V’6d6 35 (149) Odgiin aremo Oftint6lé (Oftinuia), 254 Ewé wondwona Ewé tannd posé i Ewé ydnyun igbin kan ' 8 6. Si sda gbe. A 6 pe of 18. Si mda mu Gn peli dko gbighdné T'6joojimé. Wondwond ni i wo omo wayé Tannd pos6 pe omg wa Yainyun ni ki omo mi méa se yin-iin Igbin ki i wayé aldi-bi-omo. 8 P) 3° o ° 2 ° ° 2° 3° 2 8 ° So o ) 3° =} ° ° 3 o < ) 8 3 ° 3 8 ° ) 8 ° 9 3 ° ° ° ° 38 ) co) 3° e ° r-}9999399999099399999999999999993999999999993935395 OGGUN, HEALING - 125 33 (147) Medicine for virility Leaf of LEcANtopiscus CUPANtOIDES, Sapindaceae Leaf of SOLANUM INCANUM, Solanaceae" Leaf of CarPoLosia LUTEA, Polygalaceae Leaf of MicRODESMIS PUBERULA, Pandaceae Burn, draw the odi in the preparation, recite the incantation. Mix and drink with gin. ‘Aika, pluck and bring a child to me Igbé, sweep children hither Ostinstin, push children to me Arinigo says that a child comes to me.” 34 (148) Medicine for virility Leaf of ADENIA Lopata, Passifloraceae Leaf of ANTIDESMA LACINIATUM var. MEMBRANACEUM, Euphorbiaceae Leaf of GLYPHAES BREVIS, Tiliaceae A whole fruit of AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA, Zingiberaceae Burn, draw the odd in the preparation, recite the incantation. Mix and eat with cold white corn meal every day. “Okiin ikdlé says a child should settle down beside me Qléé says that I shall conceive many fetuses Atéri says that T will have enough children beside me." 35 (149) Medicine for virility Leaf of PHAULOpSIS BARTERI, Acanthaceae Leaf of MirasiLis JALapa, Nyctaginaceae Leaf of ASPILIA AFRICANA, Compositae One snail Grind. Dry, recite the incantation. Drink with hot white corn meal every day. *Wondwond sees children come to the world Tanna posé call children hither Ydinyun says that my children should be numerous Igbin never comes into the world without bearing children.”126 PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER i 36 (151) Odgin asé obiarin Irostin ‘méji, 5 { Ewé idd pupa Eso id6 pupa Irannd id6 pupa Ewé /aali A618 6. A 6 tefé lori iyérosin, a 6 mu in péld éko gbighdnd lilé. 37 (155) Odgin as¢ obinrin Obara kosiin, 111 Ewé [aéli Egbo laali Kin-tin bildla A616 6, a6 pe of6 re, a 6 mu tin pélui éko gbighdnd léle Ladli bé mi l’asé mi Kén-tin biléla bd mi l’asé mi. ‘ 38 (160) Odgin as¢ obinrin Ewé Egbé lapélapa funfun Egbd oriwo : ' Ala Kén-tin bildla Omi gi A6s6é.A6 peo Labelabe ni i 1 5 ré. A 6 si méa mu tin Pesmeta I’6joojtimd. OCOOCCOCOOCOECCEOOCCCOCOCCCOCOOCOCOCOCOCOCeECCCcCcocecce999939999999939399999999999993993999999999595993935 OOGUN. HEALING - 127 36 (151) Medicine to help menstruation Leaf of CANNa INDICA (red), Cannaraceae Fruit of CaNNa INDICA (red), Cannaraceae Flower of CANNA INDICA (red), Cannaraceae Leaf of LawsoniA INERMIS, Lythraceae Grind. Draw the odd in iyérdsiin. Drink at night with hot white corn meal 37 (155) Medicine to help menstruation Leaf of LAWSONIA INERMIS, Lythraceae Root of Lawsonta INERMIS, Lythraceae Strong potash Grind, recite the incantation. Drink with hot white com meal at night. “Ladli, help me get my menstruation Kan-tn biléla, help me get my menstruation.” 38 (160) Medicine to help menstruation Leaf of SCLERIA DEPRESSA, Cyperaceae Leaf of LawsoniA INERMIS, Lythraceae Root of Jarropia curcas, Euphorbiaceae Root of MorINDA LUCIDA, Rubiaceae ZANTHOXILUM SENEGALENSIS, Rutaceae Strong potash Water with com starch Boil, recite the incantation. Drink three times daily. “Labelabe always opens menstruation Lapélapa always opens menstruation Ondwo says the menstruation should flow hither Ladi says it should flow.’128 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 39 (161) Odgin asé obinrin Onird ds6, 210 rye ' Ewe ila funfun Osiin bike Byao A616 6, a6 pe off 18, a 6 mu tin peli éko gbighénd Hilé. 11d funfun la isé obinvin fin un run funfun ' Eya orun funfun ya asé obinrin fiin un Ostin bike bu asé obinrin fin un. i 40 (163) Odgin aati Iwori dgiinda , 54 itakiin ato Ons : Fi itaktin at6 sind igbd koto péla ogédé Omini kan. Fi si omi uit. Tefé lori iyérdstin. Da 4 po, mu dig lati ind ighé kot ti a rora si. é émini : 41 (164) Odgin atdsi Ejiogbé, | ‘ Ewé ahon ekin Omi drombo wéwEs A 6 gtin tin pd, a 6 pe ofd r8, a 6 fi sini igd. A 6 mu sibi méta léadrd, Atosi ki i se ahdn ekiin Atosi ki i sé omi drombd Kan-tin ni ki 6 fi kin atosi. OCOCOCOCCOCOCTCCOOCECOCCOCECCOCOGCOCCCEOCECECCECCCCCC2} 93939939939999399999999999990995999999999939399995 OOGUIN, HEALING - 129 39 (161) Medicine to help menstruation Leaf of AsysTasia GANGETICA, Acanthaceae DRACAENA MANNII, Agavaceae Alum Grind, recite the incantation. Eat at night with hot white corn meal. “White ili, open this woman's menstruation for her White éya drun, open this woman’s menstruation for her Osiin bike, fetch this woman's menstruation for her.” 40 (163) Medicine to cure abscess on penis or vagina Stem of CHASMANTHERA DEPENDENS, Menispermaceae Fruit of Musa sapientum, Musaceae Put the stem of CHASMANTHERA, cut into pieces, and a peeled banana in a calabash, and add cool water. Draw the odii in iyérosiin. Mix, cover with lid Open the lid slightly and drink from the calabash. 41 (164) Medicine to cure gonorrhea Leaf of Hiniscus surarrensis, Malvaceae“ Juice of Citrus AURANTIFOLIA, Rutaceae Strong potash Pound, recite the incantation, Put in bottle. Drink three spoonfuls every morning. ‘Gonorrhea never troubles align ekin Gonorrhea never troubles the juice of érombs Use kan-tn biléla to knock out gonorrhea.’130 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 42 (181) Odgin atpsi Ogbé bara, 22 Ewé abérodéfé : Ewé agbasd Beri Aidan A 6 gtin won p6, a 6 sé &, a 6 pe of 18, a6 Fi sint igd. A 6 mu sibi kan léard. Abérodété ba até Agbéasé ni ki 6 ma a sd lo Eérti k’6 rit & kuird Aidan méa jé ki 6 dan mio. 43 (182) Odgin atosi Ogbe otra, 28 Ewé ob6 esin Beri Ewé itakiin okéré Ogédé agbagba didi Il Kan-in bi A 6 giin won po. A 6 pe of ré. Mu tin peli éko gbigbdna. : Obo esin ni i wo atosi sa Eérit ru atosi ktird Ttakiin Okéré ki i l’atosi Kén-tin biléla ni o fi kan-an Ogédé agbagba ki i se ag OCCOCCCCCOCCCCOGCOCCOCCOOCOCECCOCCCCCOOCCOCCCcCceccEéce2 9999999999299939999999399993595 9999539939995393093939 it 42 (181) Medicine to cure gonorrhea Leaf of Desmooium Gancericum, Leguminosae Papilionoideae Leaf of CLAUSENA ANISAtA, Rutaceae XYLOPIA AETHIOPICA, Annonaceae TETRAPLEURA TETRAPTERA, Leguminosae Mimosoideae Pound, boil in water, recite the incantation. Pour into a bottle and drink a spoonful every morning, “Aberddéfe, drive the gonorthea out of the body Agbisd says it must run away Eri should carry it out Aidan, do not let her trouble me.” 43 (182) Medicine to cure gonorrhea Leaf of Asysrasia GANGETICA, Acanthaceae XYLOPIA AETHIOPICA, Annonaceae Leaf of Grewia CARPINIFOLIA, Tiliaceae Fruit of Musa SAPIENTUM var. PARADISI, Strong potash Pound together, “Obé esin alw: ACA (black), Musaceae recite the incantation. Eat with hot white corn meal, ays cures gonorrhea rl, carry the gonorrhea away Makin dkéré never suffers from gonorrhea Use kdn-tin biléld to knock it out Osédé agbagba never suffers from gonorrhea.”192 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 1 44 (188) Odgin atést Oftin ogunda (Oftin eko), 250 Ewé elépan méta Ewé astinwén gidi ‘ Eweé itakiin okéré Ala gidi z Kan-tn bilala A 6 gtin won po. A 6 pe of 18. Mu un pélii éko gbigbond. Elépon méta ni i wo at6si san Astinwon gidi bé wa w6n ai Kan-tn biléla la 6na atosi kro Itakin Okéré ki i ri atosié Ata ni ki 6 fi ta 4 kiro. ‘ 45 (190) Odgiin atdsf elgjé Oftin Ow6nrin, 247 Ewé asdgbd Eso tagiiri ' Egbo gbogbori A656 6, a6 pe of6 ré, ad mu tn. , Asdgb6 ni i gba ori atési Tagiiri ta atdsi kiird Gbédgb6ri gbé at6si ktird lara. i ik), 207 46 (191) Odgin atisi oléyéin Ottra ka (Otéi 13 sa atdsi lo Ori maa j6 ki A rf dtsi m6. OOCTOCECCOOCOCOCCOCOCOOCCOCCOCOCECOCUCOOCCECCCcCCCccceS219 tot.) 1. Dre Ot) a: 999599939959399999993999 OOGUN, HEALING - 133 44 (188) Medicine to cure gonorrhea Leaf of Micrococca MERCULIARIS, Euphorbiaceae Leaf of Senna popocarPa, Leguminosae Caesalpinioideae Leaf of GREwiA CaRPINIFOLIA, Tiliaceae ZANTHOXYLUM SENEGALENSIS, Rutaceae Strong potash Pound together, recite the incantation. Drink with hot white corn meal “Elépon méta always cures gonorrhea Asiinwén gidi, help us flush out the gonorrhea Kén-tin biléla, open the way out for the gonorrhea Itakin Okéré never suffers from gonorrhea Use ata to kick it out.” 45 (190) Medicine to cure gonorrhea which bleeds Leaf of BRIDELIA GRANDIS, Euphorbiaceae Fruit of LAGENARIA BREVIFLORA, Cucurbitaceae Root of AcRIDOCARPUS SMEATHMANNII, Malpighiaceae Boil, recite the incantation and drink. ‘Aségb6, behead the gonorrhea Tagiri, kick out the gonorrhea Gbéghéri, carry the gonorthea away from the body.” 46 (191) Medicine to cure gonorrhea in a pregnant woman Leaf of Hymenosteaia aFzeLu, Leguminosae Caesalpinioideae Leaf of PeRGULARIA DaEMiA, Asclepiadaceae Bulb of ALLIUM agscALONicuM, Liliaceae BUTYROSPERMUM PARADOXUM. subsp. PARKH, Sapotaceae Grind with shea butter, recite the incantation. Drink with hot white com meal every day. “Anigbddigbé, pack the gonorrhea away K6léordgba, carry the gonorrhea away Altbdsa, take the gonorrhea away Ori, do not let us have gonorthea any longer.”134 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 47 (192) Odgin da Oxtindé méji, 9 a Egbd awijje Egbé kasan Kén-tin biléta ' jgbdna Iéjoojtims. a mu tn poli ¢ in won po, a 6 pe of r Aligba bd mi gbé arin yii lo Awiaje ba mi gbé arin yit lo Kasan 6 ni ki arin 6 san : Kan-tin bildla ba mi ka arin lo. 48 (195) Odgiin éda Ogbé sé, 25 Ewé amitié wéw6é Alabésa eléwé Kén-tin biléla A616 6.A6 pe ofo re. Si maa mu Gn péli éko gbighdnd I6joojtims. Amiajé mu éda lo Kan-tn biléla ka éda lo. 49 (201) Odgin eda Okanran sodé (Okanran ogbé), 122 Ewé (818 osan Ewé idié Eépo idi ' 5 ré, a 6 maa mu ife kookan ldjoojtimg. ——* E nini omi, a6 pe 9 &té osan bd wa te édi mélé t Idi ba wa di arin mé drun. ©COCOOCOOCOCCOCOCOCCOCHOOCCCEOCOCOoOCcCEcecoococeccoccccce9999999993339993999939999799999993999909595955' 23 > 99993 OOGUN, HEALING » 135 47 (192) Medicine to cure leucorrhea Leaf of RAUVoLFIA CAFFRA, Apocynaceae Root of DESPLATSIA DEWEVREI, Tiliaceae” Root of SMILAX KRAUSSIANA, Silacaceae Strong potash Evi Pound, recite the incantation. Eat with hot white corn meal every day. “Alagba, help me carry this disease away Awaje, help me carry this disease away Kasan says the disease should be cured Kan-tin biléta, help me wrap and carry this disease away.” 48 (195) Medicine to cure leucorthea Leaf of Byrsocarpus coccineus, Connaraceae™ Bark of Byrsocarpus Coccineus, Connaraceae Bulb of ALLium agscaLonicun, Liliaceae Strong potash Grind, recite the incantation. Drink with hot white corn meal every day “Amiajé, take the leucorrhoea away Alibésa a should send the leucorrhea away Kin-tn bildla, pack the leucorrhea away.” 49 (201) Medicine to cure leucorrhea Unidentified leaf Leaf of TeRMINALIA GLAUCESCENS, Combretaceac Bark of TERMINALIA GLAUCESCENS, Combretaceae Root of TERMINALIA GLAUCESCENS, Combretaceae XYLOPIA AETHIOPICA, Annonaceae Boil in water, recite the incantation. Drink a cup daily. “Tété osan, help us stamp out the leucorrhea Idi, help us hold the leucorrhea on the far side.’136 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER Ewé worow6 Ewé rinrin Ewe atapari obiko Kén-tin biléla Oftin eko (Oftin dg ind), 250 A 6 sun Gn, a 6 tefa lori Iébd r8, a 6 pe of6 ré, mu tin péhi éko gbighond liradrd. Arémo ba wa mi arin yii lo ; Erow ow6 ba wa ma arin yii lo ni Gi rinrin Atapari Obuko ni i bi arin dani. 51 (205) Odgiin eyin abé Ewé ilasa omodé Ewé enu opiré Ewé idi Eépo ira Eépo it A656 é nimi omi, a 6 pe of6 r8, a 6 mu tin a 6 we abé péli re. Abé irdkd ki i ’éyin Enu dpiré k’6 pa eyin abé [ra 1'6 nik’ ré Ilasa omodé ki i I’éyin I6 Idi k'6 di abée ré K'6 rit i kurd, (O Ika méji, 1 OOTCHOOTCECCOOCOGCCCOOCOCHCOCOOCOOOECECOCCOOCCOOTOCCEODos. OO ae aii oto i eae oto. tte 07 et) arated aia): O9GIIN, HEALING - 137 50 (203) Medicine to cure leucorrhea Unidentified leaf Leaf of SENECIO BIAFRAE, Compositae Leaf of PepERoMIA PELLUCIDA, Piperaceae Leaf of CLAUSENA ANISATA, Rutaceae Strong potash Bum, Draw the odd in the black ash, recite the incantation. Eat with hot white corn meal every morning. ‘Arémo, help us take this disease away w6, help us take this disease away Rinrin is always cool and calm Atipari dbiiko always pushes the disease away.’ 51 (205) Medicine to cure a tumour in the vagina Leaf of UreNa LoBATA, Malvaceae’ Leaf of EuPHORBIA LATERIFLORA, Euphorbiaceae Leaf of TERMINALIA GLAUCESCENS, Combretaceae. Bark of BRIDELIA FERRUGINEA, Euphorbiaceae Bark of CHLOROPHORA EXCELSA, Moraceae Fruit of XyLopia AETHIOPICA, Annonaceae, Boil in water, recite the incantation. Drink and wash vagina. “Urék6 never has a tumour in it Enu 6piré kills the tumours Ira says they should disappear Hlasa omodé never has a tumour Idi should block her vagina 'd should bring the tumour out.’Bf» PIERRE BATUMBI VERGER : 52 (206) Odgin ikira Ewé jit A616 6, a6 88 € pai eja djiji. A 6 pe of 18, a6 je é Ojifi wa ba mi jf ara mi V6 ka yit. , 53 (207) Odgiin imt oké yo Ogbe até, 29 Ewé abiwéré Abéyo ogédé Eéstin 1 Ori : A610 6,46 da 4 po péld o1 si ori ok6. A 6 fi ogin yi pa a. A 6 sin gbéré yiké ok6 a 6 si sin eyo ghéré kan i , 54 (208) Odgin ipa epon Osé tirtipon, 238 Ewé elgpon méta Egbé asinwén gidi Eiwé astinwon ééb6 Egbd asiinwén eébd Ewé 016 agogo : A686 é nin omi. A 6 pe of re. A 6 si maa mu tin Idddrd. A 6 méa we epon peli ré I6joojtimé. Elépon, méta ba mi wo epdn k’6 sin : Oré r5 ipd epon kérd. 4 COCOOCOCOCHOCOCOCOCOGODODODOTCOCOOCODOOCOOECOCELO:D393599993923939399999939999999999959 9999399 n OOGIIN. HEALING ~ 139 52 (206) Medicine to cure impotence Leaf of DALRERGIA LacTEA, Leguminosae Papilionoideae One electric eel Grind the djfji leaf and cook it with the oj and eat some of it “ Ojiji, help me wake up my dead penis.” {jf Fish, recite the incantation 53 (207) Medicine to make the penis come out Leaf of HYBANTHUS ENNEASPERMUS, Violaceae Musa sp., Musaceae (the substance that comes out of the bark of a banana tree) PENNISETUM PURPUREUM, Gramineae (the part extracted from the reed) BUTYROSPERMUM PARADOXUM subsp. PARKIL, Sapotaceae Grind all together and mix with shea butter. Make cuts around the penis and a little one on the gland. Rub them with the preparation 54 (208) Medicine to cure orchitis of the testicles Leaf of Micrococca MERCULIARIS, Euphorbiaceae Leaf of SENNA popocakpa, Leguminosae Caesalpinioideae Root of SENNA PopocarpA, Leguminosae Caesalpinioideae Unidentified leaf Unidentified root Leaf of EurtorBia KaMERUNICA, Euphorbiaceae Boil in water, recite the incantation. Drink every morning and use to wash testicles. “Elép6n méta, help me cure my testicles Asinw6n, flush out the disease Or6, take the disease out of the testicles140). PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 55 (215) Odgin kinind iwori wosa (worl Osa), 55 Ewé olgé Ordgb6 mérin Odidi ataare mérin t Elab6 isu Eso aw6rds6 A 6196 po. A 6 tefé lori iyérdsimn, a 6 pe of6 18. A 6 po ghogbo Fé po. A 6 mu tn nind eko gbigbénd lérddrd. : Aki-sinti-ki { s’éde Akai dannii ni ti élibé OME ni k’6 Id sini i Arinkériin ki i wo imi ordgbd t Awérds6 Ip r8é wo 6 san. 56 (216) Odgin kind Ewé woorow6 Ewé ahara Eweé epaktin 0, a6 tof I6ri r8, a 6 pe off r8, a6 ld a pelu epo, a 6 si fi pa ara! Ara mi le nigba éyi : Ara mi le ko ko ko Aharé ki i ri in ira nijé koddkan. OOOGCOSTHSHOOCOOHOCOOCOCOGOGCOGCCOOCOSCCOOOOOTOOCOOCCOHC39:999997933799399939999999939999999999399999999 OOGHIN, HEALING - 141 55 (215) Medicine to cure testicle disease Leaf of ANTIDESMA LACINIATUM var. MEMBRANACEUM, Euphorbiaceae Four nuts of Garcinta KOLA, Guttiferae Four whole fruits of AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA, Zingiberaceae Plenty of yam flour Fruit of CRoTON PENDULIFLORUS, Euphorbiaceae Grind together. Draw the odti in iyérdstn, recite the incantation. Mix, drink with hot white corn meal daily. “That which blows inwards and outwards Elabé flower always blows away in the wind Qléé says it should stick inside Disease never enters ordgbd Aw6rds6, go and cure it.” 56 (216) Medicine to cure testicle disease Leaf of SENECIO BIAFRAE, Compositae Leaf of Momorpica CaBracl, Cucurbitaceae Leaf of ViGNa SUBTERRANEA, Leguminosae Papilionoideae Burn. Draw the odii in the ash, recite the incantation. Lick with oil and + tub on the body. “My body is strong this time My body is very strong Ahara never suffers hardships.”FATUMBI VERGER 57 (218) Odgin labé Ika méji, (1 Ewé asin Eweé ésisi funfun Eépo igbé Ororibé wéwé ° itil, a 6 si Fi we Obs. Ika méji ki 6 ké gbogbo arin Ewé asin ni ki o fi sin arin | Ewé ésisi funfun ni ki o fi sin in jinna Igbd ni ki o fi gba a kro, 58 (223) Odgin egbd Ogtindé onbé, 137 Ewé lagbdlagbd Eérit A 68 € ninii omi. A 6 pe off r8. A 6 we 6. Léhin byi a 6 fi aso we c. Lagb6laghé ba mi la egbd yii k’6 san Eéri ba mi ru egbo kui. 59 (227) Odgiin 6élé iwori ikg, 56 Ewé pirigidi Ewé ata Ewé amdyan Ose didi ‘ A 6 giin won pélit ose didi, a 6 pe of 13, Fi omi dromibé wéwé si i, ki o we peli r8 Pirigidi ba mi wo ariin san Ata bé mi ta arin Amiiyan bé mi md arin kéiré, OCOCCCCOOCCOCOCOCCCCOCCCOCOCOOCCCOCCCCCCCCOCCOCCCEC:9399399999393 9339399939939993999393999939999959959559 GOGUN, HEALING - 143 57 (218) Medicine to cure an itching vagina Leaf of DICHAPETALUM MADAGASCARIENSE, Dichapetalaceae Leaf of TRAGIA BENTHAMH, Euphorbiaceae Bark of LAGENARIA SICERARIA, Cucurbitaceac”” CITRUS AURANTIFOLIA, Rutaceae Alum Grind the first three ingredients, add a split lime. Grind a piece of ground alum, draw the odi in it, mix with the preparation. Boil in water, recite the incantation. Cool the mixture and wash the vagina with it. i hould send away the disease Use asin leaf to wash it of f Use ésisi funfun to send it away Use igba to sweep it away.” 58 (223) Medicine to cure leg ulcer Leaf of FLABELLARIA PANICULATA, Malpighiaceae XYLOPIA AETHIOPICA, Annonaceae (a lot) Boil in water, recite the incantation. Wash and bandage the leg. ‘Lagbolagb6, help me mend this wound that it may heal Eérii, help me carry the wound away." 59 (227) Medicine to cure skin disease Leaf of ERIOSEMA PSORALEOIDES, Leguminosae Papilionoideae Leaf of ZANTHOXYLUM SENEGALENSE, Rutaceae Leaf of KIGELIA AFRICANA, Bignoniaceae Black soap Pound with black soap, recite the incantation. Add lemon juice and wash the skin with the preparation. ‘Pirigidi, help me cure this disease Ata, help me kick out the disease Amiyan, help me remove the disease.’Ww aa PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 60 (233) Odgiin éél4 ikin Ejiogbé, | Ewé 6dofin ilé : Isu ewaira Oséaé agbagha didi Ataare Kén-tn bitéla A 6 gin dn. Mu tin peli 61 (234) Odgiin égbon Ejlogbs | Ewé ahipayida : Ewé abamoda Ewé él Ose didi A 6 gin gbogbo ré funfun kan, a6 si fi K6 igun ilé. 62 (235) Odgin ¢yi Ewé djiji oréta Ewé oj : A 619 6, fi si ind epo agbon. A 6 tefé lori iygrosin, a 6 pe of6 18. A 6 ta d pd. A 6 fi paara. Quiird sé 1°6 ni ki arin ara ré td ka Ki gbogbo aw@ re 6' ji péré péré Did 16 ni k6 ji Ojiji 1°6 ni k6 ji. OCCOOCOCCOCOCOCCCCOCCOCCCOCCCOCCCOECCCCCCCCCCCCCCE9999999939393999393939399399999939339999939999993955 OOGIIN, HEALING - 145 60 (233) Medicine to cure scars on the belly Leaf of BLIGHIA UNUUGATA, Sapindaceae Tubercle of DioscoreA ALATA, Dioscoreaceae Fruit of MUSA SAPIENTUM var. PARADISIACA (black), Musaceae AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA, Zingiberaceae Strong potash Pound. Eat with hot white corn meal. 61 (234) Medicine to cure a disease that causes pimples and shivers” Leaf of Uraria picra, Leguminosae Papilionoideae Leaf of BRYoPHYLLUM PINNATUM, Crassulaceae Leaf of LONCHOCARPUS CYANESCENS, Leguminosae Papilionoideae Black soap Grind all together without speaking. Draw the odii in iyérésiin. Make a bag with white cloth and put everything in it (including the iyérésdn), Hang it on a corner of the house, 62 (235) Medicine to cure rough skin Leaf of DALBERGIA LacTEA, Leguminosae Papilionoideae Leaf of DANIELLIA oGEA, Leguminosae Caesalpinioideae Grind, mix with coconut oii. Draw the odd in iyérosin, recite the incantation, mix and rub on the body. * Otiird sé says that the disease on your body should disperse That your skin should become perfect Ojié says it should return to normal Ojiji says it should revive.”146 PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 63 (236) Odgin ifon Ogbé dsé, 30 Ewé yinyun A 6 sé € nint omi. A 6 pe of6 r3. A 6 mu tna 6 si fi ra ara Yeinyun mda jé ki ava 5 ytin mi md Bi 6 se pé kOkOrd 16 wa nibe : Bi 6 se pé omi ara mi ni ko dara i Yiinyun maa jé ki ara 6 yin mi mo. 64 (237) Odgin ila Ontiré méji, 13 Ewé asobiabe Ewé rinrin A 615 6. A 6 tefé I6ri iygrisiin, a 6 pe of6 13, a6 di d po. A 6 fi ra ojti ila naa. AsObiabe ni i wo ila san. 4 Awésan ni ti rinrin, t 65 (238) Odgin lobiniti Ejiogbé, | Ewé gbingbin Egbo ope Egbo ariinjeran Ori Kén-tin biléla | A616 6. A 6 da po pai dri. A 6 pe of ré. A 6 fira ara Gbingbin méa gbé lobiustii Io Opé ma jé ko pé lara. Ariinjeran mda jé k6 je mi. OCCOOCCOOCCOCOCOCOCCOCOCCOCOCCCOCOCOCOOCCOCCCCCCCCCCC9939393999999 99393999999999999995959355 393939395939955 OOGHIN, HEALING - 147 63 (236) Medicine to cure itching Leaf of ASPILIA AFRICANA, Compositae Boil in water.sRecite the incantation. Drink and rub over the body. “Ydnyun, do not let my body itch any more If there are germs there If the fluid in my body is not good Yiinyun, do not let my body itch any more.” 64 (237) Medicine to heal tribal marks Leaf of DALBERGIA SAXATILIS, Leguminosae Papilionoideae Leaf of PePEROMIA PELLUCIDA, Piperaccac Grind the leaves. Draw the odii in iygrésiin, recite the incantation, mix everything together (including the iyérdstin) and rub on the tribal marks ‘Asobiabe always scars with marks Rinrin always heals completely.’ 65 (238) Medicine to cure ulcers in various parts of the body Leaf of PrERocaRPUS SANTALINOIDES, Leguminosae Papilionoideae Root of ELAeis GUINEENSIS, Palmae Root of ACALYPHA cILiATa, Euphorbiaceae BUTYROSPERMUM PARADOXUM subsp. PARKII, Sapotaceae Strong potash Grind with shea butter, recite the incantation and rub over the body. “Gbingbin, carry away the ulcers Opé, do not let them remain in the body for long Artinjeran, do not let them devour my body.”4x - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 66 (241) Odgin I6bactid Oabé dyékti, 17 Ewe ésisin Egbo ésistin Ok . A 6156 poli Ori. A 6 tof lori iyérdsiin, a 6 pe of r8, a 6 da a pé. Fi ra ara. in stin Tobin Eéri k6 ru Iobinitind lo. | . 4 67 (244) Odgin lobirttid Oxgtindé iwori, 139 Ewé idoftin igbo Ewé araba Eépo araba Egbo araba Alibésa eléwé A6 sé énini omi.A 6 pe ofd re. A 6 mu Gn, a 6 si fi we ara péli. Jdéfiin ighd gbé lobinitiu fiyé Ara gég6 ni i se araba Alibésa ni i sa arin. OCCOCCOOCCCOCCOCOCCOCCCCOCOCOCCOCOCOCCCOCCCCOCCCCOEDt itt Eo to ioe iLO) ao Oto Ol aoa Dron Deno: OOGIIN, HEALING - 149 66 (241) Medicine to cure ulcers in various parts of the body Leaf of Pennisetum pURPUREUM, Gramineae Root of PENNISETUM PURPUREUM, Gramineae XYLOPIA AETHIOPICA, Annonaceae BUTYROSPERMUM PARADOXUM subsp. PARKI, Sapotaceae Grind with shea butter. Draw the odd in iy¢rosiin, recite the incantation, mix everything together (including the iyérdstin) and rub over the body “Esistin, take the ulcers away. Ee should take the ulcers away.’ 67 (244) Medicine to cure ulcers in various parts of the body Leaf of Paverta corymBosa, Rubiaceae Leaf of Ceiba PENTANDRA, Bombacaceae Bark of Ceiba PENTANDRA, Bombacaceae Root of Ceiba PENTANDRA, Bombacaceae Bulb of ALLIUM AESCALONICUM, Liliaceae Boil in water. Recite the incantation, Drink and wash the body ‘Idofén igbd, make the ulcer light Arabi always feels light bodied Alubdsa always gathers the disease.’40 - PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 68 (254) Odgin nérun Ow6nrin méji, 6 Ewé ika jib A686 é niné omi. A 6 pe of 13. A. 6 ma amu tin lirdard. ka éjii ni i wo nérun sin Péréguin pa nérun kid Aagbasd ni k’6 sé ktird Ifén ni k’6 fon 69 (258) Odgan nérun Ewé isin ddan Eépo isin ddan Eso isin dda Exgbé isin ddan Eépo ahiin Eeriy A658 € ning omi. A 6 Isin 6dan ba mi sin arin yii lo Ahiin k’6 méa jé ki arin yi se mi m6. ofp 18. A.6 maa mu Gn lérdér6. bd mi rid Io. 70 (271) Odgin nérun oj omé Osé méji, 15 Ewé akiti Ewé eéstin pupa Eso ariw6 A 6.88 & nimi omi. Ki obinrin fi we omii ré. SooCecocooceCOcEecoeeooeecCococeeoececoeceeece9339992999339 39959.9995995939395999393399399999093559395 68 (254) Medicine to cure spreading ulcers Leaf of SASBANIA PACHYCARPA , Leguminosae Papilionoideae Root of Dracaena FRAGRANS, Dracaenaceae Root of CLAUSENA ANISATA, Rutaceae Root of OLAx suBscoRPIO!DEA. Olacaceae Boil in water. Recite the incantation. Drink every morning. ‘Ika ji always cures the spreading ulcer Pérégiin, kill the spreading ulcer Agbasd says it should run off Ifon says it should shrink.” 69 (258) Medicine to cure spreading ulcers Leaf of BLIGHIA sapipa, Sapindaceae Bark of BLIGHta sapipa, Sapindaceae Fruit of BLiGHiA sapipa, Sapindaceae Root of BLIGHIA sapipa, Sapindaceae Bark of ALSTONIA BOONEI, Apocynaceae XYLOPIA AETHIOPICA, Annonaceae Boil in water. Recite the incantation, Drink a cup every morning. “Isin ddan, help me lead this disease away Ahin should not let this disease trouble me anymore Eérii, help me carry it away.” 70 (271) Medicine to cure breast ulcers Leaf of Leproperris BRACHYPTERA, Leguminosae Papilionoideae Leaf of PENNISETUM PURPUREUM, Gramineae Fruit of Monopora MyrisTica, Annonaceae Boil in water. The woman should wash her breasts with the preparation.152 - PIERRE FATUMB! VERGER 71 (272) Odgin nérun oj omit Osé méji, 15 Ewé akiti Ewé okika Ewe apada : Erti | Aliabosa eléwé A 6 sé & ninii omi. Ki obinrin fi we omi 18. 72 (273) Odgin dgodd iretd \ ji, 14 Ewé dain pupa 7 Ewé ilésin A 6 sé agbo pélii ew yii. A 6 tefé lori iyérosin, A 6 we bgdd6 ni ard. 73 (215) Odgin érobo Odi méji, 4 I Ewé onisé Idu agbon ! A 6j6 0, a 6 fi tefa, a 6 pe of6 18, a 6 méa fi 6 éko titi mu laraaré. Oasé sé jédijédi sini. Idu agbon 6 ni k’6 méa diré s’éde. Odi méji I’o r8é di. eccoocoocccoccccococccccccococccoccoocceocccocceSEHD t Pa ED + oat) ei) Oye aaa yt) ee ape) one, 93939995993959299 OOGIIN, HEALING - 153 71 (272) Medicine to cure breast ulcers Leaf of Leproverris BRACHYPTERA, Leguminosae Papilionoideae Leaf of Sponpias MoMBIN, Anacardiaceae Leaf of Uraria picta, Leguminosae Papilionoideae CROTON Lopatus, Euphorbiaceae Bulb of ALLIUM AESCALONICUM, Liliaceae Boil in water. The woman should wash her breasts with the preparation. 72 (273) Medicine to cure yaws Leaf of COMBRETUM RACEMOSUN, Combretaceae Leaf of PENNISETUM HORDEOIDES, Gramineae” Boil the leaves in water. Draw the odii in iyérdstin, Wash the affected areas in the moming. 73 (275) Medicine to cure external haemorrhoids Leaf of ACALYPHA oRNATA, Euphorbiaceae Fruit of Borassus AgTHIOPUM, Palmae Burn the ingredients. Draw the odd in the ash, reciting the incantation, Mix with cold white corn meal and drink every morning , make the piles go back inside Idu agbon says they should not remain outside Odi méji keep the piles inside.’154 PIERRE FATUMBI VERGER 74 (276) Odgin érobo Odi méji, 4 Ewé aliidé oko Ewé briiwo Ewé agbon Odidi ataare A 6 j6 0, a 6 fi tefé, a 6 pe of 18, a 6 mia fi Fé éko ttt: mu lérddrd. Alédé ok6 wo arin’di san. Oniwo wo arin tif be midi. Agbon gb6n arin dani. 75 (281) Odgin ara gbigbe Ogbé oftin, 31 Ewé ribs : Ewé oriri Eépo éririt Egbo oniiri Eéri ’ 7 A656 € nint omi. A 6 pe of6 ré. A 6 mu ife kan laraaro. Ordbii 6 ni ki éjé ki émi 6 rh. Ki araa mi 6 le koko. 76 (282) Odgiin imi t6 S$éjé Obara dftin, 121 Ewé ilka dja Ewé oldpapaniraga Ewé iva A 6 gin un p é nin omi. A 6 pe ofé kan Iéémeji l6joojimé. Ika éja ni i wo imi san. Olgpapaniraga lo pa arin ti riba imi ja. Iya k’6 lo 186 ya arin kero. 0. Mu sibi OOCOCOOCCOCCOCOCCOOCCOCCCOOCCOOCCCCOCOCOOCCOOCCOCCE:93933999.9999399393999999539399990953599999999993333935 OOGIIN. HEALING - 155 74 (276) Medicine to cure external haemorthoids Leaf of RUNGIA GRaNDIS, Acathaceae Leaf of Morinba Lucia, Rubiaceae Leaf of Cocos nucirera, Palmae Whole fruit of AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA, Zingiberaceae Burn the ingredients. Draw the odit in the ash, reciting the incantation. Take it every morning. * Aladé oko, cure the piles Ortwo, cure the disease of the anus Agbon, shake off the disease.” 75 (281) Medicine to cure anaemia Leaf of VERNONIA ADOENSIS, Compositae Leaf of SPATHODEA CAMPANULATA, Bignoniaceae Bark of SPATHODEA CAMPANULATA, Bignoniaceae Root of SPATHODEA CAMPANULATA, Bignoniaceae XYLOPIA AETHIOPICA, Annonaceae Boil in water. Recite the incantation, Drink a cup every morning. * Ortibii says the blood should increase Oriirii, do not let me get lean Let my body become very strong.” 76 (282) Medicine to cure nose bleeds Leaf of SESBANIA PACHYCARPA, Leguminosae Papilionoideae Leaf of TACCA LEONTOPETALOIDES, Taccaceae Leaf of DANIELLIA OLIVERI, Leguminosae Caesalpinioideae Pound. Boil in water, recite the incantation, pour into a bottle. Drink a spoonful twice a day. ‘Ika éji heals the bleeding nose Ol6papaniraga, Kill the disease troubling the nose Iyd should take the disease out of the body.”