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SacredHutsandMagicalAspectsofFood
Postedon01/04/2015

RobertNassau,asDavidLivingstonebeforehim,wasamissionary,explorer,andrecorderofpeople,geography
andcustomsintheareasthroughwhichhetraveledandlived.Also,asLivingstone,hewasaproductofthe
colonialeraofthenineteenthcentury,andthushiswriting,analysesandclaimsshouldbereadinrelationtothat
historicalandpoliticalparadigm.

......

Palmandplantainleaveshavebeenmadeintoclothingforthistraditionaldoctor.Source,Rev.NassauFetichismin
WestAfrica.

Earlier,Iwrotethefollowingaboutmagicalityandfood
Premoderncuisineinmanypartsoftheworldcanbemorefullyunderstoodnotsimplyasa
technicalrecipetobeconstructedbutalsoinrelationtothecontextinwhichitissituated.
Hence,theremaybesocial,sexual,political,religiousorotheraspectsthatfigureinthetotal
recipeaspresentedinthefinishedproduct.ItisourWesternproclivitytodisassociatefactfrom
contextthatmaycreatedifficultiesinunderstandingagivencuisineinitstotality.
DuringhisfortyyearsofmissionaryworkinwestAfrica,theRev.Nassauseemstohavelearned
thisimportantfactalthoughitisnotspecificallystatedassuchinhisworks.To
examinetheapproachheusesinincorporatingwhatIshallcallthemagicalityofcuisineinan
otherwiseseculardish.IwilltalkabouttheroleofSacredHutsandMagicalAspectsofFood.
SourceTheMagicalityofCuisine1:MeatCookedinPlantainLeavesasaLovePhiltre,19th
CenturyGabon,WestAfrica

RobertHamillNassauportrait

TheRev.Nassauexplains:
Insomepartofthelongsinglestreetofmostvillagesisbuiltalowhut,sometimesnotlargerthan
adogkennel,inwhich,amongalltribes,arehungcharmsorbywhichisgrowingaconsecrated
plant(alily,acactus,aEuphorbia,oraFicus).Insometribesarudelycarvedhuman(generally
female)figurestandsinthathut,asanidol.Idolsarerareamongmostofthecoasttribes,butare
commonamongalltheinteriortribes.

VotivehutnexttoaresidentialhutinBurundi,c.1910.
Source.MeyerLesBarundi:Uneetudeethnologique
enAfrique

ThattheyarenotnowfrequentlyseenontheCoastis,Ithink,notduetoalackoffaithinthem,but
perhapstoaslightsenseofcivilizedshame.Theidolhasbeenthematerialobjectmost
denouncedbymissionariesintheirsermonsagainstheathenism.
Thehalfawakenednativehidesit,orhemanufacturesitforsaletocuriohunters.Areallyvalued
idol,supposedtocontainaspirit,hewillnotsell.Hedoesnotalwayshidehisfetichcharmwornon
hispersonforitpassesmusterinhisexplanationofitsuseasamedicine.Thatidol,charm,or
plant,asthecasemaybe,isbelievedforthetimetobetheresidenceofaspiritwhichisto
beplacatedbyofferingsofsomekindoffood.
Ihaveseeninthosesacredhutsadishofboiledplantains(oftenbyforeignersmiscalled
bananas)oraplateoffish.Thisfoodisgenerallynotremovedtillitspoils.Sometimes,where
thegiftisaverylargeone,afeastismadepeopleandspiritaresupposedtojoininthefestival,
andnothingislefttospoil.

atraditionalspiritualhutatthegateof
kayakinondo.thesacredmijikendakaya
forestsUNESCO:WorldHeritagesit

Thatitisofusetothespiritisfullybelievedbutjusthow,fewhavebeenabletotellme.Somesay
thatthehfeoressenceofthefoodhasbeeneatenbythespiritonlytheformofthevegetableor
fleshremainingtoberemoved.
Decle[authorofThreeYearsinSavageAfrica]alsodescribesthereligioushabitsofthe
BarotsetribesofSouthernCentralAfrica:Theychieflyworshipthesoulsoftheirancestors.
Whenanymisfortunehappens,thewitchdoctordivineswithknuckleboneswhetherthe
ancestorisdispleased,andtheygotothegraveandofferupsacrificeofgrainorhoney.

Theyalsobringtothetombscookedmeats,whichtheyleavethereafewminutesandtheneat.
Whentheygotopraybyagrave,theyalsoleavesomesmallwhitebeads.WhilstanEnglishman
wasjourneyingtoLialui,hepassednearalittlewoodwheretherelayaveryveneratedchief.The
boatmenstopped,andhavingsacrificedsomecookedmillet,theirheadmandesignatedamanto
offerupaprayer,whichranthus:
*Youseeuswearewornouttravellers,andourbellyisemptyinspirethewhiteman,
forwhomwerow,togiveusfoodtofillourstomachs.
AmongtheWanyamwezi,EverychiefhasnearhishutaMusimohut,inwhichthedeadare
supposedtodwell,andwheresacrificesandofferingsmustbemade.Meatandflourare
depositedintheMusimohuts,andarenot,aswithmanyotherpeoples,consumedafterwards.The
commonpeoplealsohavetheirMusimohuts,buttheyaresmallerthanthatofthechief,andthe
offeringstheymakeare,ofcourse,notsoimportantashis.

fetichdoctorpatchhairisthe
professionaltonsure.Source,Rev.
NassauFetichisminWestAfrica.

TextsourceNassauFetichisminWestAfricaFortyYearsObservationofNative
CustomsandSuperstitions,bytheRev.RobertHamillNassau.UniversityPress,
Cambridge,U.S.A.1904.
Otherentriesinthisseriesare:
1. TheMagicalityofCuisine1:MeatCookedinPlantainLeavesasaLovePhiltre,19thCenturyGabon,
WestAfrica
2. TheMagicalityofCuisine2:ARecipeforacomplicatedLoveFiltreforMen.19thCenturyGabon
3. TheMagicalityofCuisine3:ADishofFishandPlantainstoGuaranteeSuccessfulFishing,19thCentury
Gabon,WestAfrica
4. TheMagicalityofCuisine4:FeedingtheSoilaStewofLeavesandBarktoGuaranteeSuccessfulGardening,
19thCenturyGabon,WestAfrica

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