🧚 Xii.--concerning the Okuni Witches and Cannibalism. · page 2

One night when the boy went to the feast the witches told him that it was his turn to provide a body for food, but Amoru said he was too young and had no one to give.58 Then Chief Elullo said, you have a father and mother and plenty of brothers and sisters, we shall be pleased to eat any of them.59 But still the boy refused, saying that he was much too fond of his people to have them killed for the witches’ food.60 Chief Elullo replied that he could not help his feelings, and that, Amoru had seen a man or woman killed every night for a month and a half, and that he had received his share although the people who had been killed and eaten were the dear relations of some of the witches.61 Amoru then begged the witches to have another round and that when it came to his turn again he would give either his father or mother up to be eaten.62 To this they all agreed, and they went on in their usual way killing and eating a man or a woman every night: but Amoru never eat his share.63 The witch people used to play every night from the time other people went to bed until cock crow when they were obliged to go home.64 When the time came for Amoru to supply a man to be eaten, he began to get frightened.65 So at last he made up his mind to tell his eldest brother, whose name was Nkanyan, all about the witches and the difficulty he was in.66 Amoru then got his big brother to go into the bush with him so that no one could hear what he said, and then told him how he had been made a witch in secret and was compelled to attend the meetings where the dead bodies were eaten, but he explained that he had not eaten any of the human flesh, having hidden it in the fireplace.67 Amoru then said, “the time has now arrived when I have to produce a man or a woman for the witches to eat, and they want my father or mother or one of us children, but as I do not want to give them anyone I thought I would get you to help me as you are big and strong.”68 At first Nkanyan could not believe his young brother’s story, so Amoru brought him to the place where he had hidden the meat, and showed it to him asking him not to tell anyone as he had thought of a plan.69 Amoru then told his brother to lie down in a bed opposite the door, but that he was not to go to sleep.70 He was to arm himself with a matchet, and when he heard the witches coming he was to stand at the head of his bed with the matchet in his hand and his arm raised ready to strike.71 Amoru also said, “one of the witches will present the calabash holding ‘the night’ three times, and on the third time you must smash the ‘night’ calabash[4] with your matchet, and it will at once become light.”72 He told his brother to be brave and not to make a noise or tell anyone until the calabash was broken.73 He must then call out to the people who must catch the witches and tie them up.74

Amoru told Nkanyan that when the time came he would hide under one of the beds, but the witches would run outside, and could be easily distinguished from the other people, as they would be all naked.75

That evening, after all the people had gone to bed, the witches met as usual for their feast and play, and Amoru went and joined them.76 Chief Elullo said it was Amoru’s turn to provide a body for food and asked him who he was going to give.77 Amoru replied that he would give them his eldest brother Nkanyan.78 The chief then told the people to take the night calabash with them, and to bring Nkanyan out of his father’s house, but Amoru asked Elullo to lead the people, as he was the chief of the witches.79 To this the chief agreed, and Amoru showed the way to his father’s house, and having opened the door showed them the bed where Nkanyan was supposed to be sleeping.80

Then the man presented the “night” calabash towards Nkanyan three times, but as he held it out for the third time, Nkanyan hit it with his matchet and smashed it to pieces with one blow.81 Directly this had been done, it became light at once, and all the witches were discovered naked, and at once started screaming and running away, trying to hide.82

But Nkanyan called out in a loud voice for everyone to come out and seize the witches, and very soon they were all caught and securely fastened up.83 The people then took the witches to the palaver house, and Chief ’Ndabu sent word to the other chiefs that they would be tried at once.84

The big wooden drum was then beaten to call the people together.85 The people of the town were much surprised that the night had been so short, but when they heard that the night calabash had been broken and the witches captured, they were very glad, and went to have a look at them.86

Chief ’Ndabu told the chiefs what had happened in his house the previous night.87

When all the people had assembled, it was noticed that there were very few chiefs present as most of them and the head men had joined the witches’ society.88

Amoru was then called upon to give evidence.89 He told the people all that had happened and the number of people he had seen killed and eaten.90 He also produced the basket of human flesh which had been given him as his share.91

Nkanyan also told the chiefs and people how the witches had come to kill him, but he had broken their ju-ju calabash and turned the night into day, when all the naked witches were caught.92

The chiefs then went outside to consult as they were afraid to talk in front of the witches.93 When they returned they ordered the witches to be tied up to trees and burnt alive, but Chief Elullo, being the leader was tortured and kept alive for some time.94 They cut small bits of flesh from him, and cooked it before his eyes.95 They then made him eat his own meat.96 After a time he died in great agony.97 His body was then burnt all except the skull which would not burn, so the people cut it into pieces with an axe and threw the broken pieces on the fire.98 The basket of meat which Amoru brought was also burnt.99

The sons and daughters of the witches were sorry to lose their parents, but they were glad that all the witches in the town had been caught and disposed of.100

The chiefs then consulted together as to how they should get the witch out of Amoru.101 They decided that he should be sent to a ju-ju man named Ewo who could take witches out of people, and they agreed to pay his charges, which amounted to one slave, between them.102

So Amoru went to Ewo, the ju-ju man, and he took the witch out of his heart and put it under a rock.103

When the boy returned to Okuni, he told the people that he was quite cured and was no longer a witch man.104

The chiefs were very glad to hear of this, and sent Amoru round the towns, when he received many presents of cloth, rods, and tombo.105

The people then collected all the ashes of the witches who had been burnt and threw them into the river, saying they had got rid of all the witches in their town.106

The chiefs then ordered two cows to be killed to make a feast, and a big play was held.107

A month later Chief ’Ndabu died and his funeral was attended by all the chiefs and people of the town.108 His body was dressed up in his best clothes and it was made to sit up in a chair, some of his wives fanning it to keep the flies off.109 It was kept there for three days, and the chiefs sat round the dead body and eat their food, but each mouthful was first offered to the dead man to eat.110 Those people who were very fond of ’Ndabu went so far as to touch his mouth with the food before they eat it.111

The body was then wrapped up in sleeping mats and buried, and many rods and pieces of cloth were placed in the grave.112

Nkanyan then took the place of his father and looked after his mother and brothers and sisters, who lived in peace and died natural deaths without being troubled by witches.113

Told by Ennenni, an Okuni woman.--[E.D., 16.6.10.]114