“Kíní ńbẹ n’ígbó tí ńdún màwuru màwuru màwuru? Bí ó pa’ni jẹ k’ó kúkú pa’ni jẹ, bí ò sì pa’ni jẹ k’ó má ṣé pa’ni jẹ, k’ó yé dún màwuru màwuru mọ́ ni mọ́”.
(What lurks in the wild making scary sounds? If it wants to kill me, let it do so; if it is not capable of doing so let it stop making its scary sounds at me.)
As children, we were made to believe and be scared of many superstitious ideas. Particularly, anything perceived as charms (oògùn in Yorùbá) are looked upon as capable of wreaking havoc and they presented a real fear. Even in urban and metropolitan areas of Nigeria, like Lagos, many scenarios created the basis for such fears – stories abound about beautiful maidens turning into coffins; picking up coins on the street could mean a child transforming into a goat; darkness held a vague terror; the environs of a cemetery was a no-go area in the dark; traditional outings like the orò procession (a festival related to the death of a monarch in Yorùbá land) was viewed with so much dread and awe; masquerades were feared for their scary magical performances; and the list goes on.
Such was the level of apprehension that gripped us in our youthful years and, most, even carry such psychological state of mind into adulthood. The fears were attributed to some supernatural force – popularly referred to as juju – bestowed on us diabolically. African traditional beliefs were looked upon as the repository and epitome of evil. Once an individual professes to be an adherent of African spirituality, he or she is looked upon as capable of committing magical stunts.
So, what really is the thing called juju? What is the origin of the word and its actual meaning? Is there in reality any such thing that is sent to any one remotely with damaging or dire consequences? Firstly, it might surprise most to know that the origin of the word is French, from the word joujou meaning “toy, childish or plaything”! This suggests that the French could only see mundanity in the symbols of African worship. The term has now assumed a label which connotes everything spiritually destructive. Why the French prefer to place such a mundane label on the symbols of African spirituality has been discussed in the previous post. What is disheartening is the fact that Africans themselves adopt some of such disdainful labels to describe things that should be cherished in their own culture. For instance, a genre of a rich Yorùbá music is described as juju music.
The big question is: what evidence is there to justify the negative view prevalent on African spirituality? Is there truly a power in the African spiritual system which creates an aura of awe? If so, is this power capable of destruction only? Does it have the capacity to protect the individual or family members from evil machinations? Even when some benefit is ascribed to such so-called powers, the view taken in some religious circles is that its source is evil.
“Tibi tire la dá’lé aiyé.” (Our world is created for the coexistence of good and bad). In metaphysical parlance, there is the universal concept of duality – which, as we say in lay man’s language, there are two sides to a coin. By logic, it appears that good and bad are relative terms. “Ohun t’ó kọ’jú s’ẹ́nìkan ẹ̀yìn ló kọ s’ẹ́nì kejì.” (What faces one person, turns its back to another.)
What is power? Some dictionary definitions (a) the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way (e.g. the power of speech); (b) the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events. In basic science, it can mean to supply (a device) with mechanical or electrical energy, move or travel with great speed or force. Some synonyms of the word power are ability, capability or potential. These definitions connote a neutral force which needs to be channelled for whatever purpose. Take electricity, its uses can be beneficial if discreetly channelled, or fatally destructive if abused. Power is therefore a potential force.
In terms of African spirituality, there is a general misconception that it does not countenance God or a supreme Deity. Nothing is so far from the truth. “Ifá l’ọba, òrìṣà l’ọsìn; Olódùmarè nìkan ló ṣe é gb’ọ̀kàn lè.” (Ifá is king, òrìṣà – the deities – intercedes, Olódùmarè, the Supreme God is the only one capable of placing absolute trust on).
How God is defined in the various traditions are not necessarily the same. African spiritual systems are hinged on seeing the Divine through Nature’s manifestations. The Yorùbá and African societies are very aligned with nature’s forces and have evolved to the point where they understand that every manifestation in nature has specific attributes. As an instance, when you hear something like à-nà-mú-ni- t’ọ̀gà (the chameleon’s stretch never misses its prey), the level of observation of Nature by the indigenous African readily comes to mind. If one has observed the chameleon, one will notice that when it flips its sticky tongue, it never misses its target. This is a specific attribute conferred by Divine Àṣẹ (authority) on this creature. So, when during divination, an ọ̀gà (chameleon) is prescribed for the purpose of propitiation, the objective is to transfer the Àṣẹ of not missing its target from the ọ̀gà. This is not magic but a scientific procedure well understood and practised in the African’s natural world.
In African societies, a child is educated to know the names of all things in nature and their efficacy. By the time a child attains the age of ten, s/he would have learnt the names of over fifty herbs and their uses! The average child in indigenous African society gets some education on basic treatments with herbs, roots and barks of trees. But the moment such child assumes Western education, or should we say Western literacy programme, the indigenous scientific knowledge is obliterated from his memory and replaced with synthetic concepts. The oògùn or medicine are either for pathological or psychic purposes. The African system of providing remedies for ailments takes into consideration the psycho-pathological causes. They treat holistically rather than symptomatically.
| Juju magic ‘more controlling than chains’ says Harvard expert. In our next conversation, this statement will be examined. |