Fetichism and Fetich Worshipers (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1885 edition. Excerpt: ...hurting anybody, and the king's favorite soon became the favorite of all. When Mepon died, the ox came as usual for his ration; but not finding his master, he began to bellow. The fetich-priests, understanding the cause of this, concluded that the genius of Mepon had passed into the animal. From that time it was forbidden to molest him; he was allowed to go wherever he pleased, and he never failed, especially on market-days, to take his usual walk. When he died, in 1883, the king had him wrapped in cloths and rendered him full funeral honors. According to custom, drums, gunguns, and every instrument capable of making a noise was brought into requisition, the blood of sacrifices and libations of palm-oil flowed in honor of the new fetich, while libations of rum were squandered to the great satisfaction of his adorers. Then the ox, followed by a cortege of fetich-priests and priestesses and the populace, was carried in great state on the shoulders of the negroes, and laid in the grave destined for his reception. He was besprinkled for the last time with the blood of the victims immolated at the tomb, and ail was ended. The manes of Mepon ought to have been satisfied. The multiplicity of the negro gods and goddesses shows us to what extent the idea of the divinity is adulterated among their disciples. Their adorers attribute to them marriage and posterity; they invest them with the tastes, the wants, and all the weaknesses and vices of humanity. There are wicked gods, drunkards, adulterous gods, liars, thieves, deformed and grotesque gods. There is no crime, debauch, or cruelty which their history does not contain. Thus the unfortunate negro, instead of finding in his religious beliefs a means of regeneration, sees therein examples and motives of...