LIST OF ARTICLES

VARIETIES OF AFRICAN MAGIC BY MIAD HOYORA KORAHON

 


 
PART I
 
In a number of Lucifer magazine (of November 15th, 1890), which I first saw lately, there is a paper on “African Magic” by Tau-Triadelta (Blavatsky) (see link).
 
The writer treats the readers of “Lucifer” to some curious information on the subject of ‘Occult schools’ —especially African ones— which does not much tend to the elucidation of that somewhat obscure subject. It is an interesting fact that within the last few months the attention of the public has been repeatedly drawn to more than one of those queer cults; but, as the writers have for the most part treated the subject from a purely exoteric point of view, it is not surprising that their readers should, for instance, consider, as they see suggested, that Voodoo and Obeah are one and the same, etc., nor perhaps is such confusion a matter of great moment, except to the student of occultism, who may be led astray by it for a time; yet, as there lie hid under the barbarous names and fantastic mummeries of these cults, modes of using many of the tremendous secrets and powers of the universal occultism (gupta-vidya) which in themselves are as powerful for evil as good, I count it part of my duty to other students to describe them as well as I can, in the same sense as it is the duty of every ship-master to report for the general behoof? all uncharted reefs and currents he may encounter.
 
For example, in the Scientific American of the 1st of August last, Dr. Eug. Murray-Aaron delivered himself of an article on “Obeah Poisons,” — a subject which, if properly handled, would be of great value alike to chemists, physicians, and occultists. He describes Obeah as “the worship and propitiation of the eternal serpent as an emblem of evil, long ago degenerated into a series of obscene orgies among its West Indian followers.” This, as far as it applies to anything, is a vague description of Voodoo.
 
As to Obeah poisons, he makes a long list of what he says are Obeah poisons, one of which, the yellow Savannah flower (Echitis Sub-erecta) from which Mr. Bowery, F.C.S., of Jamaica, has prepared “Urichitine” — is a real cumulative Obeah poison. The learned doctor had apparently not pursued his investigations far enough into Obeah and its poisons to be aware, that every narcotic or poison made use of by Obeahmen or Voodoos has its specific antidote, or if he was aware of the fact that the infusion of Nhandirbu (Fevilea Cordifolia) seed is the antidote to that particular one, he showed but small regard for his fellow-creatures in not saying so.
 
From my acquaintance with those cults, I have no hesitation in saying that their principal narcotic and tonic drugs still remain unknown to esoteric science, and if its knowledge of them is to result in the publication of modes of using dangerous, and almost undetectable poisons, without the safe-guard of advertising at the same time the means of combating them, the less it learns about them the better.
 
Even leaving aside poisonous drugs, there is in use among the votaries of one of these cults an anaesthetic of wonderful power; it is a composition as tasteless and limpid as water, is cumulative in its effects, and can be so used that at the expiry of a certain number of days, hours, or weeks, the victim goes off into a fainting fit, which soon deepens into a death-like trance or coma, the duration of which can be regulated to a few minutes by the doses, or if necessary, the victim can be recovered almost instantaneously by a very simple procedure. This is at present used for stealing people for human sacrifice, etc.; but it is also used for more occult purposes. I can only hope that when official science discovers the composition of this drug, that the publication of it will be attended with all due precaution.
 
Another and more innocent public reference to these cults was made at the recent folk-lore congress; when a paper by Miss Owen (of St. Joseph’s Missouri) on “Voodoo Magic” was read. The small amount of “Magic” in the amusing account of her “initiation,” is distinctly of the Obeah type, — another instance, of Obeah and Voodoo being taken one for the other. Miss Owen refers to “the rare and precious black kidney-shaped ‘Conjir stone,’ conferring knowledge and power on him who held it.” Kanji is the Koromantyn word, equivalent to talisman, and usually applied to black or white kidney or egg-shaped stones*, to which elementals are supposed to be ‘attached’; but however much power the possession of such a stone may imply, it by no means guarantees knowledge.
 
(*It is said that if a real Kanji stone be soaked for 5 to 10 minutes in alcohol, that the latter becomes tasteless and uninflamable. I have so tested several of these (reputed) stones without the alcohol being affected in the least.)
 
Perhaps the most interesting fact in connection with Miss Owen’s paper was the statement of Mr. Tcheraz, that the word Voodoo is probably derived from the Armenian word Voohook meaning a sorcerer, or the Turkish word Booyoo meaning sorcery. Be that as it may, the Aradas call their cult “changa,” and their sacred green poisonous snake Vidú, whence Voodoo is an easy transition.
 
In addition to the above, in America the public have been interested in some experiments to cause rainfall, which do not seem to have been attended by any very distinct success. It may not be amiss, therefore —as the subject is of very great importance in many parts of the world— to recite some examples of African ‘Magical’ rain-production that go to show at any rate, that the production of rain when required is not an impossibility, even when no dynamite or gunpowder are to be had. It was no doubt with that laudable intention that the London “ Graphic” recently presented its subscribers with a picture of that rara avis the “Hindoo Fakir” being swung by his heels as a penance to produce rain!
 
However, before going on with our rain-making, it may be well to clear up a little of the obscurity which envelopes African magical cults or systems. Tau-Triadelta writing on this subject in Lucifer, a journal like this, more or less devoted to occult subjects, is ipso facto more to be blamed for his additions to that obscurity, than the ‘outsiders’ above referred to. Hear him on occultism generally, and African magic in particular!
 
“There are several schools of Magism, all proceeding and operating on entirely different lines. The principal of these, and on whose philosophy all others are founded, are the Hindu, the Tibetan, the Egyptian (including the Arab), and the Obeah or Voodoo. The last named is entirely and fundamentally opposed to the other three, it having its root and foundation in necromancy or “Black magic,” while the others all operate either by what is known to experts as “white-magic,” or in other cases by “psychologizing” the spectator.
 
The difference between those schools and that of the Obeah or Voodoo is very great, because in them there is a deception or w ant of reality, in the performance. The spectator does not really see w hat he fancies he sees; his mind is simply impressed by the operator and the effect is produced. But in African magic, on the contrary, there is no will-impression, the observer does really and actually see what is taking place. The force employed by the African necromancers is not psychological action, but demonosophy.” As he gives us to understand that his examples happened on the West Coast of Africa, we shall mainly refer to West African cults. The principal of these may be defined as follows:
 
1) The Egyptian, or Atlantico-Egyptian school, which is the reputed progenitor of the modern East African cult of the Kaffir races; to which belong the interesting rain-making and other examples adduced by Tau-Triadelta.
 
2) The Arab or Semetic school, which in the Egypt of to-day has totally overleaped and eclipsed the Atlantico-Egyptian, and having incorporated portions thereof has followed the crescent all over Africa as far as the north bank of the Congo.
 
3) The Voodoo, Voudou, or T’changa school, which is the tribal system of the Arada or Rada tribe (the Yaruba and Dahoman tribes, also to a certain extent) and which has for its  totem the Y id u or green poisonous snake (which is probably the snake otherwise known as the 4 Green Mamba one of the African cobras, Dendraspis). That is one West African system.
 
4) The Obeah or Wanga school, which is the tribal system of the Koromantyn, Popo, Ebor, and other tribes. A second West African system, which in its West Indian development, is more or less mixed with and kept alive by the second or Semetic school.
 
 
The last, then, are practically all that have to do with West Africa, and their geographical and tribal limits on the West are nearly as follow:
 
The Semetic, includes Arabs, Moors, Fullahs, Mandingoes, etc., who are all now more or less Mussalmans. The western boundary of its territory runs down to a point about 200 miles north-east of Sierra Leone, from whence it runs south-east to the Sakatu states, and thence south-east towards the Congo.
 
The Obeah or Wanga, is the system of nearly all the coast, and many of the inland tribes, from about Whydale to a point south of St. Paul de Loanda. (See Bryan Edwards’ book “History of the West Indies”, 1801)
 
Note: Wanga, means (a) a spell or charm, and (b) a mysterious or poisonous drug.
 
The Voodoo or T’changa, is the system of the Arada tribe, whose country is inland north-east of Lagos, between the Dahoman and Yuruba countries. It is this vile cult which is at the bottom alike of the blood-thirsty “Customs” of the Dahoman tribes, and the “goat without horns;” sacrifices, and cannibalism of Haiti. The Aradas and Yurubas in the West Indies have been nick-named “black Jew s,” both from their habits and appearance, — and perhaps from certain parts of their cult which have some resemblance to the bloody and burnt sacrifice part of the service of the tribal deity Jehovah.
 
None of these systems can be said to be “founded on necromancy,” though doubtless, the knowledge of it, and of “Demonosophy” forms a part of them as of all systems. ‘Psychologizing’ or the use of glamour, is common to each and all, as may be gathered from my former notes on Obeah, and from the East African Kaffir practice, as shown below; while even the T’changa, vile as it is, has a white side as well as a black one.
 
That these systems should have some distinctive points of difference is not surprising, and I now ask the reader to note the difference between the rain-making of the East African Kaffir system, and that of the West African Obeah system, which will be found considerable, and of itself ample evidence of variety of procedure and system.
 
It is evident that both these rain-makings, however produced are, judging by the purposes and results, neither Black-magic, nor yet of necromantic origin.
 
« Tau-Triadelta begins his “rain-making” scene, by the description of a Kaffir Kraal in a dry season. “For weeks and weeks there had been no rain, although it was the rainy season. The mealies were all dying for want of water, the cattle were being slaughtered in all directions; women and children had died by scores,” etc., etc. (Where on the West Coast could such a description apply? What West Coast tribe lives on mealies, and has herds of cattle?).
 
The king announced the arrival of two celebrated rain-makers, who would forthwith proceed to relieve the prevailing distress  *  *  *  a large ring  *  *  being formed by the squatting black men ... the king being in the centre, and the rain-makers in front of him, they commenced their incantations. The zenith and the horizon were eagerly examined from time to time, but not a vestige of a cloud appeared. Presently the older man rolled on the ground in convulsions, apparently epileptic, and his comrade started to his feet, pointing with both hands to the copper-colored sky. All eyes followed his gesture, and looked at the spot to which his hands pointed, but nothing was visible.
 
Motionless as a stone statue, he stood with gaze riveted on the sky. In about the space of a minute a darker shade was observable in the copper tint, and in another minute it grew darker and darker, and in a few more seconds developed into a black cloud, which soon overspread the heavens. In a moment a vivid flash was seen, and the deluge that fell from that cloud, which had now spread completely overhead, was something to be remembered. The king dismissed the rain-makers with presents of cattle, etc. »
 
 
That is East African Kaffir rain-making. Let readers who are interested in the point, compare with this the magnificent thunder and lightning duel between two Zulu rain-makers in Eider Haggard’s “Allan’s Wife.” In which volume too, will be found a Zulu rain-maker using glamour and various other phases of occultism for beneficent purposes. There is a book on Kaffir or Zulu magic or witchcraft in the British Museum, which to those on the spot, will doubtless afford further illustrations.
 
Here is a West African Obeah rain-making scene:
 
« A priest from Toulouse called Père Fraisse, had brought from the Kingdom of Juda, in Guinea, to Martinique (West Indies) a little black child of 9 or 10 years of age. Some months after the child arrived, he heard the fathers complaining of the dryness of the weather which was affecting their garden, and heard them wishing for rain. The child, who had begun to speak French, asked them whether they wanted a heavy or slight shower, assuring them that he could make a shower fall on their garden.
 
This proposal much astonished the fathers, but after consulting together, they consented (because the child was not yet baptized!) to his causing a slight shower.
 
The child immediately gathered three oranges, which he placed on the ground at a little distance from each other. He prostrated himself before each orange with a fervency and devotion which surprised the fathers. He then gathered three little orange twigs which, after repeated prostrations, he placed against each orange. He then prostrated himself for the third time, and said some words with much respect and attention; then, lifting one of the little orange twigs in his hand, he looked all round the horizon till he perceived a very small cloud at a very great distance, lie then extended the twigs towards it, which instantly produced a smart shower, lasting nearly an hour. He then took the oranges and twigs and buried them.
 
The fathers were much surprised, particularly as not a drop fell outside their garden , but later, they failed in getting the child to tell them the words he used: (which probably would not have been the result had they been Jesuits !) “the witnesses of this scene were Fathers Temple, Rosie, Bournot, and Fraisse, of our (Dominican) order. »
(Pere Labat, “Nouveaux Voyages aux iles d’Amérique”, 1724)
 
 
It is evident that both these rain-makings, however produced are, judging by the purposes and results, neither Black-magic, nor yet of necromantic origin.
 
Comparing these two examples, we see that the East African Kaffir produces his rain without the use of any visible or audible ceremony, simply and directly through intense will-concentration, his capacity for which effectually distinguishes his race, were all other points of difference wanting, from most of the West African races. There is no recorded case within my knowledge of the Kaffir rain-maker making use of other procedure for the production of rain, thunder, etc.
 
The West African Obeahman using apian more suited to his incapacity of intense concentration, makes use of distinct ceremonial, the active instrument being a spell (mantra) which might be used either to produce rain directly by vibration, or indirectly by utilization of water elementals; — in the instance before us, probably in the latter method, when the boy’s command over the quantity to be produced is taken into account. The Obeahman, therefore, producing rain through indirect concentration of will, by aid of ceremonial magic (van mantra vidya).
 
This comparison shows us among other things, that the feats themselves, e. g., rain-making, etc., are common to both systems, that where the systematic differences occur is in the modes and details of production: and that, therefore, the difference between the various schools, as far as the philosophy is concerned in regard to such matters, is practically nil.
 
Tau-Triadelta appears to be under the impression, not only that Voodoo and Obeah are one and the same, but that (a) glamour (or, as he calls it, psychologizing the spectator) is ipso facto white magic, and (b) that African magic having “its root and foundation in necromancy or black magic is therefore incapable of the use of either white magic” or glamour.
 
However, by another illustration drawn from his paper, — premising that I understand from the same that he was an eye-witness of the scenes he describes, — I shall now show that the East African Kaffir wizards do use glamour, and further that they seem to have used it to some purpose on Tau-Triadelta himself.
 
« Tau-Triadelta was with the rain-makers in their hut, and they had been giving him some examples of their skill, when they gave him this “very interesting exhibition. By the old man s directions we arranged ourselves round the tire at the three points of an imaginary triangle.
 
The men waved their hands over the fire in rhythm with their chant, when dozens of tic polangas, the most deadly serpents in Africa (sic) slowly crawled out of the burning embers and, interlacing themselves together, whirled in a mad dance on their tails round the fire; making all the while a continuous hissing. At the word of command they all sprang into the fire and disappeared.
 
The young man then came round to me, and kneeling down, opened his mouth, out of which the head of a tic polanga was quickly protruded. He snatched it out, pulling a serpent nearly three feet long out of his throat, and threw it also into the fire. In rapid succession he drew seven serpents from his throat and consigned them all to the same fiery end. »
 
 
Now for the demonstration!
 
(a) “Tic-Polanga” is the Telugu (?) name of the Baboia Russellu” known to Anglo-Indians also as the “Cowrie snake,” from its markings: which the best authorities say  only inhabits , a limited area in Asia. (v. Fayrers “Thanotophidia of India.”)
 
(b) There are no known snakes or serpents whose structure permits them to “dance on their tails.”
 
Therefore (1) either the wizards using the “demonosophy” Tau-Triadelta credits them with, 'compelled’ certain demons (? Elementals) into the forms of those snakes, or they caused him to see “mayavic,” or glamour forms of tic-Polangas dancing “on their tails.”
 
And (2) In any case, they “psychologized” him into the belief that the snakes he saw were real, that they were tic-Polongas in Africa, and that they are known to the public as “the most deadly serpents in Africa.” It is to be hoped that the “puff-adders” who have fair claims to that title, won’t be jealous!
 
From this my readers will perceive that African wizards have some rotion of glamour and its use, and that, according to Tau-Triadelta’s showing, their magic is therefore not always “Black.” Indeed on the whole no occultist can read his article without recognizing that glamour was the chief phase of occultism made use of by his friends, the wizards, in the majority of the examples narrated by him, and that it apparently had no little effect on himself.
 
In Mr. J.D. Bell’s book about Obeah, which contains a variety of miscellaneous West India ‘gup’, there is related an interesting case of unconscious, or “mediumistic” rain-making, which is just the requisite complement of the above conscious cases. I am not aware if there are any similar séance-room cases on record.
 
« This, Mr. Bell states “happened a few years ago in St. Lucia, in connection with a little girl, who possessed the undesirable power of causing rain to fall wherever she might be. The first shower came on quite suddenly, and one day the mother of the child was astounded on being told that rain was falling in the bed-room at that moment occupied by the little girl. Hushing upstairs, at once, the lady did actually find a smart shower of water falling from the ceiling and soaking into the floor.
 
Umbrellas had to be called into immediate requisition in order to investigate the mystery. It could only however be “constate” that, although perfectly fine and dry outside, rain was undoubtedly falling in broad day-light, in the room occupied by the little girl. The child was taken into another room with the immediate effect of producing another equally smart shower, whereas the room she had just vacated became quite dry again.
 
The unfortunate little girl was hurried from one room to another, upstairs and down again, only with the same invariable effect. She was ultimately taken into the garden in the hope that she might water some beds of vegetables which sadly needed irrigation, but unfortunately this watering little girl obtained no effect outside, and was found to cause showers in undesirable places, such as bed-rooms and kitchens. The news soon spread abroad, and numbers came to see this young phenomenon,......but happily this attack of waterworks only lasted a few days........-
 
All joking apart, this wonderful incident did really occur as numbers of residents in St. Lucia can testify, nor is the case a solitary one. »
(“Obeah”, London, 1889)
 
 
The veriest tyro in occult study knows that whatever can be done negatively, or unconsciously by a Medium, or in the aura of one can be done positively and consciously by the possession of a trained will as, in all probability, in the West African rain-making, and in this latter negative case, the actual rain-making was done by “Water Elementals.”
 
It would add greatly to the comprehension of these and like phenomena if some learned brother would give us accounts of the water, air, and earth elementals from the Indian point of view, like those which Col. Olcott gave ns of the Fire Elementals, at p.266 et seq. of the last volume of the Theosophist.
 
The most valuable example of Obeah related by Mr. Bell, is made more interesting by its going to illustrate the fact that the ‘high-grade’ fiats of Mr. Congo Brown, —alluded to in my former notes— have not become quite obsolete. I refer particularly to the alleged flying away of his bf other and his mysterious removal of the hogsheads of sugar. It is this:
 
A Roman Catholic priest relates:
 
« Some years ago I was in Trinidad, and the Archbishop sent me to take charge of a parish far in the interior of the island, at that time very little known and developed. There being no presbytery, I had to make shift, until I could build one, with part of a small wooden house, of which one room was occupied by an old colored woman, who lived with a little girl.
 
This woman was looked on with a good deal of dread by the people, being supposed to possess a knowledge of a good many unholy tricks, and it was confidently hoped that my near neighborhood would do her good, and at all events induce her to be seen now and then at church, which is here a great sign of respectability. When taking possession of my part of the house, I was shown her room, and noticed particularly that it contained some very handsome pieces of the massive furniture so much esteemed by the Creoles.
 
A tremendous family four-poster with very heavy, handsomely turned pillars, stood in one corner near a ponderous mahogony wardrobe, and various other bits of heavy furniture pretty well filled the little room. The door of her apartment opened into my room, which she had to pass through every time she went out of the house .................... The night after my taking possession, I heard a monotonous sound through the partition, as of some one crooning a sing-song tune.
 
This continued for over an hour, and more than once I felt inclined to rap at the partition, and beg the old dame to stop her incantations, but it finally acted as a lullaby; and I soon dropped asleep. Next morning, having got up and dressed, I noticed that all was perfectly silent next door, and on listening attentively failed to hear a sound; I feared something had gone wrong, but noticed that the door leading outside had not been opened, as a chair I had placed against it was in precisely the same position as I had left it.
 
I then knocked at her door several times, but obtained no answer; fearing an accident had happened, I opened the door, and as it swung back on its hinges, I was astounded to see the room perfectly empty, and evidently swept (clean. On examining the room carefully, I found it only had two small windows, besides the door leading into my room. From that day to this, neither I nor any one living in that district has ever seen or beard anything of that woman or her little girl.
 
How she moved all her heavy furniture out of that little room, has ever remained, an inexplicable mystery. I would have defied any one to move the wardrobe alone, and even if the old woman had had strength to move the furniture away, she could never have dragged it through my room without waking me! »
 
 
Query: Did the near approach of the ‘odor of sanctity’ cause the ‘vile sorceress’ to flee? Or did the old woman consider the same as a defilement?
 
In the above we have a broad hint as to what process Mr. Congo Brown’s brother used when he flew away, and as to how Mr. Brown himself got those hogsheads of sugar transported from the sugar-works to the beach. When did the Wanga-Obeah men learn mantra-vidya?
 
It was assuredly never evolved from the brain of any West African black man in the state he has been in during the 400-odd years, the European has been in more or less close contact with him. There is nothing to show that the Arab or Semetic system introduced it, because the contact between the two have been but local in Africa, where communication is difficult; and in the West Indies only occasional, and comparatively recent. This will ultimately in all probability resolve itself into a question of races, such as — Is the West African black man, a Lemurian remnant, a remnant of some escaped black Atlanteans, or what?
 
 
 
 
 
PART II
 
In the Trinidad Public Opinion, of July 12th, 1890, there was an editorial on “The reported arrest of a witch,” which arrest however turned out to be only a report; but that paper’s description of the supposed witch —which follows— is a very good description of the popular belief in the West Indies as to the powers and capabilities of those Obeah-practitioners know n in the French-speaking Islands of the W.I. as “Souquiants,” and in the English-speaking ones as “Hags.”
 
These term s, as will be seen later on, refer to persons who have the power of projecting and going about in their astral bodies at will.
 
« This witch, in common with others of her class, was said to have passed in through key-holes, practiced her death-dealing arts on the unfortunate inmates of the houses into which she had entered, and by uttering certain incantations, had caused ruin to follow upon those connected with the unfortunate families.
 
She was not only able to shorten the period of existence of those whom it might please her to destroy, but she could prolong life, and when the humor favored her she could bespeak for these health, wealth and prosperity. Not only was she, it was stated, able to affect others, but she had also supernatural power over her own body. She could, it was said, change her skin, and transform her shriveled form into a ball of fire.
 
These were some of the sayings amongst the crowd, and from the manner in which they expressed themselves it is to be feared that, even in this enlightened age, the lower orders amongst us believe in witchcraft, and that they particularly believed all that had been said of this mysterious witch. »
 
 
From this it will be seen that the Obeah-witch differs in some respects from the European ones, as already set forth in my “Obeah” notes.
 
There remain one or two remarkable phases of “African Magic” to be referred to, and I cannot do better than quote Père Labat, whose most interesting book I have already mentioned. He had evidently made a study of Obeah, inclusive of its toxicology; but while never doubting its reality, like most of his co-religionists he unhesitatingly put it down to direct intercourse with his Satanic Majesty. Here is his dictum on the subject:
 
« I know that there are people who look upon the reports of the can trips of sorcerers and their pacts with the devil as purely effects of imagination or as ridiculous stories. I even entertained these sentiments myself for a long time. I know others who exaggerate often in their accounts of such matters, but I believe that it may be considered that all they say is not entirely false, although perhaps it may not be entirely true.
 
However, I was persuaded that there are some absolutely true facts (under such stories), and some of these following I have been eye-witness of, while of the others I have all the certitude one could desire to be assured of the verity of a fact. »
 
 
The Père was a man of intellect, and of the highest culture of his time, but as he clearly states, when “Les black men sorciers” fell into his hands, he spared nothing to ensure the victory of the crucifix over the author of evil and his emissaries. Here is a curious sample.
 
« In 1698, one of our black women had been ill for a long time of a malady unknown to our surgeons, and as I suspected slow poison, I forbade her to receive any medicine from any one except our own surgeon.
 
One evening, I was told that there was a black man in her hut giving her medicine, (as had been forbidden). I immediately took steps to chastise and drive him away. As I approached the door of the hut, I stopped, and looked through the wattle work of which the hut was built, at what was going on. I saw the sick woman extended on the ground on a mat, a little figure of earthenware was on a little altar in the middle of the hut: the black man ‘doctor’ was on his knees before the figure, and seemed to pray with much attention.
 
After a little, he took a ‘cony’ (a half calabash) in which he had some fire, put some gum (resin of Bursera Balsamifera) on it and incensed the idol. At last, after several incensings and prostrations, lie approached it, and asked it whether the black woman would recover or not. I heard the question, but not the answer. The black woman, who was the most interested person, and several black men who were nearer than I, heard it, and began immediately to weep and cry. At this moment I threw open the door, and entered with five or six others.
 
I caused the sorcerer, and also some of the spectators who did not belong to our village, to be seized. I took the figure, the censer, the medicine bag and all the pharaphernalia: and I asked the black woman why she cried, she answered me that the devil had told her she would die in four days, and that she had heard his voice come out of the little figure. The other black men (spectators) affirmed the same.
 
To undeceive them, I said that it was the black man ‘Doctor’ who had spoken in a counterfeit voice, and, that if the devil had been there to reply to him, he would also have warned him of my presence, and intention of catching him. Then I had the ‘Doctor’ ‘seized up,’ and given about 300 lashes of the cat.  He yelled like mad, and our black men begged me to let him off; but I told them sorcerers did not feel pain, and that he only yelled to mock me.
 
Then I had a seat brought, set the figure upon it, and told the ‘Doctor’ to pray the devil to deliver him out of my hands, or to carry away the figure; and, that if he did not do one or the other, I would give him some more of the cat. The black men who were all now assembled, trembled, and told me the devil would kill me, and they were so convinced of this stupidity, that nothing I could say would persuade them otherwise.
 
At last, to shew them I feared neither the devil nor sorcerers, I kicked the figure in pieces, and smashing up all the sorcerer’s equipage, I put all into a fire; and having burnt them, threw the ashes into the river. It seemed to me that this slightly reassured the black men.
 
But the annoying part of this adventure was that the black woman actually died on the fourth day, may be her imagination had been struck by the reply of the devil, or perhaps she felt that her illness ought to carry her off about that time.  Anyhow, I took care to confess her and had the consolation of seeing her die a good Christian. (!!) »
 
 
The following history of a black man sorcerer who was burnt alive at St. Thomas, in 1701, was communicated to me by Monseigneur Vanbel, Chief of the Danish factory there:
 
« A black man convicted of being a sorcerer, and of having caused a little figure of earthenware to speak, was condemned by the judge of the island to be burned alive. Monseigneur Vanbel, meeting him on the road as lie was being carried to execution, said to him:
 
-      “Well, thou canst not make thy little figure speak again, it is broken!”
 
The black man replied:
 
-      “If you like, Sir, I’ll make the cane you hold in your hand speak!”
 
This proposal filled every one with astonishment! Monseigneur Vanbel asked the judge who was present, to delay the execution for a little, to sec if the black man could do as he said, which was allowed. He gave the cane to the black man, who, having planted it in the ground, and made several ceremonies before it, asked Monseigneur Vanbel what it was he wished to know.
 
The latter replied that he would like to know, with regard to a vessel which they expected, whether it had started, when it would arrive, who were on board, and what had happened to them on the voyage. The black man recommenced his ceremonies, after which, drawing back, he asked Monseigneur Vanbel to approach his cane, and he would hear what he wanted to know. On approaching, Monseigneur Vanbel heard a small, but clear and distinct voice, which said to him:
 
The vessel thou expects left Elsinore on such and such a day, so and so is in command of her, and he has such and such passengers with him, thou wilt be content with her cargo, although a squall in passing the Tropic broke her foretopmast, and carried away her flying jib. She will arrive here within three days.’
 
The black man was executed, and three days after, the vessel arrived, and verified to the letter the entire prediction. »
 
 
What did the “powers” used by the black men in these two feats amount to?
 
 
Perhaps only a rather low class mixture of clairvoyance, glamour and ventriloquism. But does it not seem equally probable that Theopaea (the “art of endowing with temporary life and intelligence, statues and blocks of inert matter”) was the means made use of?
 
If so, it is proof positive that the Obeah-wanga of to-day is not the decrepit descendant of a barbarous tribal system, but on the contrary is the remnant of some ancient and civilized learning.
 
I will conclude these “elegant extracts” with one of the most extraordinary recitals of black magical feats which it has been my fate to meet with in a fairly authenticated state. Rudyard Kipling’s gruesome tale about the “silver man,” was weird enough, but was in nowise authenticated, nor did it suggest anything like the range of diabolically used powers so prominent in this narrative.
 
« Monseigneur le Comte de Gennes, commanding a squadron of the King’s ships, having taken the Fort of Corée (West Coast of Africa), in 1690, loaded two of his vessels with black men whom he found in the captured English Factory, and sent them off to the French W.I. Islands.
 
One of these vessels had some black men onboard who were highly skilled in the sciences diaboliques: who, to escape the voyage, so effectually delayed the vessel, that with a fair wind she was unable to accomplish in seven weeks, the distance she usually covered under a like condition in forty-eight hours such an extraordinary event frightened the officers and crew, who were unable to discover the cause of this mysterious delay, or to devise a remely for it.
 
Water and provisions began to run short, the mortality among the black men increased to such an extent, that they had to throw a part of them overboard. Some of them complained while dying, of a certain black woman, who they said was the cause of their death, because, since she had threatened to eat their hearts, they had been driven to despair by severe pains. The captain of the vessel caused some of those black men to be opened, when they found their hearts and livers dry, and full of air-filled bladders, while the rest of their organs were in the ordinary state.
 
After some consideration, the captain had the accused black woman made fast to a gun, and severely flogged, to make her confess the crimes she was charged with. As she did not appear to feel the blows, the surgeon of the vessel believing that the Prevot did not apply the cat properly; took it himself, and struck several blows with all his strength.
 
The black woman still showed no signs of feeling any pain, and asked the surgeon why lie ill-treated her so, without reason or right: and said she would make him repent it, and would eat his heart. About three days afterwards the surgeon died in great agony, and on holding a post mortem examination, they found his parties nobles as dry as parchment.
 
When this happened, the captain did not know what to do. He could have strangled the black woman, or thrown her overboard, but he feared she was not alone, and that by doing so the rest would be driven to the last extremities. He concluded to treat her well, and made her the finest promises in the world, provided she would cause her devilments to cease. They negotiated, and agreed, that if he would put her ashore with two or three others whom she named, she would make the vessels go: and to shew the officer a little more of what she could do, she asked him if he had any fruit.
 
He told her they had some water-melons. ‘Show them to me,’ said she, and without my touching or even approaching them, be sure that I will eat them within forty-eight hours.’
 
He accepted the offer, and showed her the water-melons at a distance, and immediately locked them up in a coffer, the key of which he put into his pocket not trusting it to any of his people. The second morning thereafter, the black woman asked him where his melons were. He opened the coffer in which he had locked them, and had much pleasure in seeing them quite en tire: but the pleasure was short, and soon changed into vast astonishment, when he lifted them to show them round: they were empty, nothing remaining but the sheer skin, extended like a bladder and as dry as parchment.
 
They were obliged to return to land (Africa) to revitual and take in water, there they landed the sorceress and her company, after which the vessel started again and made a fortunate voyage.
 
The officers, and those of the English Factory who were prisoners in this vessel, signed a procés verbal of these incidents, the original of which is in the hands of Madame la Comtesse de Gennes, who gave me a copy. »
(Labat, March, 1701)
 
I cordially recommend this story to Psychical Researchers.
 
 
(Theosophist, 1892, February p.296-305, October p.20-24)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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