Theory in Africa, Africa in Theory by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781317506812
Publisher: Taylor & Francis (CAM)

Bottles of different kinds of liquor served during rituals and other shrine ceremonies are common features of shrines. Among them, schnapps bottles are most common, as schnapps is a preferred drink of indigenous religious practice besides palm wine and a solution of corn flour. Any kind of gin and vodka may be occasionally accepted for prayers. Whisky, cognac, rum and other drinks of colour may also be served and consumed in ritual contexts but never used in prayer. The preference for schnapps probably stems from it being among the first imported liquor to which early priests of the religion had access. The preference for foreign schnapps and other liquor reflects the global context of the indigenous religion (cf. Ogundiran 2002).

Flags are among the most visible emblems of the indigenous religion not only in the study area but also across Ghana. They are made of strips of white, black and red fabric, which may be variously combined in relation to the types of deities at shrine houses and are often displayed at the entrances and centre of compounds of shrines. The white represents water and water deities and expresses the purity of these deities. The red connotes powerful and dangerous earthly deities and heavenly spirits such as lightening, while the black signs out conciliatory indigenous Ewe deities. Purely white flags are hoisted at shrines where only water deities are found. Shrines that host water deities in addition to earthly and heavenly deities hoist flags of red and white fabric, and in some cases strips of blue fabric. There are no purely black flags. The visibility of flags over medium and long distances enables them to advertise shrines and the types of deities they deal with. However, the posting of signboards has become a new concept priests of some shrines have adopted to promote their religious business. Signboards are commissioned from artists and strategically posted along roads and streets near the entrances of shrines. They usually spell out the names of shrines and their presiding priests, and are designed in ways that evoke awe. On them may be found images of talisman-clad human and sub-human beings holding blood-stained knives or whisks and images of mermaids, poisonous snakes, dwarfs and beasts, among other entities that are intended to evince the power and potency of deities found in the associated shrines. In my opinion, priests choose such awe-inspiring images as a means of signalling the power of the deities they deal with.

Most communal shrines keep male dwarf goats with very long beards as symbols of shrines and their deities. Necklaces of twisted plant fibre or strands of red fabric with a pendant of cowry shells or perforated coins are usually worn around the necks of such goats. The goats are named after the deities in whose shrines they are kept and are permitted by the general public to parade entire communities and to dine anywhere without being distracted or harmed, as doing so may, according to informants, incur the displeasure and wrath of the deities.

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