Fetishism and animism

There is an ancient belief that a magic energy is distributed everywhere, but it concentrates in some natural objects. This belief makes spirits inhabit hills, rivers and forests. Often these spirits are viewed as creatures that look like people, live in families and earn their living. If good relations are established with the spirits, they will help people, if one offends them, a disaster cannot be avoided. Many people believe that spirits can get into relationships with human women, and then heroes are born who found powerful dynasties.

It is not rare that a large animal, a python or a crocodile, is regarded as a spirit of an area. People enter into an alliancewith such animal, and sacrifices are made to it, and in return the sacred beast provides for good harvests and prosperity of the human society. This gives source to legends about beauties who are left to be eaten by a fearful beast; such tales are found not only in Africa, but also in other parts of the world. However, African people remember much better for which purpose the sacrifices were made to the beast. Also, the legends usually have sad endings: a young man falls in love with the girl and kills the evil reptile, but then they have to escape from their enraged fellow-tribesmen. This is followed by an awful drought that is sent as a punishment for breaking the alliance, and the people have to abandon the once flourishing lands.

Magical power can also be accumulated in objects created by man. Such magical items are referred to as fetishes. If sacrifices are made to them and they are sprinkled with sacrificial blood, their power grows and they help their owner achieve everything he wants. Sometimes people try to enrage a fetish on purpose by sticking red-hot nails into its body; it is the case of the Bakongo fetish nkisi. The enraged nkisi is supposed to turn its fury against the thief who encroached upon the field of the nkisi owner.

Fetishes often resemble humans in many respects. The Bamana people believe that fetishes form families; there are fetish parents and fetish children. A fetish can express emotions, it can be pleased, or insulted and enraged.

However, fetishes do not get along with the world religions, Islam and Christianity. Many of them were burnt, some others are offered for sale by antiquarians, but some still serve their owners and compete with the Bible and the Koran.

Altar in the roots of a ceiba tree, in a deep forest.  Cote d'Ivoire. Ye. V. Perehvalskaya. 2006		Dwelling of a spirit. Nyagasola, Zavialova O., 1999		Altar of an unknown cult. Luanda, Perekhvalskaya E., 2004
Fetish with remainings of sacrifices. Kiekiekro, Tsuryupa M., 2007