All the images (photographic and non-photographic) made available in this collection are the property of the Basel Mission and are managed by mission 21. mission 21 / Basel Mission claim copyright on the images in their possession and require those publishing any of the images--both individuals and organisations--to pay a user's/copyright fee. Contact the Archives of mission21 at address mentioned or at info@bmpix.org. info@bmarchives.org mission21 mission21, Missionsstrasse 21, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland, tel. (+41 61 260 22 42), fax (+4161 260 22 68)
Description
Annotation translation: "Village magic. Houses and whole villages are protected from evil spirits by such strongly magical objects tied to sticks in the open air. The Mbembe push sticks into the earth in a circle and bind them together with fibres from palm fronds. They tie feathers, of birds and chickens, to the sticks and fix chicken-heads and snail-shells to their [the sticks'] ends. If, in spite of this, suffering occurs then the logic is simple: the magic has not been strong enough." Annotation: "Dorfzauber. Wohnungen & ganze Dörfer werden dadurch vor bösen Geistern bewahrt, dass im Freien an Stecken zauberkräftige Gegenstände angebunden werden. Die Mbembeleute pflanzen einige Stöcke kreisrund in den Boden & verbinden sie untereinander mit Fasern von Palmblättern. Daran befestigen sie Vogel- & Hühnerfedern & auf den Stecken Hühnerköpfe & Schneckenhäuschen. Wenn dann das Leid trotzdem gelegentlich einkehrt, so hat man eben nicht genügend starke Zaubermedizin gehabt." Stamped: "Museum der Basler Mission, Basel, Missionsstrasse 21."
Type
image
Format
b/w positive, paper print, gelatin-silver 7.9 x 10.9 cm.
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