A Little too Bien Integre

Well, have been back in village now for five days and already felt the need to escape. Actually that isn't true. Village has been going well, but I had a meeting scheduled at the district with the doctor only to be told after biking thirty km in the mud, that the district office is closed today because of Ascention. Having nothing else to do, and procrastinating the whole law school application thing, I decided to update everyone on my very interesting meeting with the traditional healers, i.e. witch doctors.

Before I left for Spain I talked to an association of traditional healers about Moringa trees. They asked me to come back this past Sunday to reinforce some of the information I had given them in July. I arrived that morning and waited for a few hours only to have about ten people show up. Because it is the rainy season, attendance at all meetings is rather low. I was excited to hear that three of the people had been using the leaf podwer PROPERLY for their patients. I guess some of what I said sank in after all.

After my talk, I was told that there was some other business they needed to attend to. Thinking it was their code for, "It is time to drink gin now," I got up to leave. They stopped me before I managed to escape and led me through the brush to an altar surrounded by trees. Around the altar were half buried bottles arranged, apparently, in a particular fashion. On the altar made out of an old wheel spoke, they each placed their fetishes (which are black smooth stones on a chain) on the altar. My friend who was translating for me then explained the backstory as to what was happening.

One traditional healer had accidentally killed one of his patients by giving him the wrong potion. To correct this unfortunate event, all of the healers were participating in a sacrifice to get rid of the bad spirits that would otherwise plague the healer. Now, it was about this time that I realized where the dog who was hog tied and muzzeled at my feet was fitting into the picture. Yes, it was all coming together now and making perfect sense.

I was surprised as everyone tells me that outsiders are not allowed to see sacrifices or go to sacreed places, but I am a little to bien integrated now.

The president of the association, who now apparently considers me a member in my own right, tried to get me to sit next to him during the ceremony. The look of horror on my face, however, spared me and I was allowed to stay near the exit. I watched as the offending healer kneeled before the altar and the president. They conversed for a while and the poured a few rounds, taking care to spill a few drops on the altar for good measure. The president then proceeded to sacrfice a chicken. He cut the chicken on the neck. The chicken flew around in circles for a few seconds then landed. The flight of the bird and subsequent landing of it held some sort of message for the crowd that sort of escaped my knowledge. When the chicken had finally died, they placed the blood of it on the altar. There was another chicken which then met a similar fate.

They then came for the dog. They untied him and sacrificed him as well (I will spare you the details). The dog's blood was drained into a container and on the altar as well. Each of the fetishes was then bathed in the blood of the dog in the container. I didn't really understand how tense the situation was until after we finished. Everyone seemed a lot lighter spiritually (except me of course). I was scared to ask if they ate the meat but I am hoping they did as they placed the dog's body on a fire after the ceremony and my ethnicity is known around Burkina for eating dog meat.

I now have been invited to a fete next Sunday at the president's house. I will keep you posted but am praying for no carniage.

In other news, I got stampeded by a cow yesterday. I guess the proper word is actually charged but I am not splitting hairs here. I was walking near our new dam when I heard a thundering behind me. I hopped quickly onto the dam and much to everyone's surprise I took it in stride. Later I was in the same spot when the same cow charged three girls who did not handle the situation so well, there was a lot of screaming, but all managed to walk away unscathed.

Needless to say, it has been an eventful few days. My theater troupe is preparing a malaria play and are going to sell the mosquito nets we got before I left. Since I have been back it has rained twice, but I got news that it did not rain while I was on vacation. As this is the height of the rainy season, everyone is really worried and constantly working to keep the millet healthy. Please pray, it may be a tough year.