Witch Doctors 2

Evil and Good

The witch doctor was primarily concerned about the protection of the community form the evil spirits and from evil men. African religion views the world as being ruled by two opposing forces, one evil and one good. Many calamities were viewed as the act of evil spirits and evil persons. Such calamities would have included sterility in men, barrenness in women, mental disturbances, untimely death and disease. In search of the witch (the one with the evil spirit) the witch doctor would "smell-out" the guilty one. Through the administration of poison and the subsequent reaction to it the guilt would be determined. Torture was also commonly used in confession where the one called into question was believed to be a witch. The punishment for being a witch was death. This mask from Nigeria is a Maiden Spirit Mask. [BM] {MN}