Tucked away back towards the Tchakpa stands is where one finds the local fetish market. That is to say, if there is any sorcery you wish to perform, you’ll probably need to make a visit here to find some essential ingredients.
Although foreign religions (namely Islam and Christian sects such as Catholicism) have been adopted by the majority of the population, a substantial portion of the population retains their traditional beliefs (generally known as animism), sometimes while at the same time practicing Islam or Christianity. In fact, when I was counted in the Togolese census and I told them I was neither Muslim nor Catholic, their best next assumption was to put me down as animist!
These traditional practices are often led by healers or notables sometimes known as marabous or charlatans. They perform a variety of healing acts, some based on a degree of science (usually revolving around plants, and hence the connection they have to the botanical garden I’ve previously talked about) and others based on what we’d probably call superstition. That is, it is superstition unless you think it’s real. In that case, you might call it animism, sorcery or gris-gris. This is all where the fetish market that is the topic of the day comes in to play
Understanding their superstitions has been a fairly complicated thing for me to do in my time here. This is in part, because most people have their own interpretations and beliefs for what traditional religion is. I’ll get one explanation from one person and then the next will tell me something slightly different. Yet, what I’ve commonly heard is that people believe that each person has an animal spirit or incarnation attached to their being. Sorcery affects these incarnations or spirits, allowing one to protect themselves from evil spirits/incarnations of others or in some cases inflict certain desired effects on others. But if I was going to simplify it, I would leave it that there is the basic belief that the traditional healers or fetish priests have the power to protect people through certain ceremonies.
According to each case or problem, certain ingredients are necessary for every ceremony, whether they are performed in family or by traditional healers. Some of these ingredients are not easily found and can cost a villager a decent penny. What’s done with the ingredients in the ceremonies one can never be sure of, unless he’s there. But we can marvel at some of the ingredients nonetheless shown in the close up picture. I can’t tell what half of them are myself, but among them are turtle shells, snake skins, rat skins, bird skulls, animal hair and various bones. In other stalls yet are fetish stones, rings, bracelets, shells and additional accessories. The ingredients aren’t the secret, but the ceremony is. If you ask me it’s in the fear of that unknown, from which comes the traditional respect for it, and part of the secret to it too.
Now these beliefs have less sway than they once did. This is evidenced by the fact that they now take water from, swim in and fish in the river and burn brush fires and cut trees that have destroyed countless sacred forests, among other things. These places were formerly very hallowed places and none of them would have been disturbed for fear of upsetting the spirits surrounding these areas. Such is no longer the case. Regardless, the tradition still remains to a degree. Even my favorite mango trees still have fetishes hanging from their branches to help ward of greedy kids from steeling the fruit. That, and the fetish market is clearly still in business as well.
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