|
 Fetiches
& Effigies
©
Denise Alvarado, All Rights reserved.
Theoretically, fetishism is present in all religions, but its use in the study
of religion is derived from studies of traditional West African religious
beliefs, as well as Voodoo, which is derived from those beliefs. The word
fetish derives from the Portuguese word feitiço. A fetish is an
object, talisman, or amulet, believed to have supernatural powers. The term was
used by the Portuguese to refer to religious objects used by the African
natives. These objects may have been used in sympathetic magic, identified in a
dream, associated with good fortune, or according to Lang (1900) “they may (like
a tree with an unexplained stir in its branches, as reported by Kohl) have
seemed to show signs of life by spontaneous movements” ( p.147).
Fetishes are also commonly used in Native American religion and culture. Small
stone carvings are crafted to resemble animals with sacred qualities. For
example,
Fetish
image, by the London
Missionary
the bear may represent the shaman, the buffalo may represent the provider,
Society. Pseudonymous, circa 1900.p.d.
the mountain lion may represent the warrior, and the wolf may symbolize the
pathfinder.
In Africa, there are several types of
fetiches and effigies, such the minkisi and bocios of West
Africa. Some are used in divination practices. Many are used for
healing and protection, or to ensure success in hunting, trade, or sex.
Important minkisi are often credited with powers in multiple domains. While each
has specific functions, the common denominator is that they function as sacred
vessels wherein elevated spirits sacred medicine, and/or special powers reside.
Minkisi are primarily containers - ceramic vessels, gourds, animal horns,
shells, bundles, or any other object that can contain spiritually-charged
substances. Even graves themselves, as the home of the dead and hence the home
of bakisi, can be considered as minkisi. In fact, minkisi have even been
described as portable graves, and many include earth or relics from the grave of
a powerful individual as a prime ingredient. The powers of the dead thus infuse
the object and allow the nganga to control it (Visona,
Poynor, Cole, & Harris, 2001).
| References
Visona, Poynor, Cole, and Harris. (2001). A History of
Art in Africa. |
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