the village of neon II in northern Ghana
at first glance it looks like any other
West African village but this is a
community of outcasts the men and women
at this funeral have been banished from
their home villages forced to give up
everything they’ve known in the world
homes families friends all because
they’ve been accused of being witches in
much of the Western world today
certainly in America witches ghosts and
goblins exist only in legend but
throughout Africa the notion of
witchcraft is very real the spirit world
is no less present than the physical
world and those who are believed capable
of harnessing its power to do harm are
greatly feared so much so that often
they must be banished like the accused
witches of nany one of those outcasts is
Sanka a recent arrival Csonka was
transformed from woman to witch after a
young man in her village fell sick and
died the grieving family wanted to know
who was responsible he turned to the
local fortune-teller to invoke the
ancestral spirits and said the source of
the evil was Sanka
her Csonka it was a terrible moment she
had lived here her entire life
now she could lose everything Santa
pleaded that she had done nothing so the
aggrieved family turned to the ultimate
arbiter in such matters the fetish
priest after offering libations to the
ancestors the fetish priest announced a
test that would shock many Westerners
sanga’s fate the entire course of her
future life would be decided by the
sacrifice of a chicken the sacrificed
chicken died with its legs pointing down
rather than up a verdict as clear as
that of any jury in the West Sanka was
guilty Csonka has been banished to nani
rather than killed because it’s believed
that witches can’t control their own
actions but in order to be accepted in
the witch village Sokka must undergo a
ritual that will purify her
evil spirits she’s looking forward to it
witchcraft holds such sway here that
even Santa has come to believe she was
possessed by evil powers the next day
the entire village gathers for Csonka
ceremony every one of them has passed
through with themselves
Santa presents the fetish priests with
the items needed for offering money here
it all is the priests assistant invokes
the blessings of the ancestors and asks
the spirits to do their work so this
woman has come here to purify yourself
take this vow and drive all her problems
away from her the chicken died on its
back the sign that song cos purification
has been accepted by the spirit
today I’ve taken the fetish potion I am
no longer a witch
nothing will worry me again I will sleep
in my room soundly I am no longer a
witch
but while no longer a witch Csonka can
never leave she will always be a member
of the community of outcasts
at first glance it looks like any other
West African village but this is a
community of outcasts the men and women
at this funeral have been banished from
their home villages forced to give up
everything they’ve known in the world
homes families friends all because
they’ve been accused of being witches in
much of the Western world today
certainly in America witches ghosts and
goblins exist only in legend but
throughout Africa the notion of
witchcraft is very real the spirit world
is no less present than the physical
world and those who are believed capable
of harnessing its power to do harm are
greatly feared so much so that often
they must be banished like the accused
witches of nany one of those outcasts is
Sanka a recent arrival Csonka was
transformed from woman to witch after a
young man in her village fell sick and
died the grieving family wanted to know
who was responsible he turned to the
local fortune-teller to invoke the
ancestral spirits and said the source of
the evil was Sanka
her Csonka it was a terrible moment she
had lived here her entire life
now she could lose everything Santa
pleaded that she had done nothing so the
aggrieved family turned to the ultimate
arbiter in such matters the fetish
priest after offering libations to the
ancestors the fetish priest announced a
test that would shock many Westerners
sanga’s fate the entire course of her
future life would be decided by the
sacrifice of a chicken the sacrificed
chicken died with its legs pointing down
rather than up a verdict as clear as
that of any jury in the West Sanka was
guilty Csonka has been banished to nani
rather than killed because it’s believed
that witches can’t control their own
actions but in order to be accepted in
the witch village Sokka must undergo a
ritual that will purify her
evil spirits she’s looking forward to it
witchcraft holds such sway here that
even Santa has come to believe she was
possessed by evil powers the next day
the entire village gathers for Csonka
ceremony every one of them has passed
through with themselves
Santa presents the fetish priests with
the items needed for offering money here
it all is the priests assistant invokes
the blessings of the ancestors and asks
the spirits to do their work so this
woman has come here to purify yourself
take this vow and drive all her problems
away from her the chicken died on its
back the sign that song cos purification
has been accepted by the spirit
today I’ve taken the fetish potion I am
no longer a witch
nothing will worry me again I will sleep
in my room soundly I am no longer a
witch
but while no longer a witch Csonka can
never leave she will always be a member
of the community of outcasts
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