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
poems 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
söhnke a recent arrival Csonka was
transformed from woman to bitch after a
young man in her village felt sick and
died the grieving family wanted to know
who was responsible they turned to the
local fortune-teller to invoke the
ancestral spirits and said the source of
the evil that was Csonka 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 priests after offering libations
to the ancestors the fetish priests
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 Saga was guilty
Sanka 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 than evil spirits she’s
looking forward to it witchcraft holds
such sway here that even Santa has come
to believe she was possessed of 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 the offering I have
come with a chicken liquor and money
here it all is the priests assistant
invokes the blessings of the ancestors
and asks the spirits to do their work
Madonna so this woman has come here to
purify yourself take this fowl 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 spirits 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
poems 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
söhnke a recent arrival Csonka was
transformed from woman to bitch after a
young man in her village felt sick and
died the grieving family wanted to know
who was responsible they turned to the
local fortune-teller to invoke the
ancestral spirits and said the source of
the evil that was Csonka 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 priests after offering libations
to the ancestors the fetish priests
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 Saga was guilty
Sanka 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 than evil spirits she’s
looking forward to it witchcraft holds
such sway here that even Santa has come
to believe she was possessed of 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 the offering I have
come with a chicken liquor and money
here it all is the priests assistant
invokes the blessings of the ancestors
and asks the spirits to do their work
Madonna so this woman has come here to
purify yourself take this fowl 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 spirits 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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