Identifier: banofboridemonsd00trem (find matches)
Title: The ban of the Bori; demons and demon-dancing in West and North Africa
Year: 1914 (1910s)
Authors: Tremearne, A. J. N. (Arthur John Newman), 1877-1915
Subjects: Hausa (African people) Demonology Dance Ethnology
Publisher: London, Heath, Cranton & Ouseley Ltd
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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ced with the offerings of the community performing the pilgrimage. So much appears in this book about the proper offerings to particular spirits, that perhaps a word upon the Hausa idea of sacrifice will not be out of place. The Arabic word chart means both to stipulate and to make an incision, 6 this being supposed by some to be connected with the fact that blood-brotherhood existed amongst the ancient Arabs. The Hausa word sare (or sara or sari) means to salute and to cut, and at first sight there might seem to be some similarity, but unfortunately for such an idea, sare is used only for the military salutes taught by Europeans, corresponding exactly to the direction in our drill-books to cut away the hand smartly. It is just possible, however, that it is connected with a similar word meaning to tell, to inform against, for there is no doubt that when the blood is made to flow, the spirits assemble and listen to what is said by the worshipper — who in practically all private seances has a complaint
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^4-—The entrance to the Grove between the well and the shelters. 25.—The well in which spirits are seen to move about alter incense has been offered. PILGRIMAGES AND FESTIVALS 531 to make. Still, here again, one must be careful not to be led astray by similarities, for sacrifices were offered to some of the bori long before the introduction of Islam, and, in any case, the word for sacrifice and for to sacrifice is yanka. This, however, may not be any argument to the contrary, for the word used for to kill, except when implying to cut the throat, is kasshe. I must content myself by saying that by means of the blood, the Hausa enters into communication with the spirits, and apparently even with the marabout when the beast or bird is put to death in his sanctuary, as is the case as regards that of Sidi Saad, the sacrifices by his window being evidently not to the bori, for the spirits have previously been summoned. With the Arabs, the offering is probably merely a gift or sadaka, comparable with

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