Iconographie publiée des Aklama - 1900 / 1920

 

 

 

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Zaubermittel der Evheer 1901

J.D.E Schmeltz,

(Aus dem Städtischen Museum in Bremen) Archives Internationales D'Ethnographie., Vol. 14.

 

 

Zaubermittel der Evheer 1901- J.D.E Schmeltz Plate III, fig. 1.

 

 

“Plate III, fig. 3. Aklama kpakpewo. Three figures made of light wood, a male and two females. One female figure is missing the right arm and the left leg, and these limbs are not broken but rather cut off. The other female figure has two horizontal marks on both sides of the face. The word Aklama kpakpewo or Aklama sucwo means ‘small carved Gods’. The figures are also called Ame we luwo, ‘soul of man’. One always buys these figures at least by the pair, man and woman together. ‘If the heathen has numerous wives, it is absolutely necessary that each of the wives buys herself a man and a woman.’ The figures are considered trõwo and one prays to them, for example the regular morning prayer ‘Give me life, make my knees and elbows strong. I want to travel; I am coming back.’ After a good sale one recites the prayer of thanks: ‘I thank you that you have helped me, that the things were bought from me.’- If the figures are missing a arm or a leg, they are called Adelã (Wild) or Ažiza (Ape type), because one believes that in this condition they are similar to some kind of wild animal (?). When someone dies, the figures belonging to him are thrown away. These reports are highly interesting, but unclear. The figures are doubtless seen as having souls, but whose? These are not ancestral figures and they seem to differ in kind from the Legbawo. The name ‘Soul of man’ and the fact that the figures are discarded as worthless after the death of the owner suggests that these small carvings are seen as having a mystical connection to man, perhaps as the embodiment of mans’ guardian spirits. Here, one should also remember the widespread belief that man has numerous souls and that not all of them are bound to the body; some can live outside the body. The explanation of the mutilated figures is completely puzzling.” (pp 9-10)

 

Aklama book Afrikaanse-Kunst

 

 

 

 

"Zaubermittel der Evheer in Togo."1902

C. Spiess,

Globus: Illustrierte Zeitschrift für Länder- und Völkerkunde,Vol. 81, No. 20

 

 

Zaubermittel der Evheer 1901- J.D.E Schmeltz Plate III, fig. 1.

 

 

Plate II, Fig. 13: The Aklama kpakpewo commonly apppear in their normal form, not like here with only one leg and one arm. We understand them to be as shown in Plate I, Fig. 11.* In German-Togo we would find an Aklama kpakpewo placed in the corner at the entrance of a hut very often. They [often] lean against a small, local stool. On this local stool only the priest would take his place on this seat. Then one places the Aklama kpakpewo below him. What should the crippled figures mean? I have derived three pieces of information, from them I cannot say which is correct. One explanation says: the figures on the side with the arm lying above were seen as fish species that the Evhe-people should not enjoy. This fish species -- there are three types-- occur namely in the dead sea river that runs through a piece of Evhe land. The second explanation leads us to a similarity [of the work] with a kind of ape, therefore the name of these crippled Aklama kpakpewo is also Adela (game) or Aziza (a kind of ape) and in the Evhe spoken word there is a phrase: Kese nu be nku enye ewe tro, 'The mouth of the ape says that the eye is his fetish.' The third piece of information is that the Aklama kpakpewo is always in the hand of the hunter, since in such a way the designated Aklama kpakewo illustrates game that pleasingly occupies the hunter. Therefore the name for them is Gbemelawe dzesi, 'symbol of a bush animal.' The Aklama kpakpewo are effective as Trowo: that means as mediators between gods and humans. God (Mawu) can not worry about every single man, so the Trowo are to him the servants who follow his instructions. The figures are animated with a soul, however as soon as the owner of the Aklama kpakpewo dies, its soul escapes again to Notsie, from whence it came." (p. 319) *[RAAI #555.1/1]

 

Aklama book Afrikaanse-Kunst

 

 

 

 

Verborgener Fetischdienst unter den Evheern. 1910

C. Spiess,

Illustrierte Zeitschrift für Länder- und Völkerkunde, Vol. 98, No. 1.

 

 

 

5. Wumetrowo. One of the most interesting fetishes is the so-called Wumetro, from Wu, the Sea. The image, fig. 5, is supposed to depict a European, sitting on a horse, and his wife as well as his servants, called Fielewo, all of which have come from Europe, which is symbolized by the boat. The brooms are purifying objects used to free one of evil spirits and sicknesses, and the sticks serve to drive these away. The shells make the fetish particularly effective. One who possesses the fetish expects good profits from the whites and believes they will do good business with them. This is the idea behind the sacrifice of European objects such as the dish seen in the reproduction, as well as the boats that bring such goods. This type of sacrifice is connected to the Native’s perception that these objects are European fetishes. One of the prayers to the Wume fetish reads: 'Nunyuie netso wu me alo wuwo netso nunyniewo tso Ablotsi va na yewo, yevu nkuno neva ku nu na yewo alo yevu nkutato ade neva ku nuwo na yewo.' ('May the boats from Europe bring us good things! Let the whites come and show us things, even if they are blind, or come a smart one from Europe to deliver things to us.') (p. 13)

 

Aklama book Afrikaanse-Kunst

 

 

 

 

Aklama book Afrikaanse-Kunst

 

Nuhewiho or Busuyiwe. “Huts to repel evil spirits” is the meaning of both names. At path crossings or in the bush outside cities, one can see these approx. 1m high fetish huts made of grass bundles (fig. 4). In and around these huts, a small row of human-like figures are found, some that are made of earth and some made from carved wood. The Evheer designate the former as Legbavi, “small Legba”, the latter as Aklamakpakpewo, or “carved spirit”. Aklama is the invisible protective spirit that always accompanies humans. What we express with the words “that was lucky”, the Evheer expresses as “aklama' di nam”, Aklama was favorable towards me. These Legbaviwo und Aklamakpakpewo replace real human sacrifice. The natives say “Amewo tsona wo savo de wodokui tewe hena gbetsivowo,” which literally means: "Human beings take them and sacrifice them to the evil spirits in place of themselves". One also calls them amedokuido nuwo. People bring these fetishes eggshells, kauri shells, palm oil, corn meal as sacrifices. It is their task to block the way of the evil spirits, who send particular diseases (he nu: to prevent a thing; hemo: to block the way)." (pp. 12-13)

 

 

 

 

1950-1980