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210 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett
flood from incessant rain or for confusion of a plot, snails; against a fire accident, a wild
hog or a duck with different kinds of Ifa leaves; for victory in a time of war a ram
sheep and an old cock together; against the death of a very young child, ahen that had
had chickens; to be permitted to come to a title and for the destruction of a plot, a wild
hog.
They are sometimes burnt with fire, and in some cases, like that of the Irapada or
Redemption offering, the whole victim is roasted with fire within doors till it is reduced
to ashes, and after this water is thrown into the hearth from behind it to extinguish the
fire, and all the ashes and fire-brands are collected and taken outside, and as with all
other offerings and gifts to Esu or Satan are placed on a public road for him. Sometimes
they are taken out of the town alive and across a river, if any is near at hand, and left in
the bush whereto they are supposed to bear the sin, guilt and trouble of the offerer
which had been transferred to them. Sometimes they are thrown into a river to be
carried away by it with the offerer's sin and sorrow. Sometimes they are buried in the
earth, with or without a chain attached to them, and a portion of it standing on the
surface, the subject for whom the sacrifice is offered making a sleeping place of the spot
to assure himself of the protection and security sought for and alleged to be given, and
which the chain symbolizes. Sometimes they are placed at the edge of a river.
Sometimes as in the case of Ebo Aba, i.e., a purpose sacrifice or a sacrifice to the divinity
of purpose or that divinity which enables one to make a purpose, and Ebo Ase, i.e., an
accomplishment sacrifice or a sacrifice to the divinity of will that accomplishes his
purpose or enables a man to accomplish a purpose, the blood of a sacrificed victim is
sprinkled first upon the right lintel, which is sacred to the Alaba, and then upon the left
lintel, which is sacred to the Alase, and after this, upon the surface of the door hanging
on one of them, some of the feathers of a fowl or other winged animal offered being
affixed at the same time to each blood-sprinkled surface, whilst the flesh of the victim is
either roasted or boiled and eaten altogether quickly and in a standing posture.
Sometimes the sacrifice is taken at once outside and left on a street or some highway, as
in the case of another Ebo Irapa or Irapada, a redemption or exchange offering, which
consists of a 16-wicked lamp lighted, and which is usually employed in the case of the
serious illness of an important person to change his fate and deliver him from death.
Sometimes they are thrown from one priest to another, they standing together in a
straight line, as in the case of Ebo Agbeso or the heave offering, which is not to be
suffered to fall to the ground during the performance of the exercise, the object sought
being to secure the offerer against the triumph of his enemies over him. Sometimes they
are living creatures, left to be devoured by other living creatures, as in the case of a
sacrifice in which seven very young chickens are usually employed, and taken out to
some public highway and left there to be devoured by hawks, the death of the individual
for whom it is offered being supposed to be substituted for and averted by that of the
chickens. Sometimes the head of the offerer is streaked with the blood of the victim,
exhibiting him as one for whom an atonement has been made, and assuring him thereby
of his acceptance, as in the case of the Ebo isami, or the sign-marking sacrifice, when
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