MHM 007650:002 :: figur

Object description

Figur föreställande en sittande mansperson iklädd vit klädnad. På

huvudet en huvudbonad med bruna fjädrar? och vita tygremsor. Runt

handlederna vita armband och runt vristerna vita och mörkblå prydnader.

I vänster hand håller han antagligen en viska. I botten signerad

Elisabeth Rowland 1976.

I botten på statyetten finns ett hålrum där en hoprullad papperslapp

sitter och på den står det: "Witchdocters undergo a long training before

they are fully qulified to / practise on their own and undertake to

train younger ones. Very often a / boy or a girl is picked out in

childhood because of something abnormal about / him, and apprenticed to

a doct or as acolyte. This training is dangerous / to break away from

because all sorts of secret herbs and drugs, / many of them highly

hallucinatory are used during the train- / ing to develop latent

clairadudienr and clairvoyant powers. It is said with / some truth that

to break away means madness. The withdrawl symptons would / be terrible.

Witchdoctors wear animalskin caps and white clothing and white /

beadwork. White is the mystic colour of purity and protection among the

/ Xhosa and white cloth and clay and beads are part of all magic rites.

The / doctors are highly skilled in healing arts, in communication with

the / tribal ancestors, who stand between their descendast and God, and

whose / intercession is demanded in all matters of tribal and family

importance. These doctors all wear white beads upon their right wrists

which shows / - among other signs, that they have had the correct sort

of visions before / being admitted to the brotherhood. They carry bagsm

gourds and things / containing their herbs, bones and other cures. They

caharge fairly stiffly / for their services and are never poor men. All

are men of great character / and generally of integrity too.