ON VODU-WORSHIP. 655 



chief gods of the Ewe-speaking peoples, numerous " wives," 

 Icosio that is, women dedicated to his service, who tend the tem- 

 ples, and on holy days and festivals give themselves indiscrimi- 

 nately to the worshipers of the god. The ranks of the Icosio are 

 recruited by the affiliation of young girls, who are received in a 

 kind of seminary, where they remain for three years, learning the 

 sacred songs and dances and other matters appertaining to the 

 worship. During this novitiate they may only be visited by the 

 priests, but at its termination they practice openly as kosio. This 

 is the ordinary mode of becoming a Jcosi ; but any woman what- 

 ever, married or single, can, by publicly simulating possession by 

 the god, by uttering the conventional cries recognized as indica- 

 tive of possession, at once join the body. In this case she like- 

 wise undergoes a three years' novitiate, during which she is for- 

 bidden, if single, to enter the house of her parents, and, if married, 

 that of her husband. The kosio of Danh-gbi usually appear with 

 the bosom smeared with palm oil, but their distinguishing mark 

 is a necklet, called adunka, made of the twisted filaments of a 

 sprouting palm leaf. On ceremonial occasions they wear a fillet 

 of the same material, with anklets, armlets, and neck-strings of 

 cowries. The remainder of their costume consists of a strip of 

 cotton print hanging from the waist and barely reaching to the 

 knee. They are most licentious ; and the festivals, which are usu- 

 ally kept up all night, present a horrible scene of drunkenness 

 and debauchery. As is the case with the women attached to tem- 

 ples in India, this life of prostitution is not considered dishonor- 

 able, because it is regarded as part of the service of the religion. 

 The kosio are, indeed, not considered as responsible for their 

 actions. It is the god, say the people, who inspires them at such 

 times. 



When a follower of the python-god wishes to have the advan- 

 tage of his advice and assistance, he has recourse to a priest, who 

 fixes and receives the fees and appoints a day for the ceremony. 

 Such consultations of the oracle, so to speak, are always public. 

 The person seeking the aid or counsel of the god comes with all 

 his relatives and friends ; the priest and kosio turn out in force 

 and parade the sacred drums and temple paraphernalia; and 

 then, in the open space in front of the temple, the priest becomes 

 inspired and gives vent to the oracular utterances. The indwell- 

 ing spirit of the python enters the body of the priest and speaks 

 through his mouth, in a strange, unnatural voice. Some honest, 

 though perhaps hysterical, priests really do work themselves up 

 into a condition of frenzy, by means of the violent and extraordi- 

 nary dance which is always the main feature of such exhibitions ; 

 and the dishonest ones, who form the great majority, foam at the 

 mouth and simulate as well as they can the symptoms of an epilep- 



