82 Origin of the AshanteeSy 



Human sacrifices were practised by the ancient E^^yptians. 

 Men were sacrificed at Heliopolis, and to Juno or Lucina, at a 

 city in the upper Thebais, called by the name of that goddessi"' 



Herodotus writes, *' In other nations, when in grief, they 

 shave their heads, especially the near relatives ; whereas in 

 Egypt these persons allow their beard and hair to grow on such 

 occasions." The present king of Ashantee had not his head 

 shaved, or his beard cut for twelve moons after the death of 

 his brother Sai Quamina, according to the custom of tl>e 

 country. 



Herodotus speaking of the Egyptians embalming dead bodies, 

 adds, that the Ethiopians do so too, but in a different manner ; 

 the Ashantees smoke them for preservation. 



The priests in Ashantee as in Egypt, enjoy a portion of the 

 offerings. When the king sends his frequent offering of ten 

 ounces of gold to the various deities, the distinct priests are 

 allowed to take half. The dignity of priesthood also is here- 

 ditary ; they are exempt from taxes, and they do not pretend to 

 divine of themselves, but merely to utter the will or disclosures 

 of the Deity : the same is recorded of the Egy-^ptian priests. 



White is a colour as sacred in Ashantee as it was in Egypt ; 

 the priests are not only distinguished by white clothes, but they 

 even chalk their bodies all over. The king and all men of re- 

 spectability put on white clothes on their Fetish day, or Sunday. 

 The acquitted are always chalked by the king's linguists, as a 

 mark of their innocence ; and the king always swears, and 

 makes others swear on a white fowl. 



In Egypt each month and each day was sacred to some god ; 

 in Ashantee, they have good and bad days, and good and bad 

 months, and all undertakings are regulated accordingly. 



Crocodiles were sacred in Egypt, and fed with flesh. In 

 Ashantee the sacred crocodiles generally called alligators, (but 

 which as yet are only known in America,) are fed with white 

 fowls, by the fetishmen or priests. Diodorus mentions wolves 

 as sacred in Egypt. Hysenas are called wolves at the Cape 

 of Good Hope ; and they are sacred amongst the neighbours 

 of the Ashantees. Clement of Alexandria makes hysenas for- 



