APPENDIX. 



STRAY NOTES ON OBEAH. 



The origin of the term " Obeah " like that oi " Voodoo" seems to 

 be enveloped in more or less mystery, and so far, I have been unable to 

 learn with certainty of their first introduction into the English language. 



It is a matter of common belief however, that both names bear allu- 

 sion to the serpent, the so-called deity to which, in those days of the 

 past when Obi and Voodooism constituted a regular cult, the wishes, 

 prayers, and entreaties of the votaries were addressed. Thus, if Byrant's 

 Mythology has been correctly quoted : — " A serpent in the Egyptian 

 ' language was called Ob or Aub. Obion is still the Egyptian name for 

 " a serpent . . . Oubaios was the uame of the Basilisk or Boyal Serpent, 

 " emblem of the Sun, and an ancient oracular Deity of Africa." But 

 quite independently of this, it would seem that Obeah was a term 

 introduced into the Southern States, the West India Islands, and 

 the Guianas, by African slaves. So also it has been stated, as late as 

 1884 by no less an authority than the British Minister, Resident and 

 Consul-General for Hayti that the name Voodoo or Vaudoux comes 

 from a West African coast word Vodun, an all-powerful and supernatural 

 Being, a large serpent, on whom depends all the events that tako place in 

 this world of ours. He further states that its worship was followed by two 

 sects, distinguished at their ceremonials, in the nature of the flesh and 

 blood employed, i.e., whether it came from a white-feathered rooster or 

 spotlessly white goat or on the other hand had been obtained from a 

 human victim, " the goat without horns." Yet in opposition to this 

 derivation of the term, a popular encyclopaedia has it that the expression 

 took its rise in Martinique and others of the French Islands in con- 

 nection with the guile and simplicity of the peasants of the Vaud 

 whose practices those of the local negroes had been compared with. 



Independently then of its original etymological signification and 

 apart from all ceremonial which with advanced civilisation and improved 

 police administration has probably been reduced to a minimum, Obeah 

 is at the present time applied by Creoles to uuy or every act of commission 

 or omission which, under the instructions or direction of the obeah-man, 

 they believe will further their interests, favour their desires, or carry out 

 their wishes, good bad -and indifferent While I can do nothing better 

 than describe the obeah-man as the usual rogue and vagabond, and 

 occasionally worse, I am bound to admit that so far as my experience goes 

 his victims have every faith in, and are absolutely convinced of the 

 powers claimed by him. Carrying my thoughts to the homeland, I 

 miwht even speak of the former as the " confidence-man " or " hawk," 

 the hitter as the " gull " or " pigeon " but here the comparison would end, 

 for the unpleasant factor now comes into relief that this so-called oheah 

 out here is practically terrorising the lower classes and for that very 



