Photographer: | Rights management: Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike 4.0 International
Rods on the Osun altars not only symbolise the power of the plants of the forest, their material, iron, contains this power itself. They were used by ritual specialists in oracles, for healing and above all as a means against witchcraft, an all-encompassing threat. Birds, snakes, chameleons and animal horns filled with dangerous substances illustrate the occult powers. Wands with depictions of the king show who is the master of this power. As on the Osun heads, the snakes, the stone blade of the god of death in the king's hand and the leopard refer to the occult power of the king, which elevates him above all his political rivals.
