|
Obeah (sometimes spelled ''Obi'', ''Obea'', or ''Obia''),〔Generally conceived as an adjective, it is frequently used as a noun, yet Obe or Obi is the noun substantive. Williams J, ''Voodoos and Obeahs: Phases of West Indian Witchcraft,'' (1932) Lincoln MacVeagh, Chapter:1 Origin of Obeah. The word ''obeah'' may be the feminine adjective of the substantive ''obi'', which signifies ''a charm''. Deane J, The Worship of the Serpent (1883) p.163.〕 is a term used in the West Indies to refer to folk magic, sorcery, and religious practices developed among West African slaves, specifically of Igbo origin. Obeah is similar to other Afro-American religions including Palo, Vodou, Santería, and Hoodoo. Obeah is practiced in Suriname, Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, Belize, The Bahamas, and other Caribbean nations. Obeah is associated with both benign and malignant magic, charms, luck, and with mysticism in general. In some Caribbean nations, Obeah refers to folk religions of the African diaspora. In some cases, aspects of these folk religions have survived through syncretism with Christian symbolism and practice introduced by European colonials and slave owners. Casual observation may conclude that Christian symbolism is incorporated into Obeah worship, but in fact may represent clandestine worship and religious protest. During slavery, Obeah was directed against the European slave masters. However, with the rise of Christianity, Obeah is considered a taboo, and the term has pejorative associations. ==Origins== In parts of the Caribbean where Obeah existed, slaves were taken from a variety of African nations with differing spiritual practices and religions. It is from these arrivals and their spiritualisms that Obeah originates. The theory of origin that is most accepted and is supported by the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute database traces obeah to the ''dibia'' or ''obia'' ((イボ語:doctoring)) traditions of the Igbo people. Specialists in Obia (also spelled ''Obea'') were known as ''Ndi Obia'' ((イボ語:Obia people)) and practised the same activities as the obeah men and women of the Caribbean like predicting the future and manufacturing charms.〔 Among the Igbo there were oracles known as ''ọbiạ'' which were said to be able to talk. Parts of the Caribbean where Obeah was most active imported a large number of its slaves from the Igbo dominated Bight of Biafra.〔 In another theory, the Efik language is the root of obeah where the word ''obeah'' comes from the Efik ''ubio'' meaning 'a bad omen'. The last theory of the origin of Obeah lies with the Ashanti who called their priests ''Obayifoɔ'' and their practices ''Ɔbayi'' (pronounced "oh-beh-ah-yee", the word was an anglicized distortion like many other Akan words, e.g., "bɛsɛ" becoming "bissy", thus the pronunciation of "obeah") ((アカン語:witchcraft)). There is also evidence of Akan names among Obeah men of the Caribbean in the 17th and 18th centuries.〔 The Akan origin of Obeah has been criticised by several writers who hold that an Igbo origin is more likely. However, in colonies where Bight of Biafra slaves were less represented and Akan were plenty (Suriname and Guyana), Obeah is thought to be more of a mixture of Akan and European Christian beliefs.〔 Obeah came to mean any physical object, such as a talisman or charm, that was used for evil magical purposes. Obeah incorporated various beliefs from the religions of later migrants to the colonies where it was present. Obeah also influenced other religions in the Caribbean, e.g. Christianity which incorporated some Obeah beliefs.〔 In 'The Serpent Myth', William Wynn Westcott, one of the founders of the 19th century Golden Dawn magical order, claims "Ob was an Egyptian word for serpent' and is the source of the term 'Obeah'. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「obeah」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|