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According to Lobi conceptions of existence, God (thangba yu), the Creator of all life on earth, is an abstract and distant force (1). More directly engaged in human experience are the thila, invisible and bodiless beings endowed with superhuman powers and abilities. Through the medium of diviners (buor), the thila issue injunctions against certain kinds of behavior; anyone who violates them will be punished with an ailment or some other misfortune. They also provide the means to reverse these conditions by prescribing cures and protective measures, also conveyed through buor. This dynamic was set in place by thangba yu in order to establish standards of political, social, and moral order in Lobi society, which humans had been incapable of managing by themselves. At the time of creation, according to oral traditions, humankind had enjoyed a carefree state in which thangba yu had provided for all its needs, a world where sickness and death were unknown, as were war or conflict of any kind. As a requirement of these idyllic conditions, thangba yu prohibited adultery and killing—commandments that were violated when the population grew out of control. Consequently, thangba yu retreated forever, leaving humanity to provide for itself and vulnerable to suffering and mortality. To mitigate this isolation, the Creator assigned to the thila the responsibility of responding to human needs and protecting people against witchcraft and sorcery. The directives (bonoo) given to individuals through buor are very exacting and must be fulfilled with precision. Failure to do so is thought to lead either to some form of punishment by the thila or to the persistence of the difficulties being experienced. Because they are amorphous beings, the thila depend on human mediums to communicate their instructions. Thila select individuals to fulfill this role by revealing themselves directly to them, or through notifying other diviners. Individuals usually resist this calling, as it is considered an onerous responsibility in view of the time commitment it represents and its lack of remuneration. Training is relatively informal and consists of observing consultations and rituals and learning the signs that the thila use to communicate (2). Individuals consult diviners to gain insight into a broad range of situations that concern them. They enter into this relationship without describing the problem at hand. Instead, the diviner positions himself beside the client, grasps his hand, and, in order to determine independently the nature of the problem and which thila is involved in this particular situation, poses a series of questions that can be responded to with "yes" or "no" answers. Responses are indicated through specific movements of their joined hands (3). A diagnosis ultimately reveals behavioral prohibitions that must be followed, sacrifices that are required, and instructions that may request the construction of a shrine or the commissioning of figural sculpture (bateba) (4). Small wood figurines are often part
of the collection of paraphernalia owned by the buor,
whereas works that are commissioned to fulfill prescriptions
are Lobi figural sculptures commissioned as a result of a divination consultation represent tibila thil, people who help a spirit, and are designed to be placed in a residential or public shrine (6). These two figures are thought to be bateba duntundara, a genre of bateba that serve to shield their owner against the witches that might attempt to enter his or her home (7). Duntundara can be found in a broad range of representations, including figures that gesture dramatically or feature unusual physiological characteristics such as multiple heads or arms. Standing with their arms at their sides, this couple falls into a category of "plain" (phuwe) figures. Despite their tranquil stance, they embody an attitude of vigilance and acute awareness that surpasses ordinary reliance on sensory perception and intimidates potential malefactors. 1. Piet Meyer in Peek 1991,
p. 92. Texte publié sur le site du
"Metropolitan Museum of Art " de New York, site à
consulter absolument, en y accédant par l'un ou
l'autre de ces liens :
http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/oracle/index.html |
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The
impetus for the creation of these works and the manner in
which they should ideally appear came from spirits who
conveyed the desired images through the medium of a diviner.
Their subsequent realization fulfilled a prescription that
resulted in curing an ailment or otherwise relieving some
personal difficulty.