ABSTRACT
The death of a Hausa mortal may be brought about in many ways. Bodily injuries and diseases may be caused by Allah, in which case none but a mallam can cure the patient, and even he only with the proper medicines or words, etc., from the Koran, the ink being washed off with water, and drunk. It is very much more likely to be a bori, however, who is working the evil by drinking the blood of the victim, and it should be appeased by the proper sacrifice which is indicated by one of the members of the bori sect (see p. 258), the list of disease demons (Chapters XXI.-XXVIII.) being long enough to include most illnesses. Then there is the wizard (maiye) or witch (maiya), who catches the soul and eats it, and a mallam or a boka is the only one who can save the patient. Lastly, there are the persons with the evil eye (mugun ido), and those with the evil mouth (mugun baki), which though much the same can be distinguished, for whereas you can usually see the former, you do not always see the latter, because be wishes you evil under his breath, and it may not be until you have reached home that you become ill and know that someone has been jealous of you—e.g. has seen that you can work much better than he can. The hand, khams, “five” (fingers), protects one against both of these persons if used in time; if not, then a boka will give the correct remedy.
