ABSTRACT
Many West-Coasters use the terms juju and fetish as if they were interchangeable, yet there would seem to be a distinct difference between the two. Holy pools and rocks, many of which are regarded as the earthly manifestation of Eka Abassi, and are often connected with the rites of her son and spouse, Obumo the Thunderer, hold first place among jujus, in the opinion of the greater number of Ibibio women. The greater number of tabu imposed at such times relate to food. For instance, no snail, especially the great Acatina marginata, may be eaten, lest the babe should be afflicted with a too plentiful flow of saliva. “In the old old days long ago, a magic water lay between the little hills, and through this no ‘twin woman’ might pass. “One day there came a ‘twin woman’ who was proud and of a bad heart, and paid no heed to the old laws.
