The Sea God

The most memorable moments during my four months in Ghana began with my friend Armahfio and his awareness of local events. Along a remote ten kilometer stretch of Atlantic Ocean beachfront, there were many small and primitive fishing villages. One August morning I pulled my Datsun pickup into his village of Otrokper and Armahfio ran up to say, “The seas are rough and the fish don’t come so they make Ju Ju to the Sea God.” Again my friend captured my interest. Always knowing events that may be commonplace for them was excitement for me. He hopped in and we drove off. Along the way, I broke into my box lunch and offered him half a tuna salad sandwich. He took a sniff, shuttered, and set it down on the seat. Soon we drove by some friends he knew, he grabbed the sandwich while hanging out the window, pretending to eat as he waved to his friends.
He directed me to turn off the sand road towards the ocean. To avoid getting stuck in the loose sand, I parked the truck and we walked towards the domain of the Sea God. We soon came to a thatch-roofed hut. The remains of a sacrificial chicken lay nearby. Inside laid the bones of the Sea God which to me was the skeleton of a whale. Ju Ju pots and other offerings around their God bore witness to the sacred event that took place. The blood of the beheaded chicken adorned the bones. Pathways led the way between the ocean and the home of the Sea God. Along the way, another spirited dwelling contained additional offerings.
The intensity of such Ju Ju happenings, command respect for their beliefs. I would expect a shaman of long ago had interpreted the whale remains to some fishing omen. Their faith in its function must lead to good results.