and minds is not limited to males; many of the most
powerful operators of this form of magic are
women. Each African ethnic group appears to have
someone who has special spiritual insights capable
of leading them to the possession that brings with
it the ability to be rainmaker or otherwise agent of
the transformation of material conditions. The
longevity of a person with such magical powers
would be nothing if the person could not perform
the deed. Thus, in actuality, the priest-magician or
priestess-magician had to demonstrate the ability
to repeat the miracle of rainmaking each time it
was needed or be discredited before the people.
European missionaries during the 18th and
19th centuries invented fanciful tales about
African magic based on their own Christian
beliefs. Many thought that the Africans simply
waited until they saw the rain approaching and
then held ceremonies to make it come. However,
this is an example of cultural arrogance and the
ignorance of African philosophy. Most kings
would be able to detect any approaching rains,
and indeed, the people would question the priestly
magic if they saw an easily detectable ruse.
However, the magicians, as wise and intelligent
beings, could know something about nature that
was not readily visible to the ordinary, untrained,
and uninitiated person. This is definitely so in the
case of personal experiences of people who have
witnessed the operation of magic in various societies.
For example, among the Susu, Vai, Fon, Ijaw,
Asante, and other West African people, one finds
many examples of magicians who are actually spe-
cially trained priests who have powers to transform
reality. There are eyewitnesses to priests being seen
in two places simultaneously. A priest can be seen
in one place, according to an eyewitness, and be
talking to a person in another place, 50 miles away.
Some priests have exhibited feats of invisibility, levi-
tation, walking on fire, pulling snakes from their
throats, and being cut with knives and recovering
from the bloody wounds within minutes.
These activities are not done to impress or for
show; they are integral parts of the pattern of the
religious philosophy of African people. As it was in
the days when people understood that Africans
were masters of the material universe, for example,
even in the Old Testament when it was thought that
the Egyptians practiced magic, so it is in many tra-
ditional African societies. Christians’ and Muslims’
magic is based on the ability of their religions to
make old things new or to transform a person’s life;
therefore African religion has the ability to trans-
form all material things.
This is the source of the discourses on African
magic. Almost all traditional societies speak of
these forces and energies with awe because they
relate to the ability of the ancestral and other spir-
its to make themselves manifest on the Earth if
certain incantations, ritual fires, ceremonies of
purification, and appeals are made in earnest.Molefi Kete AsanteSeealsoSeersFurther Readings
Cagnolo, C. (1933).The Akikuya,Their Customs,
Traditions and Folklore. Nyeri, Kenya: Mission
Printing School.
Field, M. (1937).Religion and Medicine of the Ga.
London: Oxford University Press.
Scheub, H. (2000).A Dictionary of African Mythology.
New York: Oxford University Press.MAKANDAL
François Makandal, an African brought to Haiti
from Africa, is the first formerly enslaved African
to have openly criticized and launched an assault
of great proportion on the institution of slavery.
Although rarely credited for his efforts and his
vision, this Hougan or Haitian Vodou priest single-
handedly laid the foundation not only for the
Haitian Revolution, but also for the eventual abo-
lition of slavery. To this day, charms, amulets, and
poisons are called “makandal.” To his credit also,
a subgroup of Vodou practitioners is named after
him. This entry looks at his life and legacy.The Slave Years
Makandal is generally believed to have been born
in the Guinea coast of Africa, which in the 18th
century referred to the entire western part of the
continent. His birth name, birth place, and exact
birth date are unknown. Some scholars, however,400 Makandal