Babies born with portions of the membrane cov-
ering their head are said to be born “with a veil” or
“with a caul.” These children are considered,
throughout the diaspora, as being born with the
ability to see and hear ghosts and other spirits.
The only method for allowing the child to escape the
responsibility that accompanies such a gift is to keep
the caul. Because the caul’s well-being is directly
related to that of the child, if it is torn, the child will
die. If the child becomes sick, the caul is damp; and
if the child is well, the caul will be firm. Similar
beliefs exist in West Africa, Guyana, Jamaica, Haiti,
and the U.S. Southern and Sea Coast areas.
Protection of the placenta is imperative because
it may be used by evildoers to manipulate the life
and energy of the newborn or its mother. There
are tales of midwives selling placentas to those
who wish to invoke the life energy of the mem-
branes to achieve desired effects.
Placental disposal and preservation rituals are
currently threatened as Westernized health care
providers often prevent families’ access to the
placenta following the birth of an infant.
Tiffany D. PogueSeealsoBirth; Children; Rituals
Further Readings
Evans-Pritchard, E. E. (1949). Burial and Mortuary Rites
of the Nuer.African Affairs, 48 (190), 56–63.
Lee, V. (1996).Granny Midwives and Black Women
Writers:Double Dutched Readings. New York:
Routledge.
Somé, M. P. (1999).The Healing Wisdom of Africa:
Finding Life Purpose Through Nature,Ritual,and
Community. New York: Penguin Putnam.
PLANTS
Plants occupy an essential and diverse space in
religious beliefs and practices. Plants are the
source of foods such as seeds, nuts, grains,
beans, fruits, and vegetables that nourish
humans, living-dead, and deities. Plants provide
the herbs used to make medicines that heal phys-
ical and spiritual bodies. Plants provide reeds,
gourds, dyes, and fabrics used for shelter, creat-
ing rhythms, and adorning the body. Without
these things, African religions would be one-
dimensional and austere.
The life of a plant from seed to maturation back
to germination mirrors the process of creation and
echoes the cyclical return of the sun, moon, sea-
sons, and human life. It is no wonder that many
traditions hold that people were created from
plants. The Zulu creator god Mvelinqangi emerged
from a reed and subsequently brought from it men,
women, animals, and the fruits of the Earth. The
Xhosa, Lenge, Shangana, and Tonga of South
Africa also maintain that God created humans
from reeds. The Tonga call this reedLihlangu, and
the marsh of reeds from which other peoples
emerged is calledNhlanga.
There are many rituals associated with sowing,
harvesting, and consuming plants because they
provide the primary source of nutrition for so
many communities. The rituals can involve a sac-
rifice to ancestral and nature spirits before
sowing, a blessing of seeds by chiefs or priests, and
a ceremony to ensure adequate rainfall. Finally, the
first-fruit celebrations at the harvest are where the
bounty is presented for blessing, storage, distribu-
tion, consumption, and celebration of the yield.
The use of plants in the form of medicine for
healing and well-being is universal on the conti-
nent. Africans have understood the principles and
powers of plants for millennia and have been able
to treat a variety of spiritual and physical ill-
nesses. Much of this knowledge exists in the oral
tradition and, unfortunately, much has been lost
with the transition to more Western lifestyles.
In the Sande women’s secret society, women
advance in prestige and standing as they master
an increasing knowledge of plants. But even the
pubescent initiates are taught to distinguish spe-
cific herbs. Experienced herbalists look fornéku,
a young shoot or sprout, when making any herbal
preparations because it is considered to have the
most life force and greatest therapeutic proper-
ties. Specific herbs can be rubbed on the ear so
that a person can understand the language of the
birds. Also, when there is a dispute among Mende
women, the parties involved are made to undergo
a ritual bath with herb-infused water as part of
the restitution. Malidoma Some relates the story
of a blind healer who was able to understand the530 Plants