sort of oracle. Other doctors
may know the method, but they
are not called ɔb-ogwɛga. If
another doctor does not know
the ogwɛga, he may have to call
in an ɔb-ogwɛga. The ɔb-ogwɛga
is paid for his work, but he is
also a farmer, as the money he
earns is not a sufficient liveli-
hood. The oracle is learned from
another ogwɛga doctor (without
staying with him); itie [ ˩ ˥ ] (the
code) is said to take at least
three months to learn. After
this, eria [ ˩ ˥ ], the analysis of the
code-words, is learnt. That is
said to take more than six
months. If a man is too keen
on learning eria so that he starts
on it before knowing itie pro-
perly, he is supposed never to
learn itie correctly. Then he is
called: ɔʋ̃a n-ɔgu-eria xɛ‿iha
[ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˥ ˩ ] “a man who knows
analysis waits for the oracle,
i.e. the calling out”. An ewawa
learner must be a servant under
a doctor. The ewawa doctor, who
is always an Osũ [ ˩ ˥ ] priest, also
undertakes cures, but they are
not as good as the ɔb-odĩ. Most
of them also give food to witches.
Their servant is called ohãgbã
[ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] or ɔwaisɛ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ]. The ap-
prenticeship takes four to seven
years because the pupils learn
cures at the same time. Ewawa
doctors are payed with money
and they only farm when they
have a big family. They make
many charms, e.g. some for
traders ensuring good husiness,
some warding off danger for
travellers, some against witches
for sick people, etc. Especially
