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* ogwɛga [ ˩ ˥ (4-1) ˩ ] practises only that

* 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 business,

* some warding off danger for

* travellers, some against witches

* for sick people, etc. Especially
