things (they are which) you are
doing”: you are doing nothing
but useless things; cf. d-ihoi [ ˥ ˩ ].
ihɔʋ̃egbe [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] “brushing body”:
purification of oneself after a
breach of taboo. This consists in
a complicated process of brush-
ing one’s head with a chicken,
certain leaves (aya [ ˩ ˥ ]; eb-
ixiʋ̃i [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ]), and the tip of a
palm-branch while pronouncing
certain purifying formulas.
Drawing circles (b-oxi [ ˥ ˩ ]) also
plays a part in the ceremony;
cf. hɔʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ], egbe [ ˩ ˥ ]; v.
ihɔʋ̃owa [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ], ihɔʋ̃ɛʋo [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].
ihɔʋ̃ɛʋo [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] “brushing town
(village)”: purification of a
viilage or town. This was, in
Benin City, performed by mem-
bers of the Ɔba’s household (and
in villages it is done by a man
appointed by the ɔdiɔ̃weɽe [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ]).
They took a man, dog, goat,
and fowl, tied branches of a
palm, the ixiʋ̃i [ ˥ ˥ ˩ ]-tree and
the shrub aya [ ˩ ˥ ] to them, and
dragged them round the town.
Then they prepared afɔ [ ˩ ˥ ],
splashed it on the roads and
said: ɔfu re [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ] “it is cool”, i.e.
peaceful, absolved. Dogs are
nowadays used for the purpose,
and in bush-villages, chickens;
cf. hɔʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ], ɛʋo [ ˩ ˩ ]; v. ihɔʋ̃egbe
[ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ], ihɔʋ̃owa [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].
ihɔʋ̃owa [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] “brushing house”:
purification of a house with
a chicken (e.g. after the breach
of a taboo); cf. hɔʋ̃ɛ [ ˩ ˥ ], owa [ ˩ ˥ ];
v. ihɔʋ̃egbe [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ], ihɔʋ̃ɛʋo [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ].
ihu [ ˩ ˥ ] foam; cf. hu [ ˥ ].
ihuã 1 [ ˩ ˥ ] song; ihuã n-aya gbe
[ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] “a song that is taken to
dance”: dancing-song; and spe-
