fices to erha [ ˥ ˥ ]: the senior son
as well as the ɔka‿ɛgbɛe [ ˩ ˥ ˥ (4-1) ]
with the elders of the family rub
the big toes of their right feet
(which stand for one’s male
ancestors), the ɔka‿ɛgbɛe and
the elders doing so in order to
give all the family ancestors
their share. When this has been
done everybody touches his
forehead with a finger dipped in
blood in order to give his head
(v. uhuʋ̃u [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ]) part of the
sacrifice. (This is also done after
a sacrifice made to a deity.) ɔfi‿
obɔ y-esagiɛ̃ rhie ra [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ / / ˥ ]
“he is dipping his hand into
blood taking rubbing (his fore-
head)”. When sacrificing to
one’s head (at igwɛ [ ˩ ˩ ]) (which
is combined with a fufu-sacri-
fice to one’s guardian spirit as
it is forbidden to kill anything
for the ɛhi [ ˩ ˩ ]), one rubs the
middle of one’s forehead with
blood, saying: ɛhae ʋ̃ɛ kokooko
[ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˦ ˦ ] “my forehead strong”,
then the back of the neck is rub-
bed for the ɛhi with the words:
uguɛɽ-ugu-ɛhi ɽuɛ [ ˩ / ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ / ]
“you guɛ and guɛ your ɛhi”,
then both ears are touched: ehɔ
ɽuɛ h-ɛ̃ʋ̃ata [ ˩ ˩ / ˩ \ ˩ ] “your ear
may hear the truth”. The heart
is touched by somebody saying:
ud-uɛ gb-ɛgĩ [ ˩ / ˦ ˦ ] “your heart
may be firm”; the waist: ɛkũ‿
agbɔ̃ n-ɔma s-uɔ-tɔ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˩ / / ˩ ]
“may waist of good life reach
your ground”: may your happi-
ness be firmly grounded; the
knees: uɣud-igu-ɛʋ̃ɛ ya [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ˥ / \ ]
“may you not fall on the pala-
ver-knee”: may you not have to
kneel (i.e. to beg anybody on your
