Page-089-L

*    [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˩ ˥ ] “empty things empty



*    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-