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    a charm “mentioning a man’s
    name” (ɛb-usueni [ ˩ \ ˩ ˩ ] “name-
    mentioning charm”) and a
    charm speaking by itself (oʋi‿ɛɽ̃i^
    ʋ̃i [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ˩ ] “son of the Under-
    world”) procure them more
    clients than the other oracle
    doctors have. This fact, together
    with their acting as witch
    doctors, enables them to make
    a living by being doctors only,
    without additional farm work.
    Their knowledge of herbs is,
    however, said to be smaller than
    that of the eb-ɔɽ̃ɔ̃mila [ ˩ ˥ ˦ ˩ ˩ ].
    An ɔb-akpɛlɛ [ ˩ \ ˩ ˩ ] is mostly an
    Olokũ [ ˥ ˥ ˦ ] priest, i.e. not a
    priest at a public shrine, but he
    has a bigger Olokũ shrine in his
    house than an ordinary Olokũ
    shrine. Many of his clients come
    to his Olokũ shrine and bring
    things for the yearly Olokũ
    sacrifice (eh-olokũ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˦ ]). The
    oracle method is learnt in about
    six months’ time. During this
    time the pupil keeps his akpɛlɛ
    [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] in a pot at his Olokũ
    shrine (which nearly every adult
    possesses). Charms are also put
    into the pot, and the akpɛlɛ
    has first been charmed by the
    teacher, a full communal Olokũ
    priest. Afterwards the akpɛlɛ
    is put on an ukpabɔ [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ] tray
    and taken to some cross-roads
    (ada [ ˩ ˩ ]) where it is charmed
    again and buried with the charm
    for a fortnight “in order to see
    the truth”. (Ada being a meet-
    ing place for witches, spirits,
    etc., anything hidden there sees
    them.) Akpɛlɛ and Ogwɛga have
    to be familiar with witches be-
    cause they procure food for the
    witches by indicating pacifica-