The Revenge of the Crocodile

Mali, 2019

Mariama is standing next to me. There is an amused look on her face. She is watching the Chief of the Water and the hunter. Both of them are standing a bit behind, away from the waterline. It is obvious that they aren’t feeling comfortable. All eyes are on them. Not only is the Chief of the Water the one, who has to give the ‘go’, it is common for him to be the first to enter the sacred lake. Will he?

Pretty much everyone knows stories about superstition. Africa is well-known for it.
It goes way beyond our logics and understanding. I can be quite rational, and in the meantime it is absolutely clear to me that there isn’t always a logical explanation for things. Still, at times here in Mali, my ears are flapping, while my mouth drops.
What to think about witches, who lay eggs? About cats, who aren’t cats? Or about a witch village, where anyone named Keita - a common family name in Mali - best stays away from, for the sake of staying alive?
Religion, superstition and spirituality are inseparable from every day life in Mali.