Kachikally
Kachikally (spelling variant: Katchikally ), or more precisely the sacred crocodile basin of Kachikally , is a place of worship in the West African state of Gambia and is located in Bakau .
myth
The crocodile serves as a sacred animal and fertility symbol in the Gambia . In the full moon , for example, West Africans do not see the man in the moon , but a crocodile. In Dalasi banknotes this animal is incorporated as a watermark. There is also a saying that says:
“ If you see a white crocodile in the river, you have a lot of children. "
The basin and the legend of Kachikally
The sacred crocodile pool of Kachikally is located on the southeastern outskirts of Bakau and is privately run by the Bojang family. It is fed by a stream that flows one and a half kilometers into the mangrove forest of Cape Creek , through which the water eventually drains into the Atlantic Ocean . The basin is heavily overgrown with water hyacinths and surrounded by a wall and has a lower water level in the dry season . Then, as part of a rite, the source is further excavated, at the same time bulls are slaughtered and fed to the crocodiles, which otherwise feed on frogs and other small animals. The crocodiles, estimated at 70 in number, are sacred - they are allowed to reproduce freely. The place of worship has been owned by the Bojang family for generations, perhaps since the 13th century. Legend has it that Ncooping Bojang settled in what is now Bakau, and one day he received a visit from a woman named Kachikally, who told the family about the secret of the pond:
“ The supernatural powers of its water help with sterility and disease, but they also have a positive effect on the achievement of prosperity and political power. "
Kachikally ordered the Bojangs to make this sacred place accessible to all and to take care of the pool for life and she sent the sons of Ncooping out to fish. The first thing they caught should then be put into the pool. There were two small crocodiles that, according to the legend, continue to reproduce today. The water in the basin is said to work wonders, as the old women of the Bojang family perform holy ablutions there. They “treat” women who, for example, do not have children or whose children are believed to have died from a curse. Coins are also placed on the crocodiles and then pushed into the water.
tourism
There are three well-known sacred crocodile pools in Gambia, which are operated, among other things, for tourism . The most visited is the Kachikally Sacred Crocodile Pool. There is also the construction of the sacred crocodile basin of Berending near Barra and one near Kartong in the south of the country. In the cult site in Bakau, tourists are allowed to touch the crocodiles. This touch is said to bring luck.
Museums
In 2004 the museum was opened, which shows around a thousand historical objects from Gambian history and culture.
- See also List of Museums in Gambia
literature
- Rosel Jahn: Gambia. Travel guide with regional studies. With a travel atlas (= Mai's Weltführer. Vol. 29). Mai, Dreieich 1997, ISBN 3-87936-239-4 .
- Ilona Horn: Gambia. Small vacation paradise in West Africa. 2nd updated edition. Horn Ilona Verlag, Munich 1999, ISBN 3-932084-19-5 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Rosel Jahn: Gambia. 1997.
Web links
Coordinates: 13 ° 28 ′ 35.5 " N , 16 ° 40 ′ 20.7" W.