A Witch Doctor in Malawi – November 27, 2010

While camping at the edge of Lake Malawi, we got the opportunity to visit a witch doctor, and it was an awesome experience. I thought the whole thing was so interesting, and unlike anything I’ve seen or done so far. A guide from the village walked us from our campsite to the home of the Witch Doctor. There were 8 of us, and we all crammed into this tiny room and sat on mats of the floor. A couple of men were drumming in the corner, and kids filled the corners. The witch doctor came out, dressed in a bright green dress with a red cross on the front and a couple on the back. He wore a wide belt made of leaves, and had on anklets made of leaves and strung with bells. The men began drumming, and he starting dancing by shaking his hips like crazy. Every now and then he’d stomp his feet to ring the bells in time with the music. Once that dance was finished, he invited each of us up to dance with him. When it came time for my turn, he kept me up there dancing for way longer than anyone else, and I wasn’t really sure why. We all just tried to mimic his moves as he shook his hips and shoulders. At one point, a woman came in and started dancing with the witch doctor and a woman from our group, and she was just givin’r up there.

Once the group dancing was finished, someone walked in and handed him a stick that had been lit on fire and was still burning.  He continued to dance, and then out of nowhere bit off the end of the stick that was burning. Sparks fell to the ground. He kept on dancing and biting off the end of the stick. Crazy!

We all went outside, so that we could have the chance to go in and speak with him one on one. While we sat outside waiting, we talked with all the little kids hanging around. It was really interesting going in and talking with him. He had an interpreter, so he would speak, and then the interpreter would relay what he said.  He started off by talking and telling us things, and then afterwards we had the chance to ask questions, about what he prophesized for us, and anything else we wanted to know. The whole thing was really cool. I stayed in there a while and asked him lots of questions. He pulled out an old cardboard box filled with old plastic water bottles of stuff, which turned out to be the medicine he uses. The whole experience was totally cool and unique, and felt a lot more like authentic Africa then some of the stuff I’ve seen.