About
Bocio, which translates as "empowered cadaver," is a power object, a kind of decoy meant to trick death, disease, or misfortune by acting as a substitute for a real person. As seen in figure 1, diviners activate the figures by binding accessories such as the metal disk, bottles containing potent organic elements, and skulls of animals. In this case there are three skulls tied to the body of the bocio —a monitor lizard, an African squirrel, and a side-striped jackal. The process of joining objects together is an important component of empowering bocio; to further activate the power figure, offerings—including corn meal, blood, and saliva—are poured over it. Not only do the libations of these materials make the object more powerful, they also continually transform the bocio’s surface and appearance as a work of art. Figure 2 shows two kneeling female figures, the lower one carved from wood, holding her breasts in an attitude of supplication, and the upper one cast in brass and offering a large calabash-like bowl. The figures are bound together by string wrapped over the legs of the top figure and under the chin of the lower one. The lower figure's face is obscured by sacrificial matter, and her mouth is sealed by a long iron chain, inhibiting her ability to speak. Considered to be a potentially serious weapon, the act of speech is silenced, controlled by another. Furthermore, iron attachments are often associated with Gu, the deity of iron and war, and are meant to drive away evil associated with physical force.