Amazing African Witchcraft Supermarket in Togo

Witchcraft, a mysterious art that is said to be able to influence or control certain people and things with the help of supernatural mysterious power, is still "popular" in many places around the world. The weirdest thing about Africa is its witchcraft. Here, witchcraft is not just a trick that is only talked about but not practiced. In many African countries, from food, clothing, housing, transportation, weddings and funerals, to doing business, reforms, fighting civil wars, declaring independence and striving for democracy...all of them are inseparable from witchcraft and wizards.

The Akodessewa Offering Market in Togo, a West African country, is recognized as the world's largest witchcraft offering market, where witchcraft practitioners can find whatever they need for any ceremony.

• West Africa: The Origin of Witchcraft 

Witchcraft originated in West Africa, where the religion is very active in countries such as Togo, Ghana, and Nigeria. Many people believe that witches use animal parts and strange charms to perform rituals to invoke spirits and solve their problems. If there is one place where witchcraft priests stock up on spooky supplies, it is at the Akodessewa Superstition Market in Lomé, the capital of Togo. Just think of it as an outdoor pharmacy with a variety of animal parts, bone statues, and herbal traditional medicine.

Although from a distance it may look like just a lot of deserted wooden tables covered in dust, when you get closer and see the piles of heads, tails, skins and limbs of various animals, you will realize that you have come to Akodessewa Superstition Market. You will be greeted by a tour of the market offered by the head of the witchcraft department, and when you understand that people can bargain for ape claws or antelope heads, you will think this is a crazy place, and the people here know how to make you buy at least one souvenir. The witchcraft merchants collect products from all over West Africa, and no matter what problem you have, they are bound to have something for you. They claim that they can help everyone in the world. As long as someone has a problem, they can come to Akodessewa to find a solution to their problem.

For example: couples who can't have children, who want to be a goalkeeper full of miracles in a football game, who want to have extra stamina to run a marathon, can all get help at the world's largest witchcraft market. It requires making a black powder from an animal organ and herbs from the land and rubbing it on the body of the "patient". But the person's chest or back needs to be cut three times to use this magic powder, but you don't need to know this.

Even if you don’t believe in witchcraft, the Akodessewa Superstition Market is one of those exotic and bizarre places to visit. If you don’t like the sight of animal heads staring at you, you can also check out the protective Buddha statues and amulets, or learn about the various herbs used by the witchcraft priests.

• Witchcraft Practice in Ancient Times Outside West Africa

In fact, in addition to witchcraft in Africa, in ancient times, there was also mysterious witchcraft in the areas of Yuanling, Luxi, Chenxi, and Xupu in western Hunan - corpse-driving. Legend has it that this witchcraft can make the corpse walk home by itself, with a Taoist priest leading the way. He leads the way in front of the corpse, beating a gong as he walks, so that night travelers will avoid him and families with dogs will lock up their dogs. When there is more than one corpse, they are connected with straw ropes, one every six or seven feet. The dead people jump and walk like sparrows. The reason why the corpses can jump is entirely due to the yellow paper talismans on their faces. So, when they stop at a place, the magician will immediately remove the paper talismans on their faces, otherwise they will jump out by themselves.

The legend of that scene was extremely horrifying, and after being cracked, it was discovered that the "corpse-driving" scam was a scam in which one person pretended to be a dead person. One person dressed up as a "corpse-driving sorcerer" and the other played the role of the "dead person", wearing a big straw hat, a green robe, and tying bamboo strips on his limbs (like orthopedic splints). In this way, when the other person played the role, he could make a stiff corpse look, because the bends of the limbs were clamped by the splints, so that he could lift his legs and step on the hard branches.