Trokosi as a Form of Modern-day Slavery Term Paper

Trokosi as a Form of Modern-day Slavery - Term Paper Example The term â€Å"trokosi† was derived from the local Ewe dialect in Ghana and Togo, meaning â€Å"wives of the gods" (Kankpeyeng, 2009). The virgin girls are regarded as wives of the symbolic god who is feared, respected and honored at various traditional places of worship. Trokosi and voodoo are similar in the sense that both bank on some magic to woo and retain the followers. From the 16th century, the Ewe is believed to have been expelled from the Niger River delta towards the west. During this tumultuous era their gods of war assumed great title and significance, projecting fetish priests above the chiefs in terms of influence. They continue to be the most feared, respected and influential individuals in the better part of the rural West Africa. Practically, the priests use fetish slaves as concubines in the perceived holy places. The slaves must respect his command and be ready to make sacrifices, sometimes in pain (Alford, 2005). If they object, they are punished in the fields to produce valuable goods for sale by the priests. Sometimes they are ordered to serve the priests sexually for free. In addition, the victims do not stand a chance to receive any mercy and are cut off from the rest of the population. Trokosi is a general term used in reference to both the religious practices or the organization and the victims of the traditional form of occultism. According to Bales, Trodd and Williamson (2011) the fact that the occult movement is premised upon mystery is itself a shared attribute with Trokosi. Joining Trokosi is non-negotiable to the potential victims and their respective families. In addition, settling the dues of a Trokosi is a unilateral decision of a priest or the entirety of the shrine of the African traditional religious movement through a process referred to as "atoning." As Alford (2005) said, the fact that the religion is keen on appeasing the spirits of a male ancestor, a kin or a relative is similar to occultism since both are