I am Samba Atta Dabo, and I am known as the one who cures those who have been struck down by sorcery. When sorcerers try to harm the innocent, I stand against them and drive their evil away. What I tell you now is a story from the village of Thievaly, where the daughter of the diaraf Samoro was bewitched by a cunning sorcerer.
The young girl grew weak, restless, and troubled. She could not eat nor sleep, and her cries pierced the night. Her family brought healer after healer, but none could help her. The sorcerer’s grip was too strong.
The first to come was Mabadiane, a well known bourhama, or conjuror. He entered with confidence, believing his words would undo the spell. Standing at the girl’s side, he muttered three secret phrases and spat into her ear. For a moment, the air grew tense as if something might change. Then the girl straightened and spat back, her eyes blazing with anger.
“You cannot cure me,” she cried. “The sorcerers give you gifts, and you accept them. Do you not remember the chicken leg they handed you while you prayed? You ate it, and now you are bound to them. You cannot heal me.”
The people gasped, and silence filled the room. Mabadiane’s face turned pale. Shame washed over him as he lowered his head and admitted that the girl spoke the truth. His corruption was revealed.
Still, the family would not give up hope. They called upon Sara Bouri of Yang Yang, who was famed for his medicines. He came with herbs and chants, but the girl mocked him, saying he lacked the strength to break the spell. Then came Galdiol of Mboula, who boasted of his powers, but the girl exposed his weakness before all. A Laobe healer of Mballarhe tried his hand as well, yet he too failed. Each one left in disgrace, their names whispered in disappointment.
At last, they came to me. At first, I refused. “Why do you come to me when so many others have tried and failed?” I asked. But they begged and pleaded until I agreed to see her.
When I entered the room, the girl leapt up in fury. She tried to escape, unwilling to remain in my presence. I rubbed myself with strong medicines, spoke words of power, and spat into her ear. She cried out, “Everyone has tried. No one can cure me.”
I stood firm and said, “When the sorcerer caught you, he took your heart and hid it away in the village refuse heap.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “How do you know this? Tell me, what did he place it in?”
I answered, “Your heart rests upon a shard of pottery, beside the heart of a dog, the heart of a goat, and a piece of serao wood.”
She trembled, for the truth of my words struck her deeply. Then I demanded to know what payment I would receive if I succeeded in restoring her life. She promised me thirty francs immediately and seventy five more once she was cured.
The girl then revealed what was needed for the cure. She spoke of the roots of nguer and ngotot, ground together into a fine powder, and a piece of serao wood to complete the remedy. I gathered these, and then I confronted the sorcerer.
I commanded him to return what he had stolen. At first, he defied me. He shifted his form into a bird and flew through the air, carrying the heart to different hiding places. He placed it in the belly of a goat, then tried to bury it in secret corners. But I did not relent. My words and my medicines pressed him harder until at last he yielded. He brought back the heart that belonged to the girl.
I ordered him to wash his hand and pour the water over her head. Then I made him rinse his mouth and let the water flow upon her once again. At that moment, the spell was broken. The girl sighed deeply, her body freed from the grip of the sorcerer. Her strength returned to her limbs, and her eyes cleared. She was healed.
Her parents rejoiced and paid me the seventy five francs they had promised. The people of Thievaly gathered around and declared before all that I, Samba Atta Dabo, was the greatest of the bourhama, the one who conquers the power of sorcerers when all others fail.
Moral Lesson of The Bewitched Girl of Thievaly
This Wolof folktale teaches that true power lies not in boasting or deceit but in honesty, courage, and wisdom. Many healers failed because they were corrupt or weak. Only the one who remained pure and fearless could defeat the sorcerer. The story reminds us that integrity is stronger than false words and that good will always triumph over evil.
Knowledge Check: The Bewitched Girl of Thievaly
Who was the diaraf whose daughter was bewitched in Thievaly?
The diaraf was Samoro, whose daughter suffered under the spell of a sorcerer.Why did Mabadiane fail to cure the girl?
He had accepted gifts from the sorcerers, which corrupted his power and bound him to their will.What did Samba Atta Dabo reveal about the girl’s missing heart?
He explained that the sorcerer had hidden it on a shard of pottery along with animal hearts and a piece of serao wood.What roots were part of the cure described by the girl?
The cure required roots of nguer and ngotot, ground to powder, and a piece of serao wood.How did the sorcerer try to avoid returning the heart?
He took different forms, even becoming a bird, and hid the heart in various places including inside a goat.What action finally restored the girl to health?
The sorcerer washed his hand and mouth, pouring the water on the girl’s head, which broke the spell and healed her.Source: Wolof folktale, Senegal
