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Spirit Man

Spirit Man appeared during the first healing ritual I attended in Rufisque, Senegal. The midmorning arrival of our tour group allowed me time to circle the perimeter of this gathering of 100 people or more. Minutes before the ceremony began, I came across an interesting image. This man, dressed in a green tunic, wore several strands of beads around his neck. I stopped and held up my camera, asking for permission to photograph. He held out his empty hand and pointed, asking for payment. I agreed. As I composed the picture, the man grabbed his beads with great pride. I clicked the shutter.

After the ceremony ended, our tour leader, Dr. Charles Finch, told me the man I had photographed wasn't known to anyone in the village. The Lebu people of this region believe that spirits sometimes take human form in order to be amongst the people during ceremony. I was told that if this man's face was not visible in my photograph, then he was most likely a spirit.