The Paramount Chiefs Blessing

(Paul) Africans are afraid and superstitious about going deep into the forest, so before the Park Rangers took us on the 2-hr trek from their station into the Sapo Rainforest they took us by to meet the village's Paramount chief, Myer Jasbeh. He sat us down and after hearing my story about growing up in the Sapo forest and bringing my kids back to see my old home, he said he wanted to give our family a special blessing. He sent a young lady scurrying to his hut and she retuned a few minutes later with a bowl of white chalky powder. He then asked each of the kids to stand as he dipped three fingers into the chalk and pressed a white mark on each of our foreheads. "Now," he said, "when the elephants see you in the forest they will not run away or hurt you, because they will know you are my friend!"

Paramount Chief Jasbeh

Paul & Palmer with another Paramount chief in Totopleh (Ivory Coast) 40 years ago.

PC Jasbeh's blessing on the kid's foreheads.