Hello
I heard that a long time ago , Somalis practised a ritual that might have been called "Loqmat al-Hanun" (لقمة الحنون)" . Sorry , I am not sure of the name or the correct spelling.
The ritual consists of a trial by ordeal . A crime has been committed and one person is suspected to be the criminal . The person denies committing the crime and the community needs to know whether the person is telling he truth.
So someone who has some sort of authority over the group , gives some sort of traditional drink ( or food) to the accused.
If the accused starts suffering and the drink causes distress (or the person is unable to drink ?) , then the truth is "revealed" and the person is indeed guilty .
The aim is not to poison the person or to cause great distress but to see "how the person reacts" to the drink .
Is it something anyone heard of ?
My understanding is that this ritual was something practised in rural areas.
Thanks a lot .
I heard that a long time ago , Somalis practised a ritual that might have been called "Loqmat al-Hanun" (لقمة الحنون)" . Sorry , I am not sure of the name or the correct spelling.
The ritual consists of a trial by ordeal . A crime has been committed and one person is suspected to be the criminal . The person denies committing the crime and the community needs to know whether the person is telling he truth.
So someone who has some sort of authority over the group , gives some sort of traditional drink ( or food) to the accused.
If the accused starts suffering and the drink causes distress (or the person is unable to drink ?) , then the truth is "revealed" and the person is indeed guilty .
The aim is not to poison the person or to cause great distress but to see "how the person reacts" to the drink .
Is it something anyone heard of ?
My understanding is that this ritual was something practised in rural areas.
Thanks a lot .