The nail figure

Michigan · USA · Haunted site

A security officer's own account. In the African gallery, with the lights out, the figure driven full of iron has been seen to move.

This account comes from a member of the museum's security staff in Detroit, and from colleagues on the afternoon and midnight shifts.

In the African gallery there is a figure driven full of nails and shards of iron. With the lights out, officers have reported it moving.

What the object actually is matters here. A nkisi nkondi is a Kongo power figure, made by a specialist and activated by a community. Each nail or blade was driven into it to seal an oath, settle a dispute or bind a wrongdoer, and every one represents a real agreement between real people. It was never an ornament. It was a legal and spiritual instrument, and it was understood to act.

It is now in a case in Michigan, under lights, on a timer, watched at night by guards.

The museum is open and the African galleries are worth going for.

FAQ

Hvor ligger The nail figure?

The nail figure ligger i Michigan, USA.

Image: grego1402 / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons