释义 |
greegree|ˈgriːgriː| Also 8 griggory, 8–9 grigri, 9 gregre(e. [Presumed to be of African origin; in F. grisgris (Littré).] 1. An African charm, amulet, or fetish.
1698Froger Voy. 14 They wear about their Neck, Arms, and Legs, and even bind about their Horses, little leathern Bags, which they call Grisgris, in which are enclosed certain Passages of the Alcoran..to secure them from venemous Beasts, etc. 1788J. Matthews Voy. Sierra Leone vi. 133 Every griggory is assigned its particular office: one is to preserve him from shot, one from poison [etc.]..and when a man happens to be killed..they only say his griggory was not so good as the person's who occasioned his death. 1803T. Winterbottom Sierra Leone I. xv. 258 In all the Bullom and Timmanee towns greegrees are placed to prevent the incursion of evil spirits or witches. 1861P. B. Du Chaillu Equat. Afr. xix. 337 Next in order, after the idols, come the charms or greegrees, called by them monda. Greegree..is a term of European origin. 1865Livingstone Zambesi xxv. 523 The images, horns or other articles called greegrees. 1931R. Aldington Colonel's Daughter v. 287 He shared with her the common but essentially mystic passion for gadgets—the white man's mechanical grigris. 1935G. Gorer Africa Dances i. iii. 47 The great majority of both Catholics and Protestants believe in the efficacy of amulets or grisgris. 1956M. Stearns Story of Jazz (1957) v. 48 Even today, voodoo drugstores in New Orleans are doing a profitable business in gris-gris or magic charms. ¶2. Misused for greegree man (see 4).
1848Whittier Slaves of Martinique 8 As the gregree holds his Fetich from the white man's gaze apart. 3. The ordeal tree of Guinea, Erythrophleum guineense.
1847in Craig. 1866Treas. Bot. 551/1 Gregre tree, Erythrophleum guinense. 4. attrib. and Comb., as gree-gree bag, greegree maker; gree-gree man, a fetisheer, ‘medicine-man’.
1788J. Matthews Voy. Sierra Leone 107 The only trades in use amongst them are those of the carpenter, blacksmith, and griggory maker. Ibid. 133 They tell many wonderful stories of their griggory men. 1861P. B. Du Chaillu Equat. Afr. viii. (ed. 2) 96 Even the little children are covered with these talismans, duly consecrated by the doctor or greegree man of the tribe. 1897M. Kingsley W. Africa i. 19 The leather-work that meets with the severest criticism from the Christian party is the talisman or gri-gri bags. |