What you are viewing is a woman and her sick child who are undergoing a certain part of a healing ritual for the child. The chicken that has been placed upon her head by the Nima (the Gabonese term for a master shaman) has a red tail feather of an African Grey parrot inserted just under the cartilage of its beak via a sharp steel pin that it is mounted on. In the tradition of Bwiti, the parrot feather carries several particular significances, one of which is to signify that the wearer is an initiate of this tradition. The chicken in this image is moments away from the initiation of its own death which swiftly occurs as the shaman inserts the steel pin further. The fresh blood is then smeared over both baby and mother, hence the name of this painting.

The chicken, mother and child are all depicted as soaking wet, with rivulets of water running down one and all. They have just received the blessings of both a floral bath, and spirits of the river in which they stand. In order to facilitate the efficacy of this ceremony, the people commonly known as Babongo, but who call themselves Bameto, both invoke and invite spirits that western language would call Mermaids, to assist in the healing. Whatever your beliefs may be around such things… I can assure you, it works!

Please understand that both blood sacrifices, and indeed human blood-letting occurs in many indigenous traditional practices, and is performed with respect for the creatures involved. Before one rushes to judgement, it may be worth considering how much suffering of animals occurs through factory farming methods, and testing for allopathic medicines, cosmetics etc.