The Akodessewa Fetish Market in Lome is often described as an outdoor pharmacy for the soul. In West African Vodun culture, physical ailments are believed to have spiritual roots, and this market provides the specific ingredients needed for healers to perform their rituals. The stalls are piled high with an overwhelming array of macabre items: bleached cattle skulls, dried monkey heads, leopard skins, and the bones of various birds and reptiles. It is a place where history and ancient belief systems collide with the modern world. Local priests, or fetisheurs, use these items to create talismans and medicines. For example, a ground-up ape skull might be mixed with herbs to provide strength, or a specific bird's wing might be used to help a traveler find their way. The smell of decaying organic matter and the sight of thousands of sightless eyes create an atmosphere that is deeply unsettling to outsiders but perfectly normal to the locals. The market has survived through the colonial era and into the modern age, remaining a central hub for traditional West African medicine. It stands as a physical manifestation of a belief system that sees the spiritual essence in every creature.