These figures were used in pairs for magic and divinatory purposes. They were planted with their iron tip in the ground inside a hole in dwellings or at the entrance to villages. Their purpose was to protect the harvest and safeguard villagers from bites from venomous snakes. Those planted in the fields were covered with red soil, whereas those kept inside the house received sacrificial offerings and cleansed with palm oil. The Wurkun were a small group, located in the north-east of Nigeria, who are culturally linked to the Jukun, their neighbours. These divinatory figures, common in both groups, are called “tau-kenda” and “tau-wandoa” for females and males respectively.