Voodoo viagra: Inside the world's largest black magic market which sells monkey head aphrodisiacs and love potions made from chameleons ground up with Chanel No.5

From dried-out monkey heads and antelope skulls to dead birds and crates of baby crocodiles, this is the world's biggest voodoo market.

The Marche des Feticheurs in Lomé, the capital of Togo in West Africa, is the world's largest voodoo market with products including a love potion consisting of Chanel No.5 and ground-up chameleon.

Cures include monkey heads, which are thought to be a stimulant, and burn-healing boa constrictor skins while the markets also stock dried hyena heads, elephant tail bones and even live hawks.

(Black magic: The Marche des Feticheurs in Togo's capital, Lomé, is the world's largest voodoo market featuring the remains of thousands of animals)

(For sale: The market features dried-out monkey heads (pictured) as well as antelope skulls, dead birds and crates of baby crocodiles)

(Special powers? People who practise the voodoo tradition believe that life derives from the natural forces of earth, water, fire and air)

(Up for grabs: Antelope heads, tortoise shells and cattle horns are shown stacked up at the world's biggest voodoo market in Togo, Africa)

(Tradition: Voodoo, although associated with Haiti, originated in West Africa and is popular in Togo and neighbouring Benin)

People who practise the voodoo tradition believe that life derives from the natural forces of earth, water, fire and air. Voodoo, although associated with Haiti, originated in West Africa and is popular in Togo and neighbouring Benin.

Emanuela Grieco, 34, the photographer who took these stunning pictures, said: 'There is a bit of everything at Lome voodoo market.

(Cures include monkey heads, which are thought to be a stimulant, and burn-healing boa constrictor skins while the markets also stock dried hyena heads, elephant tail bones and even live hawks)

(Browsing: A trourist examines items for sale at the Marche des Feticheurs in Togo's capital, Lomé)

(A man holds the head of a crocodile)

(In stock: Items for sale at the Marche des Feticheurs include dried heads, skulls, horns and antlers from a range of animals)

(The stunning images were taken by 34-year-old photographer Emanuela Grieco during a visit to Lomé's voodoo magic)

'There is what you'd expect like cows heads or horses hair tails and there is what you wouldn't expect like dead cats heads or even what you have never before like cobras or antelopes heads.

'Once you arrive, you enter the world of white magic and the spiritual world of Togo - this tiny unknown sweet piece of Earth in Mother Africa's heart.

(The photographer said that as well as the likes of cows heads and horses hair tails, shoppers could also find unexpected items such as dead cats heads, cobras and antelope heads)

(The world's largest voodoo market has products including a love potion consisting of Chanel No.5 and ground-up chameleon )

(The Marche des Feticheurs features dried-out monkey heads and antelope skulls, dead birds and crates of baby crocodiles)

(As well as dead animals, the market also stocks these small wooden men described by salesmen as being male fertility statues)

(Strengthening: One of the younger vendors poses with a set of antelope horns at the fetish market in the Togolese capital, Lomé)

(A boy holding a dried leopard head)

(A vendor holding a live tortoise)

(Heavyweight: A muscular vendor smiles as he hefts an elephant femur (thigh bone) above his head. The bone is thought to confer strength)

And monkeys aren't the only animal to end up in the market. Sharing the shelves with primates are shrunken heads that once belonged to dogs, donkeys, hyenas and even leopards.

Other beasts turned into voodoo medicine and hawked by vendors include elephants, hippos, antelopes, whales and living eagles, although for the birds at least, an appearance at the market isn't the end of the road.

'The living hawks are not sacrificed,' reveals James. 'Someone who is possessed by an evil spirit will buy the hawk, have a voodoo priest transfer the black spirit to the unknowing hawk, and then let the hawk go free.

He also has a recipe for a voodoo love potion. 'If you grind up a dried chameleon into a powder, mix it with Chanel No. 5 and spray it on yourself, you will magically attract the one you secretly admire,' he reveals.

But making a living from providing voodoo cures isn't without its risks. 'Moments after we arrived at the market, the police showed up and arrested a man for being in possession of illegal animal products,' remembers James.

(A Togolese boy carrying a whale vertebrae)

(Like elephant thigh bones, whale vertebrae are thought to confer strength on the user)

(Fetish: Also on sale at the Lomé market are antelope skulls (pictured), powdered chameleons, dried dog and hyena heads, and hippopotamus skulls)

(A boy wrapped in a boa constrictor skin)

(A little boy holds a monkey foot in the fetish market)

(Grim: Dried hyena heads can be bought for £200 for use in voodoo medicine along with elephant tail bones and live birds)

(A boy holding a pair of dried baboon heads)

(A man holds a live hawk which will be used in a spell to get rid of curses)

Ref: Voodoo viagra: Inside the world's largest black magic market which sells monkey head aphrodisiacs and love potions made from chameleons ground up with Chanel No.5 (dailymail)