Bwiti: dances with the spirits.

Transcription

In the heart of Gabonese
Equatorial forest lasts an
ancient rite dating back to
palaeolithic Age and called
Bwiti, a rite inherited from
pygmies. This initiatic rite is a
way for youngsters to become
adults.
During initiations, novices ingest
the iboga plant. A plant which
gives visions, allowing them to «
travel to the Ancestors Land ».
It is a rebirth initiation.As an
initiate,
you're
killed
symbolically, and you're made
born again during a three days
and night ceremony.
Photographer Laurent Sazy has
worked on this reportage during
the last five years and was
initiated to Bwiti rites to be able
to
photograph
particular
ceremonies.
Bwiti: dances with the spirits...
Photos and text ©Laurent Sazy/Lightmediation
Contact- Thierry Tinacci Lightmediation Agency +33 (0)6 61 80 57 21 [email protected]
510-01: A young initiate hold a candle in her hand. At the beginning of April 2000, Initiates perform a
ceremony for the unveiling of a statue of the congregation founder, who was killed by an Ayize Endendang
menber in April 87.
510-02: "Ayize Endendang" the luminous knowledge, is one of the main Bwiti initiatic orders. Founded in
the 60s by Catherine Bendome-Ottoghe, the "Ayizé" church claims between 8 to 10000 followers,
dispached in 14 temples in Gabon, they also broadcast a weekly radio program on national "radio soleil". At
510-03: At the beginning of April 2000, Initiates perform a ceremony for the unveiling of a statue of the
congregation founder, who was killed by an Ayize Endendang menber in April 87.
congregation founder, who was killed by an Ayize Endendang menber in April 87. Initiates are walking fast
from the forest to the temple handing a torch in the hand.
510-16: Singing and dancing all night, initiates are falling in transe.
congregation founder, who was killed by an Ayize Endendang menber in April 87. Dress in whiti dress and
ceremonial make-up, Initiates are walking fast from the forest to the temple handing a torch in the hand.
congregation founder, who was killed by an Ayize Endendang menber in April 87. Initiate are together in
front of the mother statue, singing and playing music with harp instrument.
congregation founder, who was killed by an Ayize Endendang menber in April 87. Initiate are together in
front of the mother statue, singing and playing music with harp instrument.
congregation founder, who was killed by an Ayize Endendang menber in April 87.
congregation founder, who was killed by an Ayize Endendang menber in April 87. Initiates are coming and
turning inside the temple handing torch or candle.
510-10: One of the Nganga blow in an antilop horn to call the spirits and give a rythm.
510-11: Entrance of the grand master in the temple. They will seat like judge.
510-12: The entrance of the torch on fire for purification in the temple.
510-13: After the cleaning by the torch, the smith call the 3 ngangas(chamans, priest) to come of inside the
temple symbolizing the ways out of the 3 genious from original egg.
510-14: The nganga(priest, chamans) call inside an antilop horn to call spirits.
510-15: The transe of initiates during the night ceremony.
510-16: Singing and dancing all night, initiates are falling in transe.
510-38: 2003- A full plate of iboga root is given to candidate.
510-17: Dancing and singing all night, initiate are receating the creation of the universe.
510-18: A Fang Initiation to Bwiti for 2 young girls from Libreville. To be aknowledged in the Bwiti society,
the candidate must pass a serie of tests and initiatic rites. In the course of initiation ceremony , the novices
are taken to the river where, their face covered with white clay, they will ingest huge amounts of iboga, the
510-19: In the course of initiation ceremony , the novices are taken to the river where, their face covered
with white clay, they will ingest huge amounts of iboga, the sacred
hallucinogenic root.
510-20: Back from the river. During the following night, the new initiates will show their comitment through
transes and dances, at the sound of the harp and others liturgic instruments, Harp is said in the tradition, to
be like a voice wich transmutes human life into celestial music.
510-21: Back from the river they are left lying in the dark of the initiation room of the temple, a parrot
feather is later placed on their foreground, prior to describe their "visions" to the "Mother" ( celebrant , either
man or woman ).
510-22: Initiates are confessing to the mother their sins. Back from the river they are left lying in the dark of
the initiation room of the temple, a parrot feather is later placed on their foreground, prior to describe their
"visions" to the "Mother" ( celebrant , either man or woman ).
510-23: During the following night, the new initiates will show their comitment through transes and dances,
at the sound of the harp and others liturgic instruments, Harp is said in the tradition, to be like a voice wich
transmutes human life into celestial music.
510-24: The next morning , while the new initiates lies outside the temple, still experiencing modified states
of consciousness, a tree is planted over their heads , symbolising "the tree of knowledge" .
510-33: 2002- This overdoses means a state closed to NDE (near death experiences). Always Ngangas look after the novice and check them . This state is also like a fast dream state. Dream of the novice:
Paola's visions : He remembers that he went to meet white people, hundreds who were in a boat , clapping him.After that he went to others sea and islands and finally went to a large forest with animals and
510-25: 2002-A bwiti Misoko-Ngonde initiation. Starting of initiation: the cock is the first voice, like the bell ,
the bottle(a mystic bottle) next the fire(the sky), the fire which is the engine and the temple which is the
vessel for tripping to ancestors territories. A mirror is placed outside in front of the temple with parrots
510-26: 2002-At the beginning of the initiation, the novice are bring to the river for body & spirit cleaning.
510-27: 2002-Back from the river, the novices are covered by white clay to meet ancestors.
510-28: 2002- The novices goes back to the temple to receive the red feather from Gabonnese grey parrot,
disposed on a mirror which was charged by the sun during the day. The parrot is an intercessor between
human and bird because of language. The panther is a protection against bad spirit.
510-29: 2002- The novice receive his first dose of iboga by the nganga(chamans).
510-30: 2002- Sitting in a little palm and leaves tent , novices are listening the bow (arc en bouche)
instrument and start to feel iboga effect in the body.
510-31: 2002- After ingesting their first iboga doses, candidates must jump to receate a big-bang inside
their body. Iboga is circulating in the blood vessel.
510-32: 2002- The "banana ceremony" (Maminengobe ceremony). It is between the end of the cleaning of
the body and the starting of the initiation. Effects with combining iboga, plantin banana, honey, clay,
perfums, is to fix iboga and to accelerate the process. Initiates will have to eat the full banana in few
510-33/Laurent Sazy/Fedephoto/Lightmediation/Bwiti: dances with the spirits. / 510-33: This overdoses
means a state closed to NDE (near death experiences). Always Ngangas look after the novice and check
them . This state is also like a fast dream state. Dream of the novice: Paola's visions :
510-34/Laurent Sazy/Fedephoto/Lightmediation/Bwiti: dances with the spirits. / 510-34: During the day,
novices stay in the temple and continue to have state dream. The ngangas always check them and the
musicians play the bow which help them on the travel.The bow instrument is symbol of the road of life and
510-35/Laurent Sazy/Fedephoto/Lightmediation/Bwiti: dances with the spirits. / 510-35: The nganga is fixing
the palm branch around the candidate head. / Gabon / Libreville
510-36/Laurent Sazy/Fedephoto/Lightmediation/Bwiti: dances with the spirits. / 510-36: After the first
initiation night , the novice are stand up in front of the "corps de garde"(temple), facing the sun and be ready
to receive a natural collyre from plants to clean their eyes and keep vision going on. / Gabon / Mandilou
510-42: 2002- During the cooking of the paquet in the fire, the novices are taken in fast dances to shake the iboga in their body.
510-37: 2003- After the first initiation night , the novice are stand up in front of the "corps de garde"(temple),
facing the sun and be ready to receive a natural collyre from plants to clean their eyes and keep vision
going on.
510-38: 2003- A full plate of iboga root is given to candidate.
510-39: 2003- after ingesting the plantin banana full of iboga root, the novice must concentrate into the
mirror to try to see ancestors.
510-40: 2005- The dika ceremony. All ingredients( bark, roots, leafs, cucumber and others in front of the
woman in the center will be grind during the ceremony and put inside banana leafs to make a paquet. All
ingredients are mysticals protections for those who are be initiate. The woman in the center is always part of
510-41: 2005- After grindind elements, they are taken to a private room for initiates to be put in a paquet
made in banana leaves. (this is one of the secret part of the initiation)
510-42: 2002- During the cooking of the paquet in the fire, the novices are taken in fast dances to shake
the iboga in their body.
510-43: During the cooking of the paquet in the fire, the novices are taken in fast dances to shake the iboga
in their body.
510-44: 2003- Initiates are sitting in the temple waiting the beginning of the ceremony.
510-45: 2003- Early in the morning, after a night ceremony, the nganga dressed with their ceremonial
clothes have to executate their danse show to the others. Nganga Mututu on his dance turn.
510-46: 2002- After initiation, the new initiate are taken to a place to get theirs traditional and natural
vaccines. A special bark tree is used, mixt with carbon, and lemon to sterilize the razor blade.
510-47: 2005- The master Nganga is painting the face of a new initiate with a make-up corresponding to her
animal totem.
510-48: 2005- At the end of initiations villager are coming to the temple for receving a consultation made by
nganga or new initiate because they are full of iboga so they can read inside the people and give them a
solution to theirs problems. Most of the time, illness is psycho-somatique. The nganga is putting a red point
510-52: 2003- In the bwiti society, there is one initiation stricly reserved for youg man called Mwiri. The mwiri is like a commando initiation, with difficulties, fears, suffer, and teaching. The 3 candidates are
nacked, like newborn, the head covered by an oil palm, charcoal. They will be beat to learn how to resist in suffering(to be a man).They are obliged to dance the Ngui-ngui dances under whacks.
510-49: 2003- an initiate is coming to the temple with a new make-up and with the family protection statue.
510-50: 2003- In the bwiti society, there is one initiation stricly reserved for youg man called Mwiri. The
mwiri is like a commando initiation, with difficulties, fears, suffer, and teaching.
A young nganga(chamans) carrying the two cock of the ceremony for the two new candidates of the mwiri
mwiri is like a commando initiation, with difficulties, fears, suffer, and teaching.
The 3 candidates are nacked, like newborn, the head covered by an oil palm, charcoal. They will be beat to
mwiri is like a commando initiation, with difficulties, fears, suffer, and teaching. The 3 candidates are
nacked, like newborn, the head covered by an oil palm, charcoal. They will be beat to learn how to resist in
mwiri is like a commando initiation, with difficulties, fears, suffer, and teaching. The 3 candidates are
nacked, like newborn, the head covered by an oil palm, charcoal. They will be beat to learn how to resist in
510-54: 2003- Portrait of nganga Ehoumu.
Christian (civil name) is 47 years old.
He was initiated by pygmies of Congo when his grand-father was working in a forest trees company. He is
Christian(civil name) is 47 years old.
510-59: 2002- Nganga Malendi carrying an iboga root which grow naturally on the coast near Mayumba
city(south Gabon). In March 2000, Gabon has classified Iboga on the list of it's cultural heritage to prevent
looting .
510-60: 2002- The Nganga Malendi is grinding an iboga root for the night ceremony.
510-61: 2000- Professor Jean-Noel Gassita, one of the main specialist of iboga in Gabon to illustrate the
passage from pygmés to the science of iboga root. The main alkaloid is ibogaine which is used to threat
addiction in western countries
510-62: 2000- Professor Jean-Noel Gassita, one of the main specialist of iboga in Gabon to illustrate the
passage from pygmés to the science of iboga root. The main alkaloid is ibogaine which is used to threat
addiction in western countries.
510-63: 2005- This is a paquet of medecine.
After cutting and grinding some bark, nganga put it in a leaf, closed by a liana to carry it .
510-64: 2002- The Nganga mallendi with his assistants are going to the forest to take some roots, barks
and leaves to elaborate medecine. With machete, he cut some part around the tree and put some fresh
ground on the wounded place. The bark are kept in fresh
510-65: 2002- This pointing leave is to treat cardiac rythme and heart problems.(signature theory)
510-66: 2002- A young woman with stomach douleurs like she has a crab inside went to a traditionnal
treatment after being in hospital. She will be placed in a sweat lodge with leaves inside and smoke to clean
and purify.
510-67: 2002- After doing vaccins to initiates, nganga offers to vaccinate people of villages for free.
510-68: 2005- a cordon cut for an woman.
Nganga Ehoumu is cutting a mystical cordon inside this woman.
510-69: 2004- Mougoulou rite. Jeanne 40 years old, had a mouth problem before. she did a work with
nganga and spent 6 month working with the genious in the forest. Now she is well and able to talk.
510-70: 2003- Two young french men from Paris are initiated by nganga Malendi in the bwiti and iboga cult.
510-71: 2003-Mabundies (initiate women) are making up their face to prepare the initiation of Chantal, a
french woman.
510-72: 2002- Initiation of Chantal, a french therapeuth at iboga plant in the Bwiti ritual.
510-73: 2002- Initiation of Chantal, a french therapeuth at iboga plant in the Bwiti ritual.
510-74: 2002-Initiation of Chantal, a french therapeuth at iboga plant in the Bwiti ritual.
510-75: 2003-Holy-wood and sacred dances by Nguenza, the iboga mask in the Bwiti misoko-ngonde
ngenza. The mask has the iboga leaf in his mouth.
510-76: 2003-Early in the morning, after a night ceremony, with a lot of energy, and many visions for
participants, masks are coming to the ceremony to deliver a message.
510-18: A Fang Initiation to Bwiti for 2 young girls from Libreville. To be aknowledged in the Bwiti society, the candidate must pass a serie of tests and initiatic rites. In the course of initiation ceremony , the
novices are taken to the river where, their face covered with white clay, they will ingest huge amounts of iboga, the sacred hallucinogenic root. This controled overdose induces a "near death" experience,
Bwiti: travel to the
Ancestor territory
"Of the plants, the
men, ........ and of
the gods".
In the heart of Gabonese Equatorial forest
lasts an ancient rite dating back to
palaeolithic Age and called Bwiti, a rite
inherited from pygmies. This initiatic rite is
a way for youngsters to become adults.
During initiations, novices ingest the iboga
plant. A plant which gives visions, allowing
them to « travel to the Ancestors Land ». It
is a rebirth initiation.As an initiate, you're
killed symbolically, and you're made born
again during a three days and night
ceremony.
Photographer Laurent Sazy has worked
on this reportage during the last five years
and was initiated to Bwiti rites to be able
to photograph particular ceremonies.
Bwiti is a West Central African religion
practiced by the forest-dwelling Babongo
and Mitsogo people of Gabon and the
Fang people of Gabon and Cameroon.
Modern Bwiti is syncretistic, incorporating
animism,
ancestor
worship
and
Christianity into its belief system.
Missionnaries from XIXth century refer to
the Iboga plant as a mean to discover «
hidden things and foresee the future.
Gabonese people commonly eat Iboga's
root. They find it heady, aphrodisiac and
when they use it, they don't feel sleepy.
The crucial rite of Bwiti is the initiation
ceremony, when young Gabonese men
take iboga for the first time in the men's
hut to become members of the religion.
There are many ceremonies at different
times of the year to give homage to the
ancestors. Special ceremonies may be
held to heal sick persons or drive out
harmful spirits. While early forms of Bwiti
excluded women, modern chapels include
men and women.
During many ceremonies, a traditional
torch made of bark and tree sap is burned.
Musicians playing drums and a traditional
Ngombi harp are central to the rites.
The N'ganga and other participants
usually dress in red, black and white cloth.
They may wear skirts of raffia material and
small shells or beads. Animal skins, such
as civet cat fur, are often worn.
The iboga root may be made into a tea or
more often taken in the form of scrapings.
Ceremonies usually begin at night and
may last for days as the doses of the drug
used in these ceremonies is particularly
long lasting.
When you practise this ritual, iboga plant
give you the possibilities to see your own
problem and to resolve it.
You become your own psychologue
analyst. Iboga give you the way to see
your spirit,the true personn living in
yourself.
Bwiti initiation is a rebirth.
The original branch of the Bwiti is the
Disumba ritual.
It is stricly for young boy as a childhood
passage to adult.
Bwiti works as an Ancester cult trought
shrine and bones from descendance.
From century, bwiti has been diversified
trought synchretism.
In the Bwiti, we can talk about Dissumba
ritual, Mihobe,Mabanzi, Cuia, Mougoulou,
mboumba, motacombi, Ndia, Elombo,
Okouyi, Missoko-Ngonde. In those rituals,
there are many branchs, as Mwiri, Kyo,
tzé, djobi. All those rite are Bwiti.
To resume, we can say there are three
branchs, Dissumba(the sun), the mother
of the Bwiti, which represent the plant
knowledge, The Mihobe, which represent
the father of the bwiti, and the
missoko-Ngonde, the Healer's rite which
work with the moon(Ngonde).
« As a photographer, I was working on
features about Techno music and extasy
during rave party, but also medical and
recreative marijuana
aspects and
I
discovered the newest interest about
psychedelics plants and DNA.
A book was published in 1997, " the
cosmic snake and DNA" by Swiss
Anthropologist named Jeremy Narby. He
made the link between the knowledge of
amazonian shaman with theirs plants
(ayahuasca) and DNA.
This book is not a revolution but
participate to a new approach on
knowledge on the shaman way by
scientifics.
At the same time, an american company
tried to put patent on this
amazonian plant.
In March 2000, Gabon decide to put iboga
plant used during Bwiti ritual
on their cultural heritage to protect it
against looting from pharmaceuticals
company.
So I decided in April 2000 to go to Gabon
in Africa ( I lived there when I was a kid,
and for me it was a return to genesis)
My contact throught AFP office was a
french guy living in Gabon since
1977 and initiated in the bwiti . He is
working on environmental
protection.
I started the story during eastern
ceremony of the Ayizé Endendang
congregation ceremony, then through
contacts I had the possibility to
photography an iboga initiation for two
Fang girls in the suburb of
Libreville.
During this month reportage I meet
Malendi who was 20 years old. He was
a young shaman initiated since 7 years
old. I had no doudt about his
knowledge. Fantastic!!
I decided to follow his Bwiti branch, the
missoko-Ngonde rite.
Nganga Ehoumu, his spiritual father and
Malendi told me that the
ritual was secret and everything happens
at night.
They explain me that if I want to make
photos, I have to do my
Initiation, I need to be an initiate. So I did
it. But step by step. Iboga initiation, then
Bwiti initiation, and Mwiri in 2003. Mwiri
initiation was never photographied. I did
my Edika in 2004.
Now, for exemple, if
I want to
photography the next step (it's like
university), I have to be iniated to this new
step first then I will be
able to photography and I know there is
more step to have access to
their ancestral knowledge. »
Laurent Sazy
One of the best English language sources
of information on the religion is James W.
Fernandez's book, Bwiti: An Ethnography
of the Religious Imagination in Africa[1].
An excellent review article is that of
Goutarel,
Gollnhofer
and
Sillans,
Pharmacodynamics
and
Therapeutic
Applications of Iboga and Ibogaine , and a
new thesis(2004) « The skull and the
mirror
»
thesis
from
Julien
Bonhomme.(thesis in the Misoko-ngonde
bwiti).
Captions
Photo from 1 to 17 :« Ayizé Endendang »
Fang congrégation, Easter ceremony,April
2000.
Each
saturday
evening
in
Libreville(Gabon), the rapidly falling night
is filled with rythms and rituals chants
spreading from many chapels all over the
capital city of Gabon.those rythms and
chants are those of Bwiti, an animist cult
inherited from the pygmes and diversified
in several syncretic streams.
"Ayize Endendang"
the luminous
knowledge, is one of the main Bwiti
initiatic orders. Founded in the 60s by
Catherine Bendome-Ottoghe, the "AyizÈ"
church claims between 8 to 10000
followers, dispached in 14 temples in
Gabon, they also broadcast a weekly
radio program on national "radio soleil".
At the beginning of April 2000, Initiates
perform a ceremony for the unveiling of a
statue of the congregation founder, who
was killed by an Ayize Endendang menber
in April 87.
PHOTOS 18 TO 24 Bwiti Fang initiation in
Libreville
To be admitted in the bwiti society,
candidates must pass some initiatics
rituals.
At the beginning , candidates are taken to
the river to be purified . Harp music will
follow them during all initiation.
Back to the temple, they will eat a massive
dose of iboga root during 2-3 days. The
provocated state is compared to a near
death experience.
The Bwiti of the Fang, unlike that of the
Mitsogho, accepts women as members,
but all of them, regardless of sex, are
admitted only after taking iboga.
The iboga root is absorbed not only in the
form of fine scrapings but also in a
preparation made of cane juice or sugar,
palm wine or milk. While the extraction of
iboga root is reserved for the men, the
"galenic preparations" are made by the
women and are referred to as "express" or
"automatic".
Such preparations, which reduce the
bitterness and partly prevent the vomiting,
make it possible to achieve the phase of
normative visions more rapidly.
The notion of purity is an obsession in the
Fang mentality, and the chewing is
perceived as a trial that serves to expiate
(by vomiting) the wrongs that have been
committed.
The Fang Bwiti is actually the result of an
adaptation of the original Bwiti of the
Mitsogho to the traditional ancestor
worship (Byeri), with the integration of
Christian elements and concepts.
Photos 19 to 49 Bwiti Misoko-Ngonde
The following pictures show an initiation to
Misoko Ngonde Bwiti, the Bwiti of
healer-diviners.
Ngonde, or the Moon represents the child,
is the best embodiment of Pigmy tradition.
Symbollically, it is a male rite.Women can
nevertheless be initiated and then initiate
others. Women's order is the most recent
rite in Bwiti but in
fact it is the most succeeding one. In
Ngonde, the Nganga can either be called
for healing, chanting, dancing, or for
playing traditional instruments during night
gatherings.
Ngangas
also
master
cosmetics and make their own
costumes.
Ngonde rite's complexity is also due to its
division in two types, male and female.
The feminin rite is called Maboudi and the
male one is called Missoko. Female
healers are called « Maboundi » and Male
« Nganga », and each and every one of
them has its particular role to play during
ceremonies.
According to Maboundi rites, initiated
females will learn to heal female diseases
such as haemorrages, intravaginal
infection, fertility problems, pregnancy,
deliveries and basic paediatrics. Maboundi
is not limited to those
skills, it is also a life experience for women
living in Gabon which will provide them an
every day life (and also bwiti) savoir-faire.
Ngonde men are taught to be warriors, not
in a strict military way though, it is rather in
a spiritual way.
Ngonde teaches everything on plants,
animals, the forest, music instruments,
philosophy, history or Bwiti wisdom. This
education will make the initiate an
accomplished and multivalent man using
his skills and always at ease whatever the
situation could be. Ngonde bwiti's goal is
to train men and women to become
accomplished beings able to express
themselves in various domains. In
Gabon's Ngonde, healers are somehow
emergency doctors.
When someone calls a Nganga, whether
for a consultation or an initiation, the
ceremony Can start on the same day.
Gabonese population mainly lives in
remote villages, in the wilderness : there
are no transportation or medical facilites
such as hospitals for instance. And as
medical treatments are uneasy to receive,
the arrival of a Nganga is always
welcomed.
Becoming a true Nganga Misoko means
that one has to pass the mwiri.
Photos 50 to 53 : Mwiri
In Gabon, a secret rite inherited from the
forest pygmies is perpetuated. Mwiri or
Mangongo, as it is also called, is mainly a
men congregation.
It is mainly located in the Nyanga or Low
Ogoue region.
Men can access Mwiri as soon as they are
sexually mature.
And youngsters are eager to be initiated
and be thus
considered as men as well educated and
courageous people. Mwiri is thus an
important ritual in clan's and tribe's life.
Mwiri initiation is very severe, one has to
pass through painfull ordeals and
vexations.
Most people ignore that process as
ceremonies progresses are kept serets.
During the initiation, candidates are
blindfolded et walked to a secret place
within the forest, a place protected from
women's glance. Then the novices are
shaved and are covered with a mix of
palm oil and charcoal powder. Then then
have to « make love to the earth » and
dance the Ngui-Ngui Dance. As they are
still blindfolded, they are walked aside and
the master of ceremony then scarifies
them. Initiates will then have 6 marks on
their left arm and will
thus become mwiri initiates. Mwiri is
somehow a league for Nature and public
places protection. It acts as a secret police
looking for
guilty people punishment.
Sometimes indeed, the excesses in
hunting, fishing, bush fruits
picking leads to the increased scarcity of
fish, fruits and game?
Thanks to its secret agents, Mwiri
intervenes right away to have abuses
stopped and they create local protected
areas where the forbid everybody to hunt,
fish or pick fruits. If someone from the
community violates the law, he knows
what
will happen to him as he has already lived
it during his initiation.
Actually the initiation comes right after the
circumcisino ordeal which is compulsory to
any man eager to enter the mwiri warriors
clan.
Through this mwiri initiation and its
following apprenticeship experience, the
initiate will live painfull ordeals that will
push him to his own limits and have him
find the proper ressources to overcome
the worst. On a medical point of view,one
could say that the initiate learns to secrete
endomorphin allowing him to endure pain.
powder looking a bit like earth and which
as an extremely sour and acrid taste.
In the jungle, the initiate will have to face
many dangers, assaults, venoms, plant,
insect, or aniaml poisons. During his
apprenticeship, he will learn many hunting,
picking or fishing skills. He will be taught
all Nature's secrets, the
origins of the univers, how planet Earth
was born, why there is a sun and a moon,
plants and animal powers and of course,
medicine.
PHOTO 54 to 58 Portrait of nganga
Ehoumu.
Christian(civil name) is 47 years old.
He was initiated by pygmies of Congo
when his grand-father was working in a
forest trees company. He is considered as
a master chamans in Gabon, like a
prophet . His grand-father became the
nganga of Léon Mba (first president of
Gabon) .
He knows perfectly all secrets of the forest
, animals and plants of the region and
cure thousand of people in Gabon, also
many foreigners living in Gabon.
His spiritual son is Nganga Malendi who
cure thousand of people in Gabon, and
now in Europe.
PHOTO 59 TO 69 Iboga : traditional
pharmacopoeia and treatments.
Iboga (Tabernanthe iboga) Is a small
bush from the apocynum family, common
in African equatorial forest.
Its use is traditional for some african
tribes, including Mitsogo bwiti rite in
Central Gabon or Fang bwiti in Northern
Gabon. Or even in Cameroun where a
mythology based on the return to the
ancestors
Land
as
widepsread
throughtout iboga's use.
Iboga's roots contain powerfull alkaloids.
They are rasped before use to become a
Effects of the plant :
Ingestion of a small dose : it provokes an
increase in perception. Hunters can then
feel their forest better while hunting. It has
a boosting effect which allows one to stay
awake several following days. This effect
was explained by
French vulcanologist Haroun Tazieff in
one of his book,
he describes the
experience he had after the use of
Lambarene
during expeditions on
volcanos.
Lambarene had been invented in the 50s
by Houdé laboratory and was thus well
know to westeners before Tazieff's
testimony. Lambarene was sold until 1967
and then forbidden because of some heart
overexcitation side effects.
Ingested at a higher dose provokes huge
nauseas and asthenia phases during
which numerous visions appear.
During bwiti initiations iboga doses can
amount to several baskets. That will lead
initiates into deep comatose state from
which initiates feel they have gone on «
the other side » or approached death.
Which is far an experience far
from pleasure.
This initiatic passage, intended to enable
a life revision, also provides keys for the
future as it will generally be experienced
once in a lifetime.
The bwiti rites challenging and disturbing
effects on the existential ground are so
strong, it can explain why it has
widepsread so easily to all Gabonese
ethnies.
The etymologic roots of Bwiti is, according
to linguist M. Okaba from Mount Chaillu, a
deformation of a tsogho bo-hete word
meaning emancipation or fluid liberation.
Bwiti could thus stand a what ables man
to find his freedom.
« bwiti is a liberation philosophy, it ables a
man to escape materiality and become a
banzi litteraly meaning 'the hatching or
opening-out one in tsogho language » Mr.
Obaka says , « And this philosophy relies
on Eboghe which means
« what heals » (referring to iboga),
Maganga ie « what ables a being to renew
oneself » and Kangara ie « what warms
up, what rejuvenates ».
Photos 70 à 74 Initiation of french people
to iboga and bwiti cult :
_ The two young boys are depressive ,
hash smokers and nothing plan for the
future.
Malendi invites them to come in Gabon
and be initiate to the Bwiti society.
Julien(with glasses) is becoming one of
Malendi assistant now and did manu
initiationbs in Gabon.
- Chantal 60 years old is an independant
psychotherapist. She like working with
Chamans and try to learn natural thérapy.
Photos 75-76
The mask represent a superior entities,
the invisible aspect of the life.
You can see now how those kind of mask
are becoming famous and are exposed in
Museum as The Arts Premiers museum of
Quai Branly and how much is their value.

Bwiti: dances with the spirits.

Transcription

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