Cereal Flavored Chapsti

The 2011 world masters of magic Yombe

Exhibition Mayombe
M Museum of Louvain

The Mayombe is in the region of Lower Congo. On the occasion of
the independence of the Congo Museum of Leuven organizes an exhibition from the collection of the Catholic University of Louvain bequeathed by Father Bittremieux then missionary who brought not only an impressive number of objects but also photographs and field Documentation remarkable.

The world minkisi

or nail fetishes

The Yombe relied on minkisi (N'kisi to sing) to gain power or get healing or protection.
They are the representation of a spirit that we should convene. This function returns the diviner or "Nganga" that can awaken the spirits by projecting white clay, powdered red wood, black, blood, and by planting strips and nails.

They carry loads magic closed in a small box often closed by a mirror on its belly, "the Bilongo. There are a multitude of objects (nails, feathers, seeds etc ...)

Nkonde "Makoango" whose power is revealed by the extraordinary abundance of nails and blades embedded in its body. A load on her head: bag of drugs and all kinds of metal objects.

"Mabiala my Ndembe"
Fetisheur Vengeful able to stem the swelling belly and feet in children

Figure Canine Mawenzi Yombe
His power was to cause sleeping sickness and deafness





"Mungundu" Yombe

N'kondi monumental busy nails blades with the magical: the "Bilongo" is missing on the front.
In the traditional position: right arm raised at shoulder height the thumbs up and fingers closed on a knife (missing), the left hand on hip, his face is slightly facing up, mouth open reveals the language indicating that you had to lick the metal blade before driving it into the statue.

This statue is from the collections of the MRAC.

forward