Bwiti
Bwiti is a decentrally organized syncretistic religious community practiced by the Mitsogho and Fang in central African Gabon and in neighboring areas of neighboring countries, especially Cameroon .
The Bwiti cult in its current form emerged in the middle of the 19th century and mixes influences from various traditional African religions (→ ethnic religions ) with the teachings of Christianity . Bwiti was probably also created to define and protect one's own cultural identity in times of colonization and proselytizing by Europeans.
The initiation ritual of initiation is of central importance , during which the aspirants sometimes eat large quantities of the iboga root in order to be accepted into the community. In addition to taking the roots, the initiation of polyrhythmic music has a special meaning, which is generated by the mongongo musical bow , the ngombi harp , a bamboo pounder , various rattles and wooden idiophones .
literature
- James W. Fernandez: Bwiti. An Ethnography of the Religious Imagination in Africa. Princeton University Press, Princeton 1982, ISBN 0-6910-9390-3 (English; Chapter 18 online at ibogaine.desk.nl).
Web links
- Laurent Sazy: Laurent Sazy Exhibits. In: The Ibogaine Dossier. 2003 (English, photo collection).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Uwe Maas, Süster Strubelt: Music in the Iboga Initiation Ceremony: Polyrhythms Supporting a Pharmacotherapy. In: Music Therapy Today. Volume 4, No. 3, June 2003 (English; PDF file; 398 kB; 38 pages on wfmt.info).