Nkondi: Figurine of Congolese/Bantu spirituality By: Bob Harms The long, repulsive, slave trade, brought a diversity of ethnic groups and African culture in the Caribbean and on the American continent. Until this day, the influence of these ethnic and cultural groups can be observed in the spiritual, artistic and folkloric life of millions of inhabitants of the Caribbean and the American continent. One of the African ethnic/cultural groups that has contributed most to spirituality, art, music and the languages of inhabitants of the western hemisphere is the congolese/Bantu group. This is the largest ethnic group from Africa. Investigators such as Fernando Ortiz, Lydia Cabrera and Robert Farris Thompson have identified a great many areas in the daily life of colored people in the Caribbean and on the American continent which were directly influenced by the Bantu culture. Curaçao is not an exception. In Papiamento, we find many words of Congolese/Bantu origin. For example: maribomba, kumbu, mondongo, tumba, guiambo, wangi, etc. Our traditional music, like the tambú and the tumba are deeply rooted in Congolese/Bantu culture. A proof that this culture also had its influence on the popular belief of our people is, among other things, the doll made of wood and nails, known in the Kikongo language as Nkondi, one of which forms part of the collection of the National Museum of Anthropology and Archeology, “NAAM”. In order to understand the function of this doll, it would be proper to consider the manner in which spirituality of the Congolese/Bantu ethnic group works. First of all, the Congolese/Bantu believes in a Supreme Being, called Nzambi. Nzambi created everything in the universe, including natural forces like air, water, fire, life on earth and life under water. These natural forces, known as Mpungo, act in daily life as an intermediary between humanity and the Supreme Being Nzambi. According to Congolese/Bantu belief, Nzambi gave the human being the knowledge to encapsulate and manipulate these natural forces. The Congolese/Bantu also believes that people got the power to capture and manipulate the spirits of those who have died, especially the spirits of their enemies or of people who have died a violent death. Once one or more natural forces (Mpungo) and the spirit of a dead person (Nfumbi) have been ritually captured, the “maker” puts these in the sacred recipients that are called Nkisi, Nganga, Ndoki or Nkondi. A Nkisi is a portable recipient which, in addition to one or more natural forces, contains medicine in the form of herbs and extracts from plants. A Nkisi has the function of an amulet: either to protect a person from diseases, evil air (in the Kikongo language Lu Fuku or in Papiamento Fuku), an evil eye or against enemies. A Nganga has an even more ample function. This is a recipient in the shape of a clay doll or iron pot containing one or more natural forces, medicine, traces of different metals, earth from various sites, human bones and various other ingredients. The tooling of a Nganga is a long and sacred process. Once the Nganga is finished, it becomes an object of veneration to work with for the one who has received it. A Ndoki is a small recipient that also has the function of an amulet, but in this case, one of attacking. In Africa and in Cuba, where the Congolese/Bantu spiritual tradition has remained alive, Ndoki is made of the bones of ferocious animals or a sacrificed animal under aggressive conditions. A Nkondi is a wooden doll with a length that varies from a few centimeters to a few meters. These dolls are carved in wood in the shape of a human being. What makes a Nkondi something particular is the number of nails or other objects of a sharp metal stuck all over its body. Each nail or object symbolizes a wish of the person who made the doll. If the end of the nail or object has a blunt point, it means that the person who made the doll wants to realize a wish for himself. If the point is sharp, it means that the person who made the doll has a bad wish with regard to another person. If it is an enemy, the doll is carved as much as possible in the likeness of the alleged enemy of the owner of the doll. The Nkondi that is owned by the NAAM is unique in our region. Neither in Cuba nor in any other country in our region where spiritual Congolese/Bantu concepts are present, have similar types of dolls been found till now. ‘ Load’ The one found in Curacao by Pater Brenneker and Elis Julana has a length of 17 centimeters and an average width of 9 centimeters. It was carved from the wood of a pine tree and has exactly 10 nails stuck in front. At the back, there is a circle carved from the same wood in which the one who made it put a spiritual “load” which in many cases contains herbs with a magical function and also other ingredients. This “load” is what simulates the Nkondi and gives it its magical function. As is the tradition in Africa, the person who made this magical doll, gave it a black color, which indicates that the owner of this doll gave it a magical function that has to do with the protection of health and protection against death. There are indications that tooling a Nkondi in the shape of a doll carved in wood did not cross the ocean with the slave trade. Nevertheless, there is in Haitian voodoo the ritual of making dolls of cloth in the likeness of an alleged enemy. This is an indication that the spiritual concept behind the Nkondi figure is known, but not the esthetic concept. The fact that what was discovered in Curaçao is undoubtedly a Nkondi means a challenge for anthropological investigators and those who study spiritual Afro-Caribbean traditions. How this knowledge got here, why was this Nkondi made and whether the tooling of this type of dolls continued in Curaçao is undoubtedly material for profound investigation.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Apr 2014 16:31:21 +0000
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