Basongye of Congo

1
Basongye of Congo

• A Rich Tradition Before Colonialism

2
Background

• Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly known as
  Zaire, has a population of about 40 million
  people and the major ethnic group are the Bantu
  the country is also made up of about 200 tribes.

3
Worldview
4
Worldview

• Efile Mukulu is a beneficent god who controls
  everything. The earth is a flat circle, resting
  on water below and covered by water in the sky.
  The Congo is the center, and at the edges and the
  United States, Portugal, and Belgium.

5
Relationships

• The male sun dries things up and the female moon
  gives light at night and is the mother of
  everything. The moon symbolizes water and
  together with the sun crops grow.

6
Basongye Religion

• A Feast for Diviners

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Evil in Basongye Religion

• There is an evil god called Kafilefile and
  although he has "departed" he left his evil
  influence. Some times the good god Efile Mukulu
  will intervene in special situations.

8
The Power of Diviners

• Sorcerers, witches and buchi (who are evil) are
  feared.
• The Basongye use divination, magic, spells, to
  carry out their wishes through witches,
  sorcerers, etc. and therefore, humans are
  responsible for evil. Magic influences the lives
  of the people.

9
Sorcerers and Witches

• Although witches were created by Efile Mukulu
  they do the work of Kafilefile. Witches can
  become shape-shifters and attack their prey like
  animals. "A person can become a sorcerer only by
  giving up a family member to be killed."

10
The Spirit

• A human, whose "essential part" is the spirit,
  can be reincarnated up to three times. The human
  spirit called a kikudu can return as a male or
  female child and have some family resemblance.
  Consciousness goes beyond the body and a spirit
  can travel while the body is asleep.

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Sources

• http//www.fyicomminc.com/keita/basongye.jpg
• http//www.cnn.com/WORLD/maps/dem.reb.congo.kinsha
  sa.jpg
• http//www.namibweb.com/basongye.htm
• http//www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/globalwarming/what.
  html
• http//www-curator.jsc.nasa.gov/outreach1/expmetmy
  s/slideset/Moon.jpg
• http//nmhm.washingtondc.museum/exhibits/past/cure
  /divination/divination.html
• http//www.choiceswild.com/eshop/acatalog/ChoicesW
  ild_Eshop_Figure_Heads_16.html