Bwiti

The Bwiti (or Bwete) is a initiatory Rite originating in the populations Mitsogo and Gapinzi of the central Gabon. Its date of origination is unspecified, but goes up beyond the XIXe century, since Paul Belloni Of Chaillu, first explorers European of the interior of Gabon, already could observe its presence in the center of the country.

Bwiti is largely widespread today in Gabon, as well among the populations of the south of the country as at the Fang of North (diffusion around 1910 at the fang), as well in rural environment in urban environment. Through Fang, Bwiti was also diffused in Guinea Equatoriale and in the south Cameroun.

The Rite of passage of Bwiti is centered on the manducation by the neophyte of barks of roots of the shrub called iboga or eboga (Tabernanthe iboga). Various Alcaloïde S present in this plant (in particular the Ibogaïne) has psychodysleptic properties of type Hallucinogène. During the rite of passage, the absorption of a massive amount of iboga thus makes it possible to the neophyte to obtain spectacular visions of which the account with the initiators will be used to validate his initiation.

The original branch of the initiatory rite among Mitsogo is called Bwiti Dissumba. It is about a rite of puberty passage, strictly male. Bwiti Dissumba is based on the worship of the ancestors, in particular through reliquaries containing the bones of ascending late.

Bwiti Misoko constitutes a derived and posterior initiatory branch in Dissumba. Bwiti Misoko has a function before very therapeutic (rite of affliction): the neophyte chooses to be made initiate in the event of unexplained misfortune, of which one suspect most of the time that it was caused by a malevolent wizard. The initiates of the Bwiti Misoko are called the nganga-a-Misoko , or more simply nganga . They have a function of soothsayer-healers. Contrary to Bwiti Dissumba of Mitsogo and Gapinzi, Bwiti Misoko often accepts (and more and more) the women in her center.

During initiation, the amounts can reach several baskets and involve states Coma teux whose initiates return with the feeling to be “last other side”, to have made an approach of the Mort, which is generally painful and distant from any impression of pleasure. This “passage on other side”, supposed to allow a revision of the life, but also to give keys for the future is the sought-after goal of the initiation, which generally takes place only once in the life. The upsetting effects of this stage on the existential level explain why the worship essaimé in all the Gabonese ethnos groups.

The etymological root of the word Bwiti , according to Mr. Okaba, Linguist originating in the Mounts of Chaillu, would be a deformation of the word tsogho bo-hete : “emancipation”, “release of a fluid”. The Bwiti would be thus literally what makes it possible the man to gain his freedom.

“Bwiti is a Philosophie of the release; it makes it possible the man to escape the matter, to become a banzi, literally that which hatched, which left its hull in language tsogho. And this philosophy is founded on eboghe , what looks after ( the iboga ), maganga what makes it possible to be it to renew , and will kangara , to heat, regenerate (the knowledge of the plants). ” Mr. Hamidou Okaba.

Small glossary of the cerenomy of Bwiti

Banzi : initiate, literally in tsogho “that which hatched, which left its hull, released”. Comes from will banzara “to peel almond”. More recently, in Pounou, it is that which “found the truth”. The banzi becomes mvon in Fang, but more generally it is called “child” of Bwiti.
To consult : term to be taken in its African meaning: “to diagnose after divination”, or “to see in Wood”.
Body of guard , temple: place of worship of Bwiti, having at least of four walls illustrated by branches and a central post, it can go until the permanent structure, with furnace bridges and anterooms. This term with the advantage of being included/understood of all the Ethnie S. One finds if not ebanza in mitsogho, mulébi in yipounou, nganza or abègne in Fang, etc This mbanja is used as well for the ceremonies of Bwiti as like Community room apart from of the ritual meetings.
Dikombo bokayé : Dikumbo is the initiatory name, bokayé , the first and the last sigh, the bond with God in death. One shouts Bokayé! to impose silence, the respect of the spirit called. One can translate Dikombo bokayé by “in the name of the breath”.
Dissumba : designate the woman ancestor in Bwiti of Mitsogho. Dissumba is by extension the most mystical form of Bwiti, often qualified worship of the ancestors or “way of the mother”. It is the worship which the ethnos group fang chose to conceive syncretic Bwiti centered on the concept of Révélation. the iboga is consumed there in very great quantity.
Edika : protection or exit of initiation. It is the second part of the initiation during which the banzi is presented and integrated into the group; the edika indicates also the mixture of plants introduced after initiation.
Iboga : (maboga in the plural) Tabernanthe iboga , or eboghe , plant crowned and revealing in Bwiti, which one consumes the root grated or in plates at the time of the ritual ones.
Kombo : name of initiate, name of the spirit which directs the banzi , of the entity which accompanies, of “patron saint”; each one has its kombo which appears during initiation and becomes its name of initiate. At the beginning, the term comes from will kombara , “to leave”, and indicates the name by which one wants to be greeted when leave is taken.
Mabundi : female initiation in Misókó. This term also indicates initiated and, by extension, the dance of the women in Misókó. In Dissumba, one speaks about the “ mabanjie” .
Maganga : or maghanga (plural of eghanga), of the verb tsogho will kangara , which wants to say to heat, to heat. Maganga is all that makes it possible the individual to be renewed, to regenerate itself, in contact with Muanga, “that which heats”, the Creator. By extension, it became in the forest context the knowledge of the plants, then “crowned” and “occults it”.
Misókó : the eyes in Mitsogho, of will sokara , “to see”, Bwiti of the sounding (divinatoire). Bwiti Misókó is regarded as the worship of the cure, the “way of the father”. the iboga is consumed there in less quantity.
Motimbo : ritual language of Bwiti, produced of a linguistic fusion of the languages of the center of the country (pinji, tsogho, simba, etc), which allowed the interethnic diffusion of Bwiti. The motimbo is the language which sings the accompaniment of the mongongo (arc-in-stops). For Bwiti of Fang, the language of Bwiti is Pope.
Nganga : soothsayer-healer. Maganga , which comes from the verb tsogho will kangara , “to heat”, gave nganga , “that which looks after”. At the beginning, it is that which has a gift, it can become as well Master of ceremony as consultant and Thérapeute; there exists more than one about fifteen definition of the possible roles a nganga , according to its nature.
Ngozé : taken care ritual of Bwiti.
Ombwiri : therapeutic company of initiation belonging to Bwiti Dissumba Fang (“ Ombudi” in traditional Dissumba), particularly attended by the women.

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