Guinea Bissau Superstitions and Folklore

GUINEA-BISSAU

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GUINEA-BISSAU

Superstitions & Folklore

General ...............................................................................................................................................1

Specific Superstitions ...........................................................................................................................1

Voodoo ............................................................................................................................................1

Juju .................................................................................................................................................1

Ibambo and Abambo ........................................................................................................................1

Ombwiri and Awiri ............................................................................................................................1

Sinkinda and Nkinda .........................................................................................................................1

Mondi and Myondi ............................................................................................................................1

Other Superstitions ..............................................................................................................................2

Bad Luck Signs and Actions ...............................................................................................................2

Death and Kwendi (Mourning) ...........................................................................................................2

Journey or Travels ............................................................................................................................2

Pregnancy ........................................................................................................................................2

Superstitions & Folklore Guinea-Bissau

© Copyright 1993-2010 by World Trade Press. All Rights Reserved. www.WorldTradePress.com • www.BestCountryReports.com 1

GUINEA-BISSAU Superstitions & Folklore

General

Most Guineans are farmers with traditional African anamistic beliefs; 45 percent are Muslim, and less than 10 percent are Christian. Those that follow Islam or Christianity often integrate traditional African practices into their lives. Even today, people believe that if a particular area in a road is causing too many accidents, there must be ghosts and evil spirits at work. They believe that their offspring are the chosen ones to receive the power from the spirits of their ancestors. Offerings to the ancestral spirits, such as food, wine and animal sacrifices are placed in shrines where the people gather to hold ceremonies, believing that these spirits defend their community against evil elements and bad luck.

Specific Superstitions

Voodoo

Voodoo is an ancient religion, which may have originated in the Middle East before coming to Africa and later the Caribbean. Voodoo comes from the word “vodun,” which means spirit and also translated as "the snake under whose auspices gather all who share the faith". Bondye is the name of their god. Rituals are regularly undertaken to honor their spirits and to rid persons of spirit possession. They have ceremonies for asking spiritual favors, healing diseases, or to seek good luck. Their religion includes animal sacrifices and the use of worship tools such as the Voodoo dolls and drums. The people of Guinea Bissau perform many rituals as a part of Voodoo ceremonies. Dancing plays an important role as a manifestation of spirituality. They consult the voodoo priests or priestesses for any problems that they encounter, particularly health problems. The priests and priestesses use herbal medicines in conjunction with their healing powers.

Juju

Juju-Marabou originated among the West African tribes, particularly in Yoruba. In juju, certain fetish objects are used to call the spirits to manipulate events. The spirits can be convened by a witchdoctor for two purposes; to cure illness of mind and body, which they call the good juju, but also to perform revenge, harm, and other forms of bad luck which they call the bad juju.

Ibambo and Abambo

The Ibambo can be compared to ghosts. They are spiritual beings who are most often feared by the West Africans. There is no known reason why the Ibambo manifests itself. It can appear almost anywhere. The only known purpose of the Ibambo is to frighten, much like a ghost in Western civilization. It is reportedly seen in dark places, especially in the forest during the night.

Abambo are a group of spirits, unlike the Ibambo, which is an individual. Whether the spirits of these dead men are good or bad cannot be clearly identified, but they are known to be the spirits of the ancestors of a tribe, unlike the Ibambo, who are often spirits of outsiders.

Ombwiri and Awiri

The Ombwiri can be compared to dryads or ancient rural gods since they are spiritual beings which reside in ancient trees or large stones. But unlike dryads, they are not restricted to their dwelling grounds.

The Ombwiri are said to resent human trespassers, so any person who passes by their area should make offerings or chant spells or invocations while bowing their heads or baring their head to ensure safe passage.

How the Ombwiri came about is unknown but it can be regarded as a group or family of spirits. They are also known as the guardian spirits. Almost every citizen in Guinea Bissau has his or her own Ombwiri, And the people go so far as to build small houses for the spirit guardians, close to their own.

The people credit good fortune in their lives to the Ombwiri. If the people manage to escape adversity then it is attributed to the goodwill of their guardians. They also believe that the Ombwiri are the creators of things that are mysterious and marvelous. The Ombwiri are known to reside in deep caves, massive stones, the base of large trees, and high mountains.

Ombwiri are feared but revered unlike the dread wrought upon by the Ibambo. They are white—like a white person—and are rarely seen. Awiri are said to be the spirits of great men and distinguished chiefs.

Awiri are mostly favored than the Ombwiri especially by their living relatives. They are believed to have the power to grant wishes to those they desire and love, but their spirit has to be celebrated through ancestral worship.

Awiri’s usually resides in massive rocks or trees, or even lakes, rivers or seas. Wherever it is, it is usually in the area where their former human tribe resided. They are not limited to their area but their restraint is within the territory of their former tribe.

Sinkinda and Nkinda

Some Nkindas (Sinkinda – plural) are believed to be the spirits of “common” people, or were not distinguishable when they were still among the living. Other Sinkinda are believed to be evil or demons without a physical body.

Most of the Sinkinda are believed to be evil. They come to villages to warm themselves on the kitchen fires or just to gratify their curiosity as to what is happening in their former village. On some occasions, Sinkinda are said to temporarily possess other people, usually those belonging to their own kin. Symptoms of these possessions are usually sickness, for children, and mental illness for adult men. Other Sinkinda are known as Ivavi or messengers. They are believed to come from afar to bring good tidings or warnings of an upcoming adversity.

Mondi and Myondi

The Myond are spiritual beings that are said to cause sickness or block the plans of humans. The Myondi are similar to the Sinkinda, only they are “independent” spirits.



Unlike other spirits, they are more active and cause injuries at their own pleasure. They are often the cause of violent possessions in humans, and to exorcise them, invocations of the other spirits—the ilaga, sinkinda, and awriri—are necessary.

Other Superstitions

Bad Luck Signs and Actions

· If a road is known to cause a lot of accidents, it means that there are ghosts and evil spirits in that place and it should be exorcised by offering a sheep and or a goat.

· If a person sees a cat crossing his or her way, it signifies bad luck.

· Millipedes are considered to be bad luck. It should not be eaten also as it is poisonous.

· Chameleons are said to be bad omens. If a person sees it, it means that someone he or she knows will be injured or even die.

Death and Kwendi (Mourning)

· If the firstborn child dies, the tomb should not be nailed shut. It should not cover the corpse, and a space normally above the child’s head, should be left open, or else the mother will no longer bear any more children.

· When a grave is dug, an item should be placed in the grave so that other spirits will not occupy it.

· Items of the dead should be placed inside the coffin so that he or she can use it on to the next life.

· The dead should not be carried through the village but at the back (or the rear) of the houses since it will bring bad luck to the village (i.e. bad crops, pestilence, etc.).

· The dead should be laid with his or her face facing the east.

· People should not be moving from place to place during the burial. They can only do so after it is done.

· After the burial, the men who carried the casket should run to the nearest source of water and bathe themselves so that no evil spirit will “attach” to them and bring them bad fortune.

· If the men who carried the coffin should fall or trip while running to a water source, then they will soon die.

· Women with babies should not follow the path used when the coffin was carried else their children will become sick.

· Kalakahi (leaves of a common weed) should be placed in the forehead of children so that the spirit of the recently deceased should not harm them.

· Mothers with young children or those who are pregnant should not go near those who are mourning or else something bad will happen to them.

· A concoction made of bolondo (a tree well known in West Africa) should be rubbed on people’s cheeks so that evil spirits should not visit them.

· A house should be selected as ndabo ya kwendi (house of mourning). If the mourners eat in any other house apart from that which is assigned, then the spirit of the deceased will come and eat with them and it will make them sick.

· When the men who mourn go out to fish, the mourning should stop else it will bring bad luck to fishing.

· If the person who died is a great man, then festivities should be held during mourning to appease the dead person’s spirit who is believed to walk among the people.

Journey or Travels

· If the first person a caravan should meet on a journey is a woman, then it is a good sign. Seeing a man, however, will mean that something bad is going to happen.

· If a caravan came across a Kna (an African bird) that is all black, then it is a bad sign. If the Kna’s wing is tipped with white, then it is a good sign for travelers.

· If a person is traveling and is met by Benda (rat) running across the path from left to right, then it is a good sign. If it is from right to left, then it is a fairly good sign. If it runs in the same direction as where that person is headed, then it is a very good sign. But if it runs opposite where the person is going (towards him or her) then that person should head back, or else he or she will be met with bad luck.

· When traveling, a person should start walking with either his or her left foot first, he or she should be a “high-stepper” because if the left foot hits anything, it is not a bad sign. However if the right foot hits any obstacle, then it is considered bad luck and that person should go back to town.

· A person should shoot a Nkuku (cuckoo) before it crosses his or her path. If it crosses the path then that person should go back since it is a bad omen.

· When a Mampaulo-paulo (owl) hoots, it signifies good luck.

· If a camp is perturbed by the cry of a Kulu (spirit of the dead), it means that someone in that camp is going to die.

· A Nduma (snake) should not cross a person’s path during travels since it is a sign of death; if it happens, that person should go back.

· Men should sleep early during travels. If they see a falling star, then it means that one of their princes is going to die.

· When there is thunder that is out of season, it means a celebrated prince will die.

· If a Mbulu (wild dog) crosses a person’s path, the person must return home, since it signifies bad luck.

· If a jackal should cry in the same direction travelers are going, then they should head back or perform rituals to prepare for what is ahead of them.

Pregnancy

· A couple must not eat the flesh of an impregnated animal if the woman is pregnant, otherwise the baby will have a hard life.

· A man should not assist in the butchering of an animal or cut the animal’s throat if his wife is pregnant, the unborn baby will be injured.

· If the husband of a pregnant woman is a carpenter, he should not drive a nail or else the womb of the woman will close and she will have difficulty in giving birth.

· The man should not clean a graveyard or its path during his wife’s pregnancy or else the wife will have troubles.



· A mother should not breastfeed her child under the hot sun since the heat spoils the milk and the child might be poisoned.

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Guinea Bissau Superstitions and Folklore