Mitsogo people
 A Tsogo female figurine | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 19,000 | |
| Languages | |
| Tsogo | |
| Religion | |
| Catholicism |
The Mitsogo or Tsogo are an ethno-cultural group from the highlands of Gabon. They reside mainly in Ngounié Province to the north and east of Mouila. Numbering around 13,000, they speak the Tsogo language. In the late 19th and early 20th century they were known for their fierce resistance to the French.
Description
[edit]There are about 13,000 Mitsogo people who speak the Tsogo language. They reside mainly in Ngounié Province in southern-central Gabon,[1][2] to the north and east of Mouila.[1] The region is named after the major river, Ngounié River, a tributary of the Ogooué River, and is so associated with the Mitsogo that it is often referred to as "Mitsogo country". It is sometimes also known as Mitsogo. Roughly 90% of them are Christian.[1]
History
[edit]The French first encountered the Mitsogo people in 1857, when they totalled approximately 5000 people. They become known for their skills in iron and cloth manufacturing.[2] In the 1890s the Tsogo-speaking clans of the Matèndè, Dibuwa, and Waka districts along the Ikoy River clashed with Kele invaders. The Kele took their women and children to increase their own numbers and fertility. As a result, Mitsogo clans settled in districts inhabited by Punu and Apindji speaking clans.[3]
In 1899, the French established a military outpost and Roman Catholic mission in the region and the Mitsogo people came fully under their control.[3][2] In the early 20th century the Mitsogo the conflicted with the Bakele people. They put up a strong resistance in 1907, with the Mitsogo-Kamba clan fighting a fierce battle with the Bakele near Mount Motende. The conflict solidified Tsogo identity.[3] The Mitsogo chief Mbombe was particularly known for his freedom fighting against the French.[4] One major uprising broke out in 1904.[2] He was eventually captured in 1913 and executed at the prison in Mouila.[4]
Bwiti in Mitsogho culture
[edit]The Tsogho People as well as others in the Gabon region are known for participating in a way of life/religion known as Bwiti. Bwiti (Bwete) is a religious practice that relates to the rebirth of one’s soul, the interaction with the spirit world, and the induction into Tsogo society. Although Christianity is currently the main religion of the tribe, it is mixed into the ancient beliefs and symbols that are found through the practice of Bwiti.
Creation
[edit]Traditional Bwiti is thought to have been derived from early Tsogo mythology having to do with the cycle of life and the creation/rebirth of humanity. Most commonly, it is thought that the myth surrounding Dizoniá, and the sun, God Kombe there’s one of the main inspirations for how Bwiti is conducted. Through colonialism, much of the original art and influence found from Bwiti has been slowly removed from the culture however, many pieces of it still remain serving as important reminders to the Tsogo people of their past.
Functions of Iboga in Bwiti
[edit]in common Bwiti practice, it is typical for initiates and participants of the initiation to receive a massive dose of the herb known as Iboga. Iboga is a hallucinogenic substance that causes users to go into a trance like state in which they are believed to communicate and experience, the spirit realm. Known as “the great vision” the hallucinations are seen as a connection between the physical world and the spiritual realm from which the plant originated. Tsogo culture believes that the plant was self created is the food of the gods, and that by partaking in it, they become spiritually closer with their ancestral spirits. The herb was rumored to be discovered via various sources, most of which depict anamorphic creatures and their interaction with early humankind. This is fortified as the herb is commonly used to attract boars, porcupine, and according to the myth, the occasional gorilla.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]
- ^ a b c "Mitsogo, Tsogo in Gabon". Joshua Project. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d Olson, James Stuart (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 399. ISBN 978-0-313-27918-8.
- ^ a b c Gray, Christopher John (2002). Colonial Rule and Crisis in Equatorial Africa: Southern Gabon, C. 1850-1940. University Rochester Press. p. 58. ISBN 978-1-58046-048-4.
- ^ a b Hickendorff, Annelies (19 September 2014). Gabon. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 117. ISBN 978-1-84162-554-6.
