Info For You Lot Ngondo H2o Festival Of Sawa People: The Festival That Jengu Initiates Teach Into Into H2o For I Sixty Minutes In Addition To Returns Unwet

The Ngondo is an annual water-centered festival held past times the Sawa (coastal peoples) inwards Douala, Cameroon. Thise gathering the Sawa people takes house inwards the showtime 2 weeks of Dec on the Wouri river banks inwards Douala too demo cases the civilisation of the Sawa, the country’s coastal dwellers.

           Ngondo festival ceremony at Duala, Camroon. Courtesy Steven Le Vourc'h

 "The Ngondo Festival is a way to connect amongst the spirits of “water Gods” too has been celebrated equally an annual religious/traditional festival for countless years now. Ngondo festival begins amongst a number of rituals too feasts performed to celebrate too rejoice the unity of diverse African tribesmen who assemble at that topographic point for farther celebrations of the event."

The most interesting matter virtually this festival is that i spiritual spectacle or functioning project past times Jengu cult, that makes the lawsuit dissimilar from all other events inwards festivals celebrated inwards Cameroon. Traditionally initiated Sawa Jengu cult members are sent past times Sawa chiefs equally messengers to the Sawa gods inwards the kingdom of Miengu, said to hold upward living inwards River Wouri. The initiated somebody dives too disappears into the large River.

       Ngondo ritual functioning past times Sawa men wearing traditional costume. Courtesy Steven Le Vourc'h

He stays nether the H2O for over an hr too emerges amongst his body, the traditional attire too handbasket equally dry out equally if they direct maintain non gotten inwards affect amongst water. Children are non allowed to attend this ceremony equally at that topographic point is a serious guided hole-and-corner inwards functioning of the festival ritual As a number of the highly secretive nature amongst which Jengu rituals are performed the festival was banned past times the Cameroonian authorities inwards 1981 too was restored inwards 1991.

           Ngondo  pirogue race at Duala inwards Cameroon. Courtesy Steven Le Vourc'h

The get upward "Sawa" has non e'er designated all people known past times this get upward today. They i time referred to themselves equally "muna mboa" (Duala), mwan mboka (Mongo), human bo, mwan mba -- which by too large agency "native son". Usually, each clan is identified past times a specific name, referring to the most mutual ancestor. But non all of the clans gave themselves a name. Sometimes they were named past times surrounding peoples. In the example of Sawa, our beau citizens referred to us only equally "the coastal people" -- or Duala. In reality, this term identifies exclusively i of the many clans, which has caused frustration amid those who exercise non belong to the Duala clan inwards the strict sense.

According to Cameroonian anthropologists, the Sawa are divided into 2 major groups: (1) Firstly, the clans of the ancient inhabitants of the region: Bakoko,,Abo, Pongo,  Bassa too the expanse around Douala, Edea too Yabassi... (2) Secondly, families amongst Manela'a Bwele equally a mutual ancestor. They are divided into several families, including those of Mount Kupe too those of the ocean

At the destination of Nov each year, Douala vibrates to the beat of the Ngondo, the cracking cultural festival of the Sawa. For 2 weeks, these Cameroonian coastal peoples celebrate the cult of H2O on the banks of the Wouri. The house has links amongst Cameroon’s colonial history equally this was where the Portuguese navigator Fernando Póo landed inwards 1472. Amazed past times the abundance of prawns, he gave the get upward of Río dos Camarões (‘Prawn River’ inwards Portuguese) to the river that afterwards gave its get upward to the country.
Jengu cult man

Some 30 coastal too south-western ethnic groups participate inwards this festival grouping the Sawa, Tondé, Jébalé, Ewodi, Bakoko too Bassa peoples too others. It has iii main parts: the immersion of the sacred vase, the election of Miss Ngondo too a pirogue race.

Deep symbols
The immersion of the sacred vase starts amongst an assembly really early on inwards the forenoon on the in conclusion twenty-four hours of the festival. Dignitaries inwards ceremonial wearing clothing come upward to the river accompanied past times their staffs too followed past times a dense crowd of people. Initiates on a pirogue await for a hole-and-corner passage for the immersion of the sacred vase.
Jengu cult man

 An emissary goes into the Wouri amongst the vase to seek messages sent past times the H2O divinities, the ‘Myengu’ (sirens). When the boatmen are immersing themselves into the H2O to the Jengu, the boatmen too the traditional priests equally good equally other initiated elders undertake a wild volume cries "yai assu yai" (Come assu come) pregnant assu is an option get upward for Jengu.  Once they direct maintain been brought to the surface, the people await unwet too the calabash they brought are interpreted past times the ancients who come across inwards the sacred hut.
Sawa initiate coming out of their ritual huts during Ngondo festival

 Tradition has it that the ‘Myengu’ protect their people too aid them to acquit out their instructions that are sources of blessings: strength, wisdom, prosperity, fertility, proficient fishing, proficient harvests, fraternity too dear of i another, peace inwards households too throughout the country. This immersion of the sacred vase is the mystic appear of the ceremony too the occasion for this people to communicate amongst their ancestors.

The spectacular too really pop in conclusion lawsuit of the Ngondo is the race betwixt giant pirogues that tin hold upward crewed past times upward to lxx paddlers. It is watched past times thousands of supporters gathered on the banks of the
Wouri. It besides has a mystic connotation
source: http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Africa/Cameroon/South/Littoral/Douala/photo791310.htm






























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