Statue rituelle

Ritual Statue

Throughout the Grassfield region there is a political and magico-religious model consisting in a close association between the institution of the chiefdom and initiatory societies, often secret, gravitating around the palace. Among the many Bamileke secret societies, the most important is the ku’ngang, whose most influential members have the power to transform themselves into an animal, usually a buffalo. This animal becomes their double or pi. Their yegue masks and mu-po ritual statuettes are vehicles of their power to transform themselves but also of their therapeutic and counter-sorcery powers. The ku’ngang probably began in the chiefdom of Banka. [1] The mu-po ritual statuettes, like the yegue masks, have braids of human hair like this one. Mu-po figures are usually small and this one is exceptional in this respect. The largest were placed in the courtyard of the chief’s residence during the week preceding the public purification ordeal (nggu). The entire population had to undergo this purification every two to three years or during a major crisis such as an epidemic or a plague of locusts. [2]

This type of mu-po, depicting a mother of twins, magne, giving birth, was used during fertility rituals. This type of ‘mother and child’ is extremely rare. [3] Fertility tu-po usually depict a pregnant woman or a woman breastfeeding her child. Female tu-po usually wear a necklace made from a pliable branch or liana. [4] When a woman was infertile, miscarried or gave birth to a stillborn child, she went to see the owner of this type of mu-po, who made her chew kaolin and spit it on the statue’s chest. Traces of kaolin are still visible between the figure’s breasts. [5] This type of statue was anointed with oil or coated with kaolin, as you can see on the forehead and the back, and some mu-po had a receptacle for spells, which reinforced their effectiveness.

[1] In the south-central part of the Bamileke region, where this society is the most powerful.

[2] Ku’ngang members made them drink a potion which was supposed to turn into poison in those guilty of sorcery.

[3] To my knowledge, the only other example was published by Harter. See Harter 1986, p. 266, ill. 302.

[4] In the photograph of this statue published by M.-L. Bastin, one can still see this necklace. See Bastin 1984, p. 241, ill. 246.

[5] It is not clear why the right breast was cut off.