Shopping

Apart from the wedding, I made also some shopping.

I bought:

1) A Ngombi harp

Mungongo musical bow, umbilical cord to the world and ngombi harp, access route to the Mystery.

The mungongo musical bow and ngombi harp are the two main musical instruments of bwiti ceremonies in Gabon.

The musical bow, male element, symbolizes the voice of the ancestor and the father.

The harp, female element, symbolizes the woman's body and the mother-ancestor's face.

The ngombi harp bears five to eight strings that are the fruit of her fecundity. The first ancestor, Disumba («the mother») is represented by the sculpted head.

During ceremonies, the harp's voice teaches the initiates the true meaning of hermetic accounts. The instrument becomes performer and mediator. In the primeval myth, the «upper» and «lower» villages are connected by a cord: mungongo and ngombi symbolize this primeval link between the spiritual and human worlds, as well as the passage from nature to culture.

The ngombi harp is considered sacred when integrated to the Bwiti ceremonies.

Source: virtualmuseum.ca/edu




2) A "Ngil" mask 

This type of Fang mask was used in the Ngil Association, which was active up to the turn of the 20th century.

Initiated members of the Ngil Association played political and judicial roles in Fang villages.

In addition to mediating disputes between rival clans, Ngil initiates danced this mask to protect individuals against sorcery, poisonings and other malevolent acts and to identify and punish wrongdoers.

The mask was considered terrifying because it personified a semihuman being.

The type is distinguished by the elongated shape and broad forehead, the arched, overhanging brow and heart-shaped face and the small, protruding mouth.

The white pigment was made from kaolin, which is thought to have curative powers. 

The mask was worn with clothing of raffia strips and a fiber ruff that completed the ngil ensemble.

Source: africa.si.edu

3) Food: wines, chocolate, jam, honey, peanut

I came back with 2 sort of red wines. The one on the right is made in Spain for the african market. It is very sweet. I can compare it with a wine from Loire region in France. The other one is stronger and allegedly made in Gabon. You will find those wines at Mont-Bouet (the biggest african market in Libreville) or at "Prix Import' super market. It is at this same super market that I have found the peanuts, the salted and the sweet one.

Unfortunately, I did not found the red wine called “Malymas” that I was looking for.

The good new is that I have finally tested the amazing "Chocolats de Julie". There are dozens of tastes. It is excellent and unexpected. You can find it in a shop downtown (closed to France ambassy) or at the Libreville airport at the duty free zone.

Finally I have bought some jams, gabonese honey at M'BOLO super market, the oldest super market in Gabon. Every taxi-driver will conduct you there. By th way, M'BOLO means "Good Morning' when you say it to one person. If there is more than one person, it should be "M'BOLANI".