An Obambou is a supernatural being belonging to tribes of Central Africa. [1] It is depicted as evil, possessing the power to do evil and to do good if it chooses, [2] having the ability to possess and cause sickness, or to want a home built for them. In some African tribes, an Obambou is referred to as a devil, [3] or as the spirit of someone who was not buried correctly.
The Commi tribe believed that when someone is severely ill, an Obambou is a likely culprit which can be determined by a doctor or "Ogounga". [4] The Obambou will reside in the bowels of humans until family, friends and neighbors surround the possessed person and make noise however they can. [5] The people will sing, dance, yell, and bang things together. They do whatever makes noise to drive out the Obambou. [6] [7]
The M'pongwe tribe believed that a person can be born with the spirit known as an Obambou and be born insane. [8] Most tribes that believe in the Obambou have a common belief that an Obambou can drive someone insane through possession.
There are no idols or special symbols for the "devil" or powerful spirit version of the Obambou. [2]
Another version is that the Obambou resides in the bush and in some cases was not buried properly, but eventually it gets tired of wandering and appears to a close relative, requesting that they build a house for them near their own. That night the village women are gathered to dance and sing, and next day the people visit the grave of the deceased and make an idol for them. They then erect a little hut near the house of the person the Obambou visited; then place the bier on which the deceased was carried to his grave inside the hut, as well as some of the dust from the grave. A white cloth is then draped over the door. [2] [9] [10]
The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living. Some groups venerate their direct, familial ancestors. Certain sects and religions, in particular the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church, venerate saints as intercessors with God; the latter also believes in prayer for departed souls in Purgatory. Other religious groups, however, consider veneration of the dead to be idolatry and a sin.
Spirit possession is the supposed control of a human body by spirits, aliens, demons or gods. The concept of spirit possession exists in many religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Haitian Vodou, Wicca, Hinduism, Islam and Southeast Asian and African traditions. In a 1969 study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, spirit possession beliefs were found to exist in 74 percent of a sample of 488 societies in all parts of the world. Depending on the cultural context in which it is found, possession may be considered voluntary or involuntary and may be considered to have beneficial or detrimental effects on the host. Within possession cults, the belief that one is possessed by the demon gods is more common among women than men.
Demonic possession involves the belief that a spirit, demon, or other entity can control a person's actions. Those who believe themselves to be possessed commonly claim that symptoms of demonic possession include missing memories, perceptual distortions, loss of a sense of control, and hyper-suggestibility. Erika Bourguignon found in a study of 488 societies worldwide that seventy-four percent believe in spirit possession, with the highest numbers of believing societies in Pacific cultures and the lowest incidence among Native Americans of both North and South America.
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