Congo Power Figures

According to Annenberg Learner, a nkisi “begins with a wooden sculpture, often anthropomorphic or zoomorphic in shape.” However, some nkisi can be made from pottery or vessels (Harris).These power figures are made by the Kongo people or Yombe who live in the area that has began to be known as the Democratic Republic of Congo (“Power Figure”). While there no certain beginning of construction date has ever been set, Europeans have “encountered” these power figures “during expeditions to the Congo as early as the 15th century” (Harris). These figures have continued to be constructed through time even to the late 19th century. During the 19th century, Christian missionaries seized and destroyed some of these figures, calling them objects of “sorcery”
Some figures are made from wood, paint, metal, resin and ceramic (Harris). Other figures are made out of nails, mirrors, cloth, cordage, beads, and cowrie shells (“Power Figures”). This mainly depended on the purpose of the figure for which it was made. The medicine of this figure is based upon the items placed inside the carved out “cavities” in the stomach or head to hold items believed to be of great medicinal power (“Power Figures”). Some of these special items included “ash, soil, herbs, and animal parts” (“Power Figures”). It was believed that when these figures were essentially “brought to life” through the spirit they contained and that they could have the ability to “uncover sources of affliction, to heal, to protect, and even to punish” (“Power Figures”). Techniques to create this item were mainly centered out of wood carving but also the ability use paint to characterize the figure can be considered to be
When these people in the community lick the blades or nails that are going to be inserted, those persons are sealing a deal that is directly linked to the nkisi. One of the main purposes of the figure is to serve the community through the spirit inside it, so therefore, community interaction is necessary. The users are ultimately offering up their oath, freewill and life to the power figure, and are aware of the fact that if a wrongdoing is committed on their part, that they will be punished in some way. The users basically surrender to the power of the nkisi and recognize that the figure is powerful enough to punish. The element of prayer to a higher being is the devotion that the user must give and yield to the higher being, and believe that the higher being is all powerful and will serve its purpose. The expectation is that the power figure will act appropriately to punish if an oath is broken, or protect when needed, and heal those who are sick. The nkisi is expected to work through the higher being in the way that the higher being intends. The ultimate thing being sacrificed here is one’s well-being. The users recognize that they will be punished if they disobey their agreement to the nkisi and to the