Ethnic groups in Gabon
Encyclopedia
Despite Gabon
's small population (just over a million), this West African country is home to many different Bantu tribes and a small pygmy
population.
Here is a partial list of the ethnic groups in Gabon, by province.
province of Gabon. Tsogho is their language, hence the name Mi-Tsoghos (where the prefix "Mi" means plural). They are a relatively small ethnic group who are revered and feared for their abilities in conjuring spirits from the afterworld.
They may represent the first non-Baka Gabonese of the entire area. This knowledge can be extrapolated from the widespread usage of Mitsogho words and customs especially pertaining to the animistic religious practices of all Gabonese ethnic groups. For example, Bwiti, the dominant religious doctrine of the country is a Mitshogo name and the Bwiti
is based on the magic powers of "the sacred wood" or ibogha (small shrub - Tabernanthe iboga
) which is also a Mitsogho word meaning healing-ibo and wood-gha.
Nearly all healing ceremonies in Gabonese traditional culture involve the singing of Mitsogho songs. In fact, Mitsogho words are so well known throughout the entire country that at one point the government was considering making Mitsogho the national ethnic language.
The majority of modern Mitsoghos live in Libreville and Mouila, however their roots can be traced back north-south into the tropical mountain forests just west of where the Ngounié river meets the Ogoué river to where the Ogoulou river meets the Ngounié river. The most prominent old village sites were located near the 70 mile long Ikobé valley.
This small, but fierce, group of people were the last ethnic group to be defeated by the French colonists (around 1940). In long-lived Mitsogho lore, a warrior by the name of Mbombet A Gnaghé, hid out in the Ikobé valley to stage guerrilla attacks against the French military. Mbombet, supposedly had magical powers, but was finally betrayed by a woman.
The modern day offspring who can be traced directly back to Mbombet still hold special positions within the traditional Mitsogho tribal authority. They, usually, are celebrated magicians and healers.
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
's small population (just over a million), this West African country is home to many different Bantu tribes and a small pygmy
Pygmy
Pygmy is a term used for various ethnic groups worldwide whose average height is unusually short; anthropologists define pygmy as any group whose adult men grow to less than 150 cm in average height. A member of a slightly taller group is termed "pygmoid." The best known pygmies are the Aka,...
population.
Here is a partial list of the ethnic groups in Gabon, by province.
Mitsogho People
The Mitsoghos are the people of the Massifs de Chaillu mountains in the NgouniéNgounié
Ngounié is one of Gabon's nine provinces. It covers an area of 37,750 km². The provincial capital is Mouila.To the southeast, Ngounié borders the Niari Region of the Republic of the Congo...
province of Gabon. Tsogho is their language, hence the name Mi-Tsoghos (where the prefix "Mi" means plural). They are a relatively small ethnic group who are revered and feared for their abilities in conjuring spirits from the afterworld.
They may represent the first non-Baka Gabonese of the entire area. This knowledge can be extrapolated from the widespread usage of Mitsogho words and customs especially pertaining to the animistic religious practices of all Gabonese ethnic groups. For example, Bwiti, the dominant religious doctrine of the country is a Mitshogo name and the Bwiti
Bwiti
Bwiti is a West Central African spiritual practice by the forest-dwelling Babongo and Mitsogo people of Gabon, where it is counted as one of the three official religions, and the Fang people of Gabon and Cameroon...
is based on the magic powers of "the sacred wood" or ibogha (small shrub - Tabernanthe iboga
Iboga
Tabernanthe iboga or Iboga is a perennial rainforest shrub and hallucinogen, native to western Central Africa. Iboga stimulates the central nervous system when taken in small doses and induces visions in larger doses. In parts of Africa where the plant grows the bark of the root is chewed for...
) which is also a Mitsogho word meaning healing-ibo and wood-gha.
Nearly all healing ceremonies in Gabonese traditional culture involve the singing of Mitsogho songs. In fact, Mitsogho words are so well known throughout the entire country that at one point the government was considering making Mitsogho the national ethnic language.
The majority of modern Mitsoghos live in Libreville and Mouila, however their roots can be traced back north-south into the tropical mountain forests just west of where the Ngounié river meets the Ogoué river to where the Ogoulou river meets the Ngounié river. The most prominent old village sites were located near the 70 mile long Ikobé valley.
This small, but fierce, group of people were the last ethnic group to be defeated by the French colonists (around 1940). In long-lived Mitsogho lore, a warrior by the name of Mbombet A Gnaghé, hid out in the Ikobé valley to stage guerrilla attacks against the French military. Mbombet, supposedly had magical powers, but was finally betrayed by a woman.
The modern day offspring who can be traced directly back to Mbombet still hold special positions within the traditional Mitsogho tribal authority. They, usually, are celebrated magicians and healers.
Woleu Ntem
- Fang