Edited by Craham Harvev-

INDIGENoUS
RELIGIoNS
A COMPANION

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(; Crahrrm Harvey and contributors 2000

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PrirrtrJ :rnJ b,runtl in (irear Brrrajn hl, llookcr.rft (Barh) Lrd
1

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ij
,i
 4. \Yitehcreft and healing ffnong the
Bangrv,a of Carneroon
Fioyta Bowi,e

Ir is cornmon ro hear g;e,eralirarions concerning 'whar Africans hreli*ve',

or conrparis.ls of African and Euro$ean wirchcraft that depeud orr a vier*,
of Africa, or ar Ieasr sub-saharan AIrica, as a homogeneoui rurir. ll'he.re is
aisq a tendency to ignore African hrsrory prinr t* rhe cologial peri*d, and
to regrrd African societies as relarively unchanging ancl exiric. while
rhere can be a placc for generalizari.ns, whicii ni^1'"r.n co^tain an
eleinent of truth, the ,{,fricau ct;ntinent has heen subject to englrrous ;rud
varicd.pressrrrcs. population movemcnrs and internai <Jcvclr-rprnenrs, uot
least through the impact of the rrans-sahara, and trans-Ailantic slor,"
tradcs.
. hi rhis ch;rprcr I arg*e that Bangwa nntions of witchcrafr (antl metheids
for dealing with ir) are test underiioo<J iu the corrcext of a srreci{ic c,rtural
hisrorv'.The Bangwa are uor a'd have ncver heen arr isoraiecl gro,,f, r,,a
their beliefs and-practires har.e much in comnron wirh th'se of lr*fl,u"u.-
ing peoples, which in turn reflc-t:t particular culrural and hiitr:rical
c-rperienccs. wirchcratr is e tlcxihle an.l adaptire plrenonrcrron. Ir is n.t
a
secrer or hiddc' 'rradiritu', b,r parr of rhe'way in which conremporary
Bar:grva conceir.e of themselvei as i'dividuais arrd as s*cial [rirrgi"
Alrlrough c<,lreerncd with thc,ceulr ancl fr:rcc" of rt,. ,,gt.,r, ;,
",ir.l,.rrn
ar rhc sarne rinre a *ecessary concrrmitn,t'f powcr rn..l ,u..*s...rr.fr;;,;;
openly irnd ,rcknowledged as n_ facr
'f litl,
gating- Nineteenth-cerlrury scholars such
as ,rcli*ary ,. r,r"J,l;ng n,
ns sir janies Frazer, ,rJ ."".1rr",*
far.her of fieldwork anthr.pology, Brouisiaw Malir*wski, ur.*""d ,r,*t
belirf in rvitchcr:rfr e,d nrcgic rv,ruld clisappear, ," ir;;.;i;;"il;';;t;r#.
rationlliry. Numcrorrs studies .f u.irchcraie in A{rica on.l h.u"
"lr"*1.,.r"
shoq'n that this is not rhe case. (See , for insrance, the arricles in cnr:r*rof{
(1993), fr,r the ir:which wirch..rf, U-ii*lr-"drft
l,:r-d !-?*"1,iI
theursclves
_nays
t() ncw rcorromic arrd socral rcalitics.i

58
 !{/ITCHCtrAFT'AND FII,ALING TIMONG 'IHE I]ANGWA OF CAjvlll.R0$nu

I have opted for an 'experience near' approach. using field no[es as

pr.rinrs of rcfercnce. As a posrgraduate student of anthropcilogy I was
encouraged to 'write everything doln' in rhe hr,:rpe of larer distilling a
single, accurate, definitive accourrt of Brng5we culture and sociery. While
not urlaware of rhe ineviralrle processcs ef selecrion, fron the clroice of a
topic and. area of srudy, to the people I met, qucsrions I rsked and
interpretations I put il: their answers, the final account c,f my ef{orts was
rlevertheles$ intended to be a generaliz.eri 'rrue' picnrre of the Bangwa (serl
Bowie 198.5)" By sharing with the re.rder some of the material an which rhis
earlier, nrore polished account was based, t hope to convey sorne of rhe
ordinary, everydayness of witchcraft discourses among the llangwa, as well
as fhe rather piecemeal way in vvhich infcrnnatiori is obtained. Most
conversfltiol"ls lyere with rrr"latively well-educated Baugu,a ormissian
employees in English or Pidgirr Euglish, using Banglva teims frrr clari{ica,
fion, or as a pivotal point for di.scussion.

Witehcraft and witch-curing in Bangwa

At the risk of oversimplifying, or of giving a normarive accounr of an

exrremely slippe ry subjecr" we can start by identifyine the followinr{ .salicnr
fearures of witchcraft in Bangrva, which enrcrge frr>nr the conrersatio,rs
recorded below (and odrer simjlar accounrs).

1. The.Nweh (Bangwa) wort) lekan6 (plural, hegang) is variously trans-

Iated into English as 'witch', .spirii, and .a*imil,. th. ,".n *ould nlro
encornpass the notion of sQrcery, i.e. the direct an<l conscions rnarrip-
ulario,of <-rl:f ecrs in order to harin others, as defined by Evans-prii.lr"ra
(1976) {or the Azande of ce*tral Africa. The rerm 'ror,"*""r'
is used by
Nweh speakers i' English for rhe Ba,gwa *or.a ngingr--1u- ,"r*
comm()rl ro many Bantu la.nguages) or gambc,man in friagin English.
The nganga is a diviner .rho id*ntifie, i"irches
lusing hi;Tra,n'.,..ut,
qg"*":r)j The English rerm 'wircfi doctor' rransrares rhe irr.vefi ngoiga
While I did r:or hear.of female ngdnga amoflg th. Brng*a, ?h"i" fu.
sr:rne.well-known and respectccl *,rm.u nati,,,e cl.crcrrs "r"
A
French Jesuit priest, Eric'de Rosny, who *orkecl f;;; ;I;;';"'r*f*1.
ingn:ng,a

Cameroon's nrain toln. L)ouala, *r.rte a fascinating ,".ou"',

i,
uf friu
soJ1.i1cr u'ith Duala ngdflgds a,d of his orvn initiarioi
inro the world
occult healing (de Rosnv 1985). (iesch ierc (1997) painrs a
fairly r.resative
view
.o[ ngani(;rs, as drd rnany .f nry Bang,*,r';if"r*rri, i;'a*Ii"ai"
mostly Christians, and thcrefore pqriraps tiiasecl),
generous in his praise clftheir heallng pl*,ers.
*h;;;;;;. R;;;;;

69

:)l
 F'IONA BOWIF.

2. Everyone has a spirir animrrl that liyes in l:is or her sroruach, which can
be 'sent out' in. order to operrart: in the spirit world. T'he idiom used is
one <:f shape-changing or 'ransf.ormlng'" The lvitch transforms him or
herself intr: their wirch animal in crrcler to harm others. 'lhis harm may
be practicai * a bush pig may tranrple fhe crops of a co-wife, ()r occuh'
trsually 'eating' a victirn. Wirchcs .rnd vicrims arc usually parrikin
(related through a n"ranl but r,rot thror"rgh a womarl) or inhalrirauts of
thc slme cc,mpoultd (such as co-rvives of a polvgynist). Witchcs can Lre
male or fenrale and any age.
3. The si,irir animal may bc rctivated krrowingly or unconseiously.
Witches lrlay try to enrl'ap orhers ro ioiu thern .in their cannitralistic
feasts. 'fo join a coven a witch rnust sacrifice a memher of his or her
own fanrily. The vicirn will be 'earen' by witcheg in the strririt world,
and the indiviclual will sicken in the everydrry world. Llnless the rpell is
broken, either by stronller courlter-ma€lic, <ri by forcing the rn"itches ro
vi*im wiil die.
confess and "cool' rhc witchcraft, the
4. Iilitches like dark piaces and operare at night. Electriciry and clearing
rhe bush are rhoughr to frighren rlrern away (which is one ."r,..rn
Europeans don'r suffer fronr witchcrart). This view. was changing when
Irefrrmed to Fonfem in 1995. f)espitc the increase in geneiators ar:d
Lrush clcarance. witchcs continue ro thrive, and
lrs6plq contirrue to
sicken and die.
5' Atl deaths are suspicious (except pos.sibly a peacefui .{eath in olci age,
witlr nrany p,randchilclren to 'feetl ihc skuil' ,ri rhe decens"d). Arr.rrril.r.
of{icially illegal, arc still perforrned in order ro tjisco,,.er u-hether rhc
der-'eascd is a witch - ideririlied hy sr"rbsrances in rhe gullet. rf ,fi. a."J
person is a witch, the exsutnption is that their: clearh was caused [rv anti-
v't'itchcraft medicines. As witchcrafr is pessed from a woman ro l.r*r son.
zrnd daughters, marernar kin (mare and femare) of the cleceas"a
*lru
stigrnatized as witches. A titled man passes his witchcraf, ,ubrrn.,"*lto^.*
his successor. Tlrere is a scnse therefore, in which fenralc *ir.fr.r"f,L
scen as 'batl' and hermful. wherces rnare (chieflyl
".i,.rr.roii' -- --o--
r, r.*rr:
imate afld 'good'.
5' A chrcf (/ox) hns the authorirl'to hcar ccses of rvirchcraft am6ng his
suh;ccts. He nrly, ccll on rire services of n dir.itrer qngangos. R;;;,;;:.;;;
exrernrl authoriries is discourag,ed. witchcraf, rnurr"r, sl,oul.j h;;;;;
'withiu the family'. Irr Easrrru Province (rhe
equrr16rirr f;;.;, ;.;r.;";;
the s,uth east co*ntry) srare courrs are increasingly hJ;;g
witchrraft trrals,'fofren
-the
c<-lnvicring people as rvitches on ih* evidence of a
ngqngd'. In orher parrs of Cameroon this is rare, and in colonial
times it
would bethyltsayx! rarher rhan the accusecl *ho *oui.l;"ff;;;il;;;;;
of the lar+', This ied ro rhe view rhat coroniar *nc po.i-.ni;;i^i;;;

7A,
 WI-TCT{C]RAFT AND I"{EALINC AMO].IG TTIb, B,dNC;WA OIT CAMF,ROON

by denying rhe reality r:f witches, wqre in facr protecting thern, allowing
::witches to go free (Iiifly 1990).
A powerfulclrie{ is also expecred to rrse his witch powers for the good of
his people, operating together wirh his cr:unsellors (the 'Night Society'
or tro) and through rhe rvirch-finding kwngang sociery.
8. The churcL prcrvides a new arrd alternative means of opposing wirch-
craft. While the missionaries ofren encourage the people ro dismiss
rvitchcraft as superstitious nonsense, rhey elsJ proviie piacrical means
to colrnter it in the form of sacred objects, prayer, and rhe belief in the
powex of God to pr:otect people from tlre prlwer <lf witches. Priesrs can
sometirnes act as an alternative K) a ngangd.

Entering the wodd of wirches

The following exrracs are raken fiom my fieldwork diaries covering the
periods 1980-81 and 1995. While a striking picture o.f a p*rtic*lar view of
the world ernerges, it is not nccessarily homogeneous or clearly articulated.
As Robert Pool (1994) has demonsrrrred in his account of wirchcraft
am.ong tre Wimhum of the Banrenda Plateau, everyone has their orvn
interpretation of witclrcraft, which is contextual, depending on rhe sirrra-
tion and r.rccasion, contradictions and anomalies *. as a
".rt1"gurdec{
problem, a1d may well go unnoriced by all but the inquisiive anrhro-
poiogist whe feels obliged to procluce a colrerenr synthetic account of
'nadve beliefs'.

Saturdal." 12th April 1980, Fontem.

Baby uitches: Recently i, rhe hospiralpeople tc,rd a morher thae her baby was a
rvitch and she didn't want thc *trff to give it iniections. M"rga.et from
B.amen,la was realtry indignanr ehat the *nih.r callei her own chiid a witch.
The sraff of the hospital had a rear strr"rggle t. get the morher r.
"g;;;,hr;;"h;;
could rrear rhe chitd. Apparenrlr rhey will sdil iettheir ehildren a#rtr,"f tnirrl
rnev afe Vtrltches-

Monday Srh .lepternber 1980, Fonjunretaw-

Natiue Doctors: f"his aftc.rnoon a yourlg ma, came to see Father Luigi.
He wru
frnm Fongo Ji>ngcr,,.nea, Dschang. He thoughr trra,t he was bewitched
anrl
wanted a lrlessing. If he.had gone to a narive dicror (gambe man or
might have been told the nar:re of the witcrr and wolrld hnve been "ii"gol
t.
o'liGed to
poison them (or have been accused of being a witch hirnself).
i. *"n"a o, ,
priest nearer home, hut the priest woulci have ,othing to d. with
it, hut rold
hi*r he could try ljarher Luigi, so he came. Father Luiii gare r,i; a il;ri .ard
and rhe man went away relieved aud happy. Father Luifi roi.l it *ro
not the firsr

71
I,ION,A tsOXTffi

time. One man in l)schar:g spent 300,000 CFA* because he thought he rvas
bewitched. Father Luigi gave lTin.r a rosary anrl that was enough, He keeps a
sr-rpply of holy pictures lor such occ*sions.

'Ihr-rrsday llth SeptemLrer 1980, Fontem.

Witch*aft: -Pia (arr Iralian nridwife) told me of a wolnan who dier{ in the
hospital when Clacorno, the rnarried doctor, was here. She said that she would
die that day because her r.r'irch animal had becn killed in the forest. l"ler
witchcraft arrd therefore slre hersclf woukl die. Giaconro didn'r take t,:rr: tnuclr
notice but that day she clied - she said that if she fell asleep she lvould die ancl
that is just what happened. Another hoy r,ery rccerth said that he had heen
bewitchecl and wo*ld die and he did.

Saturday 13rh Septernlrer 1980, Foltem. Inrerview rvith Jrrstine Fomengia.

Witcbes,'spirirs: Spirits/witihr's lbrg.mg) like dark places. II a place is clearcd of
bush the spirits go away. Until the ground was clearec{ people dirin't li.ke to
cross the Bcgch River vrhcrc the hridgc is, hclow thc hospital. Thcrc used to be a
hanrmock bridge there . '!7hen the road was i:uilt they cleared a lefem copse (a
sacred grove, meeting place of spirits/witches). In ruany places spirits have been
driven away by clearing tlre bush, st> people carl rnoye more freely, Spirirs like
the dark so it is dangerous to travei rt nrghr. They like bushy places.'Water
spirirs include hippos, crocodiles and water sfiakes. I-and spirirs inclnde thc
elephant, lcopard, snakes, porcLrpines, b'ush pigs anr{ a type of deer. Owls are
air spirits. 'Not all are spirirs but ir is believed rhar all leopards, crocodiles,
hippos errtl or,r'ls arc spirirs.'People changc into e hush pig or porcupine ro crt
the crops, coco),ams, etc. of others. There is a type of big wild deer with t,uvo
herns th:lt is a spirit. F.vety owl that you sce is some individual tr:ansformed.
You only have one animal spirit. If your spirir animal is shor you will t{ie. The
persr:n rvhn owns the animal spirit wiil fail sick, The native doctor {nganga fu)
has to repiace the nnimal ir: the patient's stomach wirh native medicine. The
spirit lives in the stomach u.rrless you send ir out. Yrm necd to be able ro get ir
hack agai,. Witches carr bewitch adulrs eud children. At I post-m.rr"ni ytr,,
sometimcs 6ud a 'hahy' in the gr-rllcr, thlt was carrred inro the spirit rvorld and
killed' Each pfrson knows his or her own spirir an.inral. yo' are not tolei by
anyone, you fccl it yourself. wirches and wizards srarr rrilnsf()rming from binh.
A father gives all his internal powers to the scln who will succeed hrm before the
son is rnade his successor to see rvhether he can conffol them. The son will nor
bc rold hut as he_ grows he rceliscs himsclf. A nran tr,rnsfers his powcrs t. his
.succcssor.only when he is olcl or dying, He will irrrrnduce thc child to the spirir
house arrd show hirn where tn sit. The child musr be old eoough ro controi rhe
spirits.

las.e
af witchcraft: Jr.rstine recerunted the following case cif witchcraft reporred
in the lasr few days" A girl accused five persnns of wirchcrati. she is in her recus,
fourteen or 6freen, h't*ir", g.o*th is stunred {hasn't r.r.r,.J jr!'."rflj.'iir* giri

72
 \TITCHCRAT"I'AND HEALING ATUONG ]"HE BANGWA OT,CAMEROON

repofted ro rhe For {the paranrount chief of Lebang village, Fourem De{ang)
thut seven persons from her quarrer had carried her into the witchcraft worid
and had given her a drug to rtr,r her into an owl. Thc are living i' s tree iu a
spirit house with elevcn rooms. she has seven roomrnares (who wcrc present in
the place of the Fon). Each +ne lrad rrr give a co'tributio, of human ilesh. The
five_people had given their contriburion and ir came to the girl's turn, srre was
rold to give rlre flesh of the first child of her eldest (or an elder) sisrer. she had
refuscd and lrad run to the palace to rsporr ro the Fnn, The Fonasked the Bevelr
people abour it and they refused to talk. This was taken as an admissinn of
gu'ilt. Nati,ve docrors werc summoned,tr: rake her nnt of the tree. If rhe tree is
iust cut d<rwn all seven and the girl will die. she identified the tree. which is in or
near her cornpound. The girl will remain safely iu the palace unriJ she is taken
out of the tree. The compound is at Atonga, orr the way to Takwa,
ltrst the
other side .f the river that divides Bayang fr.m Bangwa. ih" Fon asked rnoney
frrrnr the fadrer to pay a powerful native doctor to rik* rhc chili{ onr ofrhe rree
and cut d.wn the tree , As ttrey have been warne{, the other spirim will e*cape
from the ree snd e,t:. ,nothe. tree s* the p*upt" *i.ti,*r'ai..'ffir'irr.ia"n, i,
similar in many details ro one recounred by ltnbert Brain durins fieldwork in
Fnaten'r sub'division (now Lebialem Division) in the 1960s qBra;n'trzo1.1

Thursday 25th December 1980 (Chrisrmas Day)" Fonrem,

R.se Nkeng's farlrer is c.nvinced thar he is bewitched by a wirch/spirir from
Mamy 'ifarer llxbialem, a massive waterfail at lhe cclnfluence of twcjrivers * a
powerf.ul fuandem.r sacred,site, considered by many as t,ro dangero.rs
t.-visir)
a'd is going to die. In fact he is guite healrhy. l{e will no lons;.,k"o in ti,
bedroom, which is bcwitched. cecile (a Drrtch rr*rscj-r.r..t- n"rJ-ii
grandfather, one of the 6rst christians in Fotab.ng
r,*
t""a-ir-nr"si""",
wh*le), would have believed in witchcraft so. Rose ,r]d''No', .Nrv;
,
H. *.u
v€ry strong in his fairh.' cecilc told Rose that her farher was
nor fr"*, n.rr in ti"
will, of Godn hecause he was a slave ro wirchcraft. Sfru ti* to t;b il;;;"r.
strong faith' Rose said that she wourd go home and rr".p i; ;;;;*
,
-' rr" ,ry* i,
hewitched so rhar rhey rvill see rhere is'norhing thcr",

Tuesday Tth.fuly 1981, Mbema.

C)hrjstopher, is a narive,of Foreke (a Baugwa village). He has jusr
IL:-1t"lOr,
returned trom a visir r'his narive village, and hc tordire
thrr iwo dryr'rg,r,
very.beautiful girt died so thc peopte ,;.;; ;; fi;J ;"';;;; .u,*
man' caftre forward ond t<.rok a leaf, divi,Jed it inro four prrot "ii.Jril"o
urra *,r"* ii rnao
the air ro see how ir wourd ilrJ. i#;i;;;;;il;"
up and two down. which he
interprered as mcaning
_that his spell'had raken
roo* an.' verfy the res,rr. He said.that he had pur"ffe.r.
fl. ."ifJri.';;;;il ;;
a speil in his cornpounti, and
tlrat rhe dead girl had rra,sformcd hcrserf and .n*" * hi-
to eat his child. The spell-had stabhed lrer to dcath, which
.";;;;;Tr"J,ri"a
wa',s *fr,,f,_ a*a.
I he only tlring r'do was.for the family the dead girl to pay t,i,n :'O,OOO Cfa
'f
to 'fead' the speu, s. that it dicin't kiu .rher;;,;d;;f iiirl"rr,*
,h" lrliir;.

73
 F]ONA BOWIIi.

said that. they will pay, perrple were rdn$r

anr{ frighrcned, 6.th Chrisrians a*d
lron-Christ ia n\.

Thursday lst June 199.i, fionrrql (a visit ro the

lron,s prrlace at Azi).
A son rhe larc F<;n {Fortern. Dc[.rrrg), ..[.'.;l lli' ,""ri'ir*r".r.
"f
shrw, us. rtru.,.i arrd epor.grseci t rr"r .r*. ,o
crn 7rh April t93), and wis strccec.le.
rrr.jin,,
",ll ,oi rhcre. r r-.ntcnr De [n,g rricd
hy,rr" of hir;;,;;,I;;;;,;;'N,;;;o, ht>rn
irr t96 l' ln 1995 hc was lrving in is.rff.r,r..n,,-i,-, rrr,"ru pr.vincc,
regulartv ro Fonrem.r He mai,gcd * a,.a.""i" rrut rcrurr:c.l
l..ks the same on .t *.o*rriJ., 1u-, ;hil i; ilr.rioraring k;;;il;;;;;;ii'p"ir." *rru,
inside' The fine centrar c;;;;;i-;;;lri, wirh neglect t_rn rhe
Upstairs a modern carving of a'hunrer
,i-r., and seve*r reopa*J stoors"
,ro.j-ura", . pfrrr,, frfr*
Prcsident t.if camcr.on). Irr an innaa,,pr,a,r, "f'fr^iridlyn
room were sonre tarty reather
head-dr.eoses, a. pite of au.tr,ti"q!r.il.ri[".;j'rur_"
orrcs illusrraterr h'flrai'",id p<rri.,.k (i6ir,'pi*r..6,5{;rnrri;;;;;-_r,.,'u_ilirtir,i ._rr_
iS)r arrd which I
lrrd sccn [:eirrg u'orn * fun"."lr'or;;;y.;l;sf
pruba['ly belonged ro rhc Fon's ,rr;;i
i;'r 980 anJ 198r..r,lre heac[lresscs
mcu end womcr. oriqin:rting in ,ti.
ii;r'r,r.i"ty. a r1cncc socrcty for ritlctJ
C*,rii"k;;r;l;6.tir.'if"rJ?.i1.r,." ,
coupte o( ju1ur, ,,,i".rru.d ,nl ;;,;:';;1:ili';" toid was
wir' powerfut, a brrss
6gurc a sons, oro'ahly
lo,rk ar thc haif-i,,,rlt
fr;; F,,;il; 'cry . - . Wr:
irJrn. n,r.,tr.ast) rhen w,ent
r<i lorroo-irl,lj_.liir'*."ting cl.rarnhcr, usually in rlre
cornpouncl.". ,p;i;Ji. i;i, * ."n.r*r"
ri.jl3-,lf,1
zrnc r.of,"ryal bt,cl< cons*scdo'
rnainlv or...r1picd,by goats at p....ri.
delrare as to whcrLe. ir should'be
i;;il;;il;;'il:;;.*;ir.,". with
u*rii,i ri.
'il:'i",
rrldirional srvle *f rhe ardietnoo,
rvhich collapsed in rhe ty70s,
rr lmoi.:.;i oprcd for rlrc rarrer. In [r.nr
of rhe r:rised potrium .,rri.r, irr. il",, *rir -rr r. herrr r.car disputes
"r
depressron in c'ncrerr:',3r,n,ra iiir"-in.ir' is a shailow
pe.plc r. Pottr \^'ater when swc:rring 9".i ,"a rwerve inches acr.ss, for
in witchcrift cascs. I wss rold rh.rr
works, everr if rhcv don'r kr"* i;;: ir really
someo,re accuscd of .earing, s()mcone
wr,.rr..rr, ."r;;;;'; #,*"
her inrrocerrce bu pouring'so,". "1r".
ih.
,..ur.; ;;;;-r; "_j."i,n
r*.li'r.,,,
pcrsou ar:d thcir wir..h rarrrmal) ".;;;;';;
,i"i,,r".
If rhcy are guilty both rhe ",
.f shanre arrtl rhcn tlie. lrr ,rrhcr..r...1,..J,.;;nl.,nr,r,,.*, rher
",ill y.ruur warer orr
ir-r.i.;;;;;r", and fricrids h,rld sorncone
ll:l "'.,, rcllrothem -nor
ro .;r5 ,rr1, L*r;i";; kilt rhemseives
in rhar wav
:ru adrnission of guitt). rr.;*;;;;,_f;,;;;;.;;;,.",,*,
[ll31i,", *'.,,r, il
On rhe i,r.ay ha..k I was sh.wn the
place in rhcrrpper market sqrrare,
fr.n1 shc' slir g.ngs, whrre Conrar,,, not fer
k,ew rhe srt>n.bur r"j...:l:;;;;. h:r;^;r;.i"a. ,:rrr.l;;i"r, o1;;,*;,0.,
'Maniikwara'' H""[r"i'1,,* by his Baii r.,r.],nanre
('or:rarr.
fGustrf a (jcrman rradcr, rvas rhe tirst European
enrer Bangwa rerrjrorv in tr.r
Fe-bruary i8d. ;"'*,rrnctJ the
comrnirrt-tl s*i' idc ('rr w:s foliowing year, bur
kilreJi, *r.,t.i'iri,'i*'d"r*u.r"r ycars
againsr the Bangwa. *. of punitive raicrs
(--onratt contittucs ?:::::l i*d, !;;, rlszrr
ro olav ln irnportant r<;le in Barrgwa "nd
Ndolegang (lesr)1,
Jrjstoricalcorrsciousness.
In his inrcrview w.irh ,viil,r.t
ni;;;*:;;:t ,,r,.,1,*i,or" dcscribeci rhe srrpporr
74

.:Ll
...l,tii
+
,.:J!.:i
i , ,iit
ii:#
 \UIT(.HCRAfT ANI) HIALINC AI\,ION(; Tl-Ih B.4N(lYrA OF CAIvti..ROON

hc hnd received from the people by sayi'g, 'They havc coicl mc rhar everr if I ask
for "Manjrkwara's" head orrr fathcrs talkcd ahour in thc past rhcy wou]<j gitc
me' (198,1, a8)]. The stone nrarking the spot h*s g,rne, I was tolii that ir is inrhe
palacc. I riidn'r sec it, but did )cc rrrothcr slab. which l,rokcd like rnarble, with a
Germarr inscription, 'Ilerer B?, ir,1{175' with the datus '190G-1904, h-atserstonN*
trupp(rt'.lvly guides didn'r know this mar.r's srorv, bur presumai:rly hc was r
soldier killed in Fonrem (or rvho clirri there) during the punitive raids rhat
folluwed Clonrnu's death.

The exrracts above are typical .f many, conversgtions and observations

made d,ring my rwo periocls of fieldwork *mong rhe Bangwa. They offer a
glimpse i,tr: * world irr which witches (spirits) are ubiquitous, in which
notions of the hurnan persorl ancl lris or her ronstitution cliffer markedly
fr,rn that .f p.sr-L.nfighrenrncnr h.uropeen ratiorralisrs. ir., *r,i.[.,
occult power is ar ambivaler:t force, both necessary but "nJpotentially
i:-r{ty. T'he Bangwa live i* a world that has witnessed precipirr:us cha.,g.r.
while the majority r:f rhose srill living in their m,:untaiu villages are
peasarlt farmers, nrany Bangr,l,a live uutside rhe area in neighbourinj t,rwns
()r overseas. wirhin a per:iod of ,r hr.rntlrcd ycars they haie wirneised
the
6rst Ettropcatt irenctrarir>rr oI their hills, the rrrrival of Christiarr mission-
aries,.the con$fruction o[ roads linking tirem to the outside wori<], anri the
estahlishnrenr of rhe insritutions of a modern stare. such changes shr:uld
nor hc seen as incursions of \xlestern ancl glo,bal liorces into u .tL.iitioo*l'
wa1' of life and indige.rous belief systum. Th..e never wtrs s sraric Ban6;wa
rraditi.nal sociery, or ancierrr, unchanging l:clief system. ft; B"ng*,
excmplifv.rhe complex inrcrplay of i,tcrrririonar poiiticar ard econornic
forces with 'rracliritxal' social beliefs arrci pracrices. If we want ro finc.l a
s,ciety
thal lays ro resr the olcl .ctrucru'rl*f;crionalist p*.^.lign, (tlre view
rhat 'primirive' s.cierics are irr a srate of a-hisroric'al't rrrilry'*;,r., urr
insritutions oper:rring to nrainrain an intcgrarcd social w.holei rhis is a good
place ro st.rrt.

The witchcraft of chiefs

The Bangws arca consisrs of ir gr.,p of uine parafirount chiefd.rns

occr-rpying rhe rrrorrnrainous rajnforesr rhar riscs frorn the
Cross-River
Ilasin to the south and west, to the crassiierds r, rhc norrh **ut.
culruratty an<t linguisti.ally ih. &,;;;,;;;;il.;; "n.l*r"
;'h; illii*t'i,
the nrr:sr pro$perous ancl numerclus ringuisric ancj .rt rri. -
.
camcroou, whose sqrcieties are described Irs hierarchicrl, *irh
["rrp, "r i,
rrowerful
p.lvgyn**s chiefs. lthe Bamileke cannot b" d"*..iu.J;;;'.;;ii;';; singre

75
FIONIA BOWIL]

people (tlrlrough they have come to be regarded as such)' The tsrnr is

protahly dcrived from'Mltel-gka', 'thc people oI rlre platertt". I'hcrc .rre
many similarities between the Prancoplrone Bamileke and Anglophone
peoplcs of the adjr:ining Barnenda Piatcau. Alrhough they regard the
Ra$ilcke as theif "brothcrs' the Bangrva were separated from them by
-Ihe
lirrguistic anr{ colouial hlundaries. Bangrn'a hills were the ea$ternmost
parr (lf thc Canrcroorts under Bririslr Marrdate, u'itlr its headquarters *t
Enog,l in Nigeria. 'Ihe Banu'ga were therefore Arrglophone, and the
regional crnrre was at Mamfe to the west, rvhile thc Barrlileke grassfields
fornrcd part of thc Frerrcophorrc Wesfcrn Province. ln 1966 thc Barrgwa'
and Mundani to the norih, were Iinked ar{mirristrarivelY as Fr-rntem Sutr-
l)ivision, and in August 1992 the Nweh-Mundani area achieved fuil
divisional Etdtus, taking tlre name 'Letrialem'from tire sacred waterfall or
fuendem or) thc h,rrdeiof Lebang villag,e. Thc Barrg,wa elso heve links and
almost cerurinly some common origins, with the f<rrest peoples to the soufh
and w'est, typically acephalous and 'egalitarian'. L:r terms of witchr.:raf:t
lrcliefs and practices, thc Bangwa exhihit characrcrisrics c.,f hoth thesc
cultural arcas. (See Ruel i1974) for a descriprion af the Banyang, alscr
referred to as Bayarrg or Byan5;i, the Bangwa's iorvland neighbours to rhe
u cst.)
The term 'Ilangwa'wes probably'used first by the Gernrans at the end of
the nineteenth centrrry for the peoples of the mountains \^,ho spoke
-villages'
languages refered to as Nlr,elr. It is unlikely that the Bangwa
ever thought of thernselves as a single unit hefore this rime. Differences
herween variorrs Bangrva groups 3re still pronounced, anel cech has its uwu
story nf origin" Robert Brain {1.967, 6) suggests that the peoples r.rorv
rcferrcd ttr x5 g26gq7a ere of rclatively recenr origin. moving inrc, rheir
currcnr rerritorv no latcr rhan the middle r,f thc eighreenrh cellrrrry as
middlemen in rhe lucrative trade in slaves and Eurnpean goods. They
spanned the inhospitable, sparsely inhabirecl rerrirory berween the popu-
lous grassfields and tlre lowland cr>asml rribs,s who dealr directly with rhc
European slayers. This inrerpreretion is supporred by Bangrva historiens.
Michael Atemnkeng Ndobegarrg {1983, 17) records a royai line for Lehang,
the largest of tlre Prangrva paramounr chiefdoms or 'villages', wirh nrnc
patrilir-real chiefs dor,vn ro rhe present F'on, Fontem Njiiua. Oral lrisrory
reco rds t h a *h e L"hr.;p;;;i-";"; ;; ;;;;i;;i*
;r;;;;;r i#ili
the irrdigenous 'dvvnrf' (i.e. pygmy t,r pygnr,rid) inhabiraurs. rhc Bekerchi.
Lebang territory rvas larer consolidated by the grandfather cf the
Fon, Asongarryi (,;. itl26- 19.5 l ). who cnlargeJ his country ar rhc cxpense o[
the M[ro, whr: were driven further $ourh. ,A.ccording ro rhe Bargwa, rhe .

Mbo were cannibals who caught and are l-eLraug people, so the ll,fbo rvar
(ncha Lebo) was foughr in self-defence {Ndobegeng 1983, 9).

76
 WN'CIJCITAF"I' ANI} HTAUNG A,\4ONG }j[, BANCXTA OS CAMEROON

The history ut the Mho war exemplifies the lla.ngwit tendeircy ro

combiue the u,itchcraft nf chiefs, assi:ciated with grassfield societies, with
forcst culrs (cf. Geschiere 1997), Asonganyi worked hard to acquire the
lvives, retainers and royal paraphernalia, such as leopard skins, masks,
ro1'rl .lance socic'ties, tirlcs and esotcric p(lwcrs Jssoclatr:d vt irh grassficld
chiefiaincy. As women were rhe main source o[ w'ealth lnd status, warfare
was a cenvsnient mean of acquiring wives and concui>ines, as weil es slaves
for the donrestic and long-disrance nrarkets. In the forests witchcrali
depends on a zero-sum view of rhe worl.d in which success deprends on
acquiring power at s()l1leone elsels expense, Witchcraft tlrere(ore has
powe,rful levelling tendcncies * anyone wl'ro achieves something in life
mu$t have dc.,ne so by 'eating' their kin. 'I'hose who are successful fear both
the iealousy of thcir relarives, who might try to bewitch thenr, and
accusiltiorrs of having prolired at someone else's expense. S{l'itch {inding is
in the hands of secret socictics and individual specialists (qhe rugirrg*). In
grassfield societies, orr the r:rhur hand, rhe irrsrittrriorr of chicftalrcy can
channel and help to control witchcraft. The occult pow€rs of the chief cau
he used for legitirrrate purposes, i.e, ftrr the good of his people (rheir
protection irnd the ferrility of the land). TlTe chief"can also regulare auri-
r,vitchcraft activitics and act as final arbirer in disputcs conceming witch-
cra fr.
Asonganyi was said rr: rransform hinrself inro a leopard ro fight the tr{bq
in the world of witches, rogerher with his Night Sociery (tro). He aiso relied
cn loresr magic, as clescribed below hy Michael Ndobegang:

A_songanyi knew that driving *wa1r 1i1g Mbos rvas not goitg to be an easy
affair, scr he consulted his nohles ar:d they agrecd ro pr"p"r. rom. w,, charnrs
,rrrd rnedicirrc. l-lris wa: rhe f.rm,rus 'Alith'. It gavc Lebang people rhe rbilirl.
tn resisr bullets, matclrets (praff) and the resr <;f rhe war hazards. The rvar
tnagic was prepared (ndth) wirh a mo,g orher thir:rgs, the he art ar.rd blood of a
slave. A rench was dug in the ground and 6iled with warer and .r persou had
to g. through it and on emerging at rhe ourler was fired ar with a gun and he
shr:ured'azialf an,J rhen rhe bullets lappeared] in his palm. Ar firstlhe peopl"
feared and hesirated to undergo this ceiemony. As.,ngarr1.i rhe* decideci ro gcr
first. when the per:plc [saw] thar hc had succcssfully gone over thc ordJal
u,ith,ut hcing hu.r:t rhey rhen followed after hirn ,nrit lll rhe rvarriors were
i n iria reti.
'Aziah'was prepared tiy a Bayar"rg mar (r;tto-tkap), Ncha.ucheu ifrom rhe
lowlard forest area to the west] ... He was rewarded. Bur r,''hen he leir t. go ir
.ecurrcrl ro rhe pcoplc thar hr could prepare thc s:rine mcrlicine f,r s,m1,gp.1-6y
c:f Lehaog. L{e was fol}owed, caught and killed arrd his medicirre bag (aboh-
r/oz) taken away" (198-i, $-10, my iralics)

v7
FION,A BOViiE,

In an interview with Ndobegang in 1983, rhe current Fon descrihed his

dr-rties ar the llalace. F$ntem Njifua had succcer{ed his father in 1.982,
inheriting 37 vi,ives (his father's widows) and 127 children; and was hopir-rg
to nlarry nlflny nrore wives. He fourrd that much of his time was taken with
Bettling disprrtcs * ovcr larrd, property, between husbands and wives,
witchcraft, indrbtedness and so on (although lre coulcl no longer order
that wirches be summarily executed and their prrlperty confiscared as his
grandfather, and even his father in earlier days, had been abie to do).
Fontem Njifua also stnted rhat he remains in conract r.vith his iate father {in
the spirir worlcl), and hopcs to learn solnething frotn Fonrenr Defang of his
knowledge of herhs (rneclicines with both natural and supcrnatural
powers),

Conclusion

Fenr ol ,witchcraft plays a prominenr role in the lives of the Bangwa. As

AII)S adds ro the alrcady high dearh toll from rnalaria and other rropical
diseases, people will continue ro regard witches as heing actiye irl iheir
raidst (cf. I.ockhart 1994). Geschiere {1997) gives fear of one's family (i.c, of
their power to bewitch) as a reasc,n the new elites otten keep their distance
from rlreir natal villages, ancl de R.osny (1985) cites fiar of famiiial
wirchcrafr as rlrotivaring yolrng llcople ro leave their villages for thc relarive
anonymiry of rhe city. To rhe llangJwa living in their mounrain villages,
hr:wever, the world ourcide can als. seeffr a frightening place, Inelians
('Ftindus') may rransform rhcmselves inro black ,n"n in o.ai ,o lure thcm
rrrro their houscs so rhat they can kill rhcm and sell rhcir heads ro India for
millions of francs (as rcc(,unred irr the expcrience of o.e student, w.ho
describecl his rarow escape from sr.rch hrirrors in Baffousarn). There is
always rhe cla.ger rhat one will be rur,ed inro zombie fo work as a slave in
sornconc's invisib[c plantarions on Mourrr Kupe in Bakossi coulrtr:y. (For
the dcvelopmcnr o{ ideas cunce.ning the rvirch markers a,d inr;siblc
plantations on Mounr Kupe, and ljnks-wirh thc, slave rrade-and piantarion
eL-onomy o[ pre-uolorrial cnd colonial rilnes, sce Arde,er lsloi de Rosr:y
l9135r Rowlerrds and lrVrrnicr l9u8; pool 1994; (icschitl:c 19g7.)
-Althr:ugh witchcraft can have a levelli'g eftbct, a,d may ioliow lines ,

r>f socialrrnsion, it does nor enrirely block the spirir of

the Bangw* and, as in the grassfielis, rnirchcraft"rrr."pr"rl.roial
can al.so n".oi.roitJ
thro*gh chiefs who lrarness-witch power for the good of the p*,rpi*;;;; ;;;
that the land is clea,sed *f witchis. Diviners ai,l native .{f.t.ir,'(igango
a.nd nganga /z) wield c*nsiderable po\\.er a,d are ofte, dislikei and
distrusted (altho.gh rher ureciical skilli of some narive doctors are widcly
 WTTCT{CRATT ANN HEALING AMONG TI-IE BANC'!(/[ OT (AM}]IlC}ON

acknowledged, even by rhe staff of the mission h.ospital)" Nganga nnd

ngLmgr fu1nau" geined cltrasi-official sratrts via the Assqcriatir:n r:I'fndi-
ti.rnai H.ulers (cstablished in the 1970s) and some proudly display their
credentials arrd adverrise for business on painted signs outside rheir vilJagc
conrpounds or ciry houses. 'Tradition' atld Inodernity proceed hand-in-
hancl, reaching new forms of accommc.,datiot as circumstances demand.
Witchcra{t and healing have nqt been subsumed by Christianity, edttcation
or lnodern heaith care. For example, Paul Giff<:rd {1998, 347) notes that
Pentecostal f,rrnrs of Christianity legitimixe the accumulation of lrnealrh by
preaching that it is a biessing, desired by God, and that povert.v is rhe resulr
cif a curse, or of satanic forces that can be excirciz,ed, enahles people r<l
break out of rhe levelling circle of witchcrafr acctlsations and ordeals, and
feel confiderlt in exptessing their entrepreneurial ambirions. Among thc
Bangwa, witchcraft and herriing remain an important rtiiorn in rvhich
people express w'ho and what they are, and explain rhe rnechanisms of a
marker scononly and thrir role within it.

Acknnwledgemeut

The initiol fieldwork on u'hich this article draws wgs carried out f()r a
D.Phil. thesis (Oxford 1985) arrd was funded by the F.SRC and the Buttle
Trusr. The Radcliffe'Brown Fund helped vr.ith the production of the
dissertation. The return trip in 1995 was supported by grants from the
Pantl,fedwen Fund and the Department of Theoiog,v and Religious Studies
at the University t"rf Wales Lampeter.

79