Description
In the tribal cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa, the mythological figure of a supernatural guardian of the tribe is very common. This invisible specter protects the community from ills big and small, always acting through a one of the tribe’s youngsters, chosen as a host. This secret possession turns young men into anonymous heroes to defend the weak. However, these spirits are volatile and fickle, and the transgression of talking openly about the channeling, either by the host or by a witness, can result in the guardian forsaking the tribe, leaving it defenseless against supernatural and mundane threats. Secrecy is compulsory, and the tribe’s shaman is the only person allowed to know the identity of the host. Or so oral tradition would have it. The kernel of truth behind all that mysticism and superstition is that the shaman would choose one of the youngsters of the tribe to be secretly trained, and would give him purportedly magical talismans with which to defend the tribe. Certain narcotic herbs were used to imbue the young man of a sense of invincibility, as if channeling as powerful spirit. Isba, Mbeli, Barakuta… These spirits have different names and descriptions depending on the location and culture, but they always serve the same protective purpose, and many African tribes have revered them for generations.
