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| In
all the
Kongo and Angolan derived religions in the Americas drawn symbols are
used for invocations and a variety of other ritual purposes. Robert
Farris Thompson has succinctly called these written altars. These
symbols, called among other names dikenge, firmas, pontos riscados,
veves, bangó, gandó, patipemba, and are to be
found in
Umbanda, Candomblé de Angola, Quimbanda, Palo, Vodou, and
have
been substituted in traditions such as Hodoo and Obeah by the sigils of
ceremonial magic. The basic form follows that of a cross often enscribed within a circle. This symbol represents the four directions and the division of the world in Kongo philosophical terms. The four moments of the sun as described by this symbol encompass the entire life cycle of humanity as well as the structure of the universe. Above is the world of the living and below the horizontal line, the otherworld. Above and below are viewed as mirror images of one another and are thus combined in a complete circle of life. The following a meant only as an example of the ways in which such symbols have developed in various traditions. In practice there are hundreds of such symbols in each of these religious practices, and they serve as signitures, invocations, altars and in a host of other ritually specific contexts, even as means of divination. They also have been invoked by some scholars as examples of African writing systems.  Dikenga Kongo All material © 2006 by Eoghan C. Ballard, Ph.D. Not intended for reproduction in total or in part. Short excerpts may be quoted only with appropriate attribution after receiving written permission from the owner of this site. |
 Gandó
o Firma CubanaPonto Riscado Brasliero   Veve Haitien |
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