THE MYSTERIES OF CANTELLA Centella is not a kikongo word, but a name given to the garden of blood and bones, the cemetery. The name has multiple meanings from beauti- ful, to creeping and spark of light. Her name is also used as a direct refer- ence to the cemetery, which she owns. The addition of ndoki to her name would indicate that she is the spark of light in darkness, suitable imagery for a mpungo who owns the graveyard and hence all the sparks of souls flying around there. She is reputed to be the most dangerous of all nkisi, but this is not necessarily so. She manifests in the mysteries of the bat, great symbol of illumination for several Sufi tariqas. Torment and torna- dos are her most intimate manifestations. She has deep relations with the mysteries of Sta. Muerte and indeed she is Lady Death, the very garden of Lord Death, Cubayende. In Cuba it is common to perceive her as multi-coloured – but she also harmonizes with the traditional tripartite qualities we find in Africa where she is red, white and black as typifying the extremes of female manifestation. She is not only Sta. Theresa de Je- sus, but she is also Sta. Theresa de Avila. She is the fortress of death – and death is the collective sum of ancestral wisdom – and herein she gives the gift of enlightenment. The wind that turns into storm is in African faiths a sign of ancestral presence. In the winds we hear lost wisdom and in the storms this wis- dom is vibrant and devastating. Here opens the field of the restless dead and thus she presides over the mysteries of lycanthropy and vampirism. She is the power of transition. Whether the transition is between forms as from man to beast or from living to dead, it is still a transition to something other. Centella is this wisdom. Because she possesses all the wisdom of the night and the secrets that avoid the light of day she is ndoki and her messengers are vipers and spiders. To effectuate her mumia you will need bat, eyes of wolf, horns of bull and a knife or nine. A convent of nfuri enters her cauldron and the nine- fold pact recreates her garden of lascivious and lusting death that brings wisdom from the beyond and enables oracles of the most profound virtue. She is also syncretised with Virgen de la Candelaria, like Mama Chola, and she shares several other features with Mama Chola as she is also known as Mariwanga, Mama Wanga, Kariempembe, Yayá Kégue, Yayá Kéngué, Marufina, Maringoya, Mariaguairo, Tormenta, Adonque, and Remolino 4 Vientos. Let us now look at the structure of a ceremony for Centella Ndoki, as this follows a liturgical structure applicable for most ngangas. Temporal tumba palo come no tumba ojo Eh! Vamo allá Batalla Sierite la loma No digo Madiata Guiaguó guiaguo Varicoso dayo lindero cimbra ciguaraya Macreto bilongo … … Mark a cross with cascarilla in front of the nganga and say: Chamalongo malongo chamalongo menanda Vengo com permiso de Nsambi The nguyos (godchildren) present will respond with: Malemboé malemboé Bueno dia Prenda mia Arranca, que andamos mal You will then sing to her while you present fula (gunpowder) on her frma: Intero ko ko ko nfinda ta Before igniting the fula you will sing: Nsunga, nfula mbara You will then touch the prenda with both hands and sing the following until you connect with the prenda: Santo Tomás ver y creer. Con licencia Nsambi, Con Licencia Siete ray- os, con Licencia Viejo Nkobo, Con Licencia Zarabanda. Centella quita la yezca a todos los Santos. Nkisa padre Nsambi Oration: Carajo Zapatico yo quiero ver, manda que vea ojo! Carajo, yo tá mirando a todo el mundo Dia que to diga mentira la mar prede candela Jarabata dumba consaya va subi loma Tu arrastra cola en tiempo fangi Tiempo seca to subi saya Yo quiero ver Si hay Dio hay Dio hay Dio el mundo susta Yo noa susta yo te manda tu responde Ma rayo parta carajo yo quiere vé Si tu no sive yo te bota si tu no camina Yo te da candela yo te manda Mundo tiembla Hay Dio hay Dio hay dio Zapatico Malako dumba cons aya va subi loma Santo Tomas ver y creer. Con Licecia Nsambi Arriba Sambia abajo, con licencia Padre Nkisa Padre Nganga, padre Nkuyo, con Licencia Siete Rayos, primero Sambia que to la cosa … Centella quita leka Mama busukú da licencia Viejo Ekobo me acompaña, Elio el chino d alicencia Buena Niche, buena noche Padre Nganga Si son tarde, buana tarde, si son dia Bueno Dia With Centella it is also common to call the powers that support her pres- ence, which is Lukankazi/Lungambe; this is subject to some particular details, but the mambo is: Mambo Lungambe: Lungambé no quiere a nadie Lungambé mato a su madre Lungambé mato a su padre Lungambé no tiene amigo Lungambé es gangulero Lungambé los Malos Palos Lungambé los Tronco Ceiba Lungambé los Tata Nfungue Mambo to praise the Nganga Ndoki: Mi nganga son pañuelo luto Mi Nganga son kiyumban fuiri Mi nganga son lo indiambo Cifra Cifré mi tormenta Cifra Cifré ya son las horas mi tormenta Sambiampungo mal rayo parta Lo Zarabanda mal rayo parta Lo Tronco Malo mal rayo parta Mal rayo parta a Kiyumba Nkisa Mambo for Centella: Aguara Aguara Andota Nguidoya Nguidoya Aguara Guindo Aguara Guindota Aguara Guinde Aguara Guindota Ya so las horas Guindo Aguara Guindota Aguara Guindota Aguara Guindota Aguara Aguara Guindota Aguara Centella Aguara Guindota
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 12:01:11 +0000
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