Spirits, Bodies, and Performance in Belgian Congo
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Published:January 2016
”A War between Soldiers and Prophets”: Embodied Resistance in Colonial Belgian Congo, 1921
This chapter uses archival documents as well as personal interviews to examine spirit-induced trembling (zakama) in the context of prophetic movements (kingunza) as a site of political contestation between the church, the colonial state, and the indigenous population in the Lower Congo. The chapter focuses on one year—1921—the year that the kingunza movement began with the emergence of the prophet Simon Kimbangu. The chapter analyzes several specific performative encounters with spirit-induced trembling as their focus, to demonstrate how the kingunza movement used a type of spiritual legitimacy gained from the religious realm to subvert Belgian colonial authority. Thus, Kongo bodies were used as key weapons of resistance against Western missionaries and an oppressive colonial state.
References
AIMO 1630/9190
AIMO 1630/9184
AIMO 1634/9191B
AIMO 1878/9981
Rapport Annuel, Territoires des Mayumbe, Manianga, Thysville, Luozi
Assorted Missionary Correspondence
Assorted Annual Reports
Box 280
A/38
A/43
A/102
A/126
A/133
MPR Documents
1973 Festival d’Animation, November 24, 1973. Répertoire Choc des Chansons et Slogans, Révolutionnaires du Bas-Zaire. Carton mpr, Juillet IV.
N.d. Unnumbered document, mpr carton, “Topo et Synthèse de la nouvelle conception.”
Alliance Weekly
Baptist Missionary Magazine
Congo Mission News
Congo News Letter
Courrier d’Afrique
Missionary Herald
Salongo
Ne Nkamu Luyindula, April 28, 2005, Kinshasa, DRC, September 20 and 23, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Father Masamba, June 3, 2005, Kinshasa, DRC, interview by author and Alain Nkisi.
Tata George Matadi, July 16, 2005, Kinshasa, DRC.
Tata Mbumba, July 21, 2005, Mayidi, DRC.
Tata Tuzolana, July 22, 2005, Mayidi, Bas-Congo, interview by author, Ndundu Kivwila, and Abbe Hippolyte Ngimbi.
Mama Nsafu, September 20, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Tata Nkuku, September 29, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Tata Kimfumu, September 29, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Ma Mayazola, October 5, 2005, Kinshasa, DRC.
Ma Ntima, October 10, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Ne Mosi, October 10, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Ne Tatu, October 10, 2005, and October 23, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Ma Bangoma, October 14, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Tata Nkolele, October 14, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Tata Malanda, October 28, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Tata Yangalala, October 30, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Pastor Kasambi, November 12, 2005, and July 19, 2010, Luozi, DRC.
Group Members of Groupe Traditionelle Manianga, December 17, 2005, Kinshasa, DRC.
Tata Mukiese, January 30, 2006, and February 18, 2006, Luozi, DRC.
Ne Zole, February 7 and February 9, 2006, Luozi, DRC.
Dr. Mbala Nkanga, July 19, 2007, Ann Arbor, Michigan (informal interview/conversation).
Tata Kizole, July 20, 2010, Luozi, DRC.
Tata Vita, July 21, 2010, Luozi, DRC.
Ma Makanda, July 23, 2010, Luozi, DRC.
Ma Kudia, July 25, 2010, Luozi, DRC.
Ma Kudada, July 26, 2010, Luozi, DRC.
Ma Luzitu, July 27, 2010, Luozi, DRC.
Threatening Gestures, Immoral Bodies: Kingunza after Kimbangu
This chapter outlines the politics, shifting meanings, and uses of Kongo embodied practices through an analysis of performative encounters in two time periods: 1934 to 1936, and the mid- to late 1950s in Luozi territory. This chapter examines the kingunza movements after the arrest and imprisonment of Simon Kimbangu, as well as colonial discourses on secular Kongo dances (makinu), which were seen as “indecent” threats to public morality. As the prophetic movements gained strength and Kongo people continued to participate irrespective of persecution, colonial agents visualized the potential of using Kongo makinu to combat the kingunza movement, an approach that missionaries disliked. However, the chapter also examines how Swedish missionary-led churches, after losing many of their members to the kingunza movement, came to embrace some of the embodied practices that defined the prophetic movement, leading to disapproval from the colonial administration.
References
AIMO 1630/9190
AIMO 1630/9184
AIMO 1634/9191B
AIMO 1878/9981
Rapport Annuel, Territoires des Mayumbe, Manianga, Thysville, Luozi
Assorted Missionary Correspondence
Assorted Annual Reports
Box 280
A/38
A/43
A/102
A/126
A/133
MPR Documents
1973 Festival d’Animation, November 24, 1973. Répertoire Choc des Chansons et Slogans, Révolutionnaires du Bas-Zaire. Carton mpr, Juillet IV.
N.d. Unnumbered document, mpr carton, “Topo et Synthèse de la nouvelle conception.”
Alliance Weekly
Baptist Missionary Magazine
Congo Mission News
Congo News Letter
Courrier d’Afrique
Missionary Herald
Salongo
Ne Nkamu Luyindula, April 28, 2005, Kinshasa, DRC, September 20 and 23, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Father Masamba, June 3, 2005, Kinshasa, DRC, interview by author and Alain Nkisi.
Tata George Matadi, July 16, 2005, Kinshasa, DRC.
Tata Mbumba, July 21, 2005, Mayidi, DRC.
Tata Tuzolana, July 22, 2005, Mayidi, Bas-Congo, interview by author, Ndundu Kivwila, and Abbe Hippolyte Ngimbi.
Mama Nsafu, September 20, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Tata Nkuku, September 29, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Tata Kimfumu, September 29, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Ma Mayazola, October 5, 2005, Kinshasa, DRC.
Ma Ntima, October 10, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Ne Mosi, October 10, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Ne Tatu, October 10, 2005, and October 23, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Ma Bangoma, October 14, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Tata Nkolele, October 14, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Tata Malanda, October 28, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Tata Yangalala, October 30, 2005, Luozi, DRC.
Pastor Kasambi, November 12, 2005, and July 19, 2010, Luozi, DRC.
Group Members of Groupe Traditionelle Manianga, December 17, 2005, Kinshasa, DRC.
Tata Mukiese, January 30, 2006, and February 18, 2006, Luozi, DRC.
Ne Zole, February 7 and February 9, 2006, Luozi, DRC.
Dr. Mbala Nkanga, July 19, 2007, Ann Arbor, Michigan (informal interview/conversation).
Tata Kizole, July 20, 2010, Luozi, DRC.
Tata Vita, July 21, 2010, Luozi, DRC.
Ma Makanda, July 23, 2010, Luozi, DRC.
Ma Kudia, July 25, 2010, Luozi, DRC.
Ma Kudada, July 26, 2010, Luozi, DRC.
Ma Luzitu, July 27, 2010, Luozi, DRC.