Fetiche Nkissi

Nkissi or rather Minkissi, which is its plural, is a word "kongo" to indicate this type of magic statuettes that carry in their belly a cavity destined to keep the magical substances that through the proper rites will transmit to them the power and strength that characterize them. The term "minkissi" means in the dialect Kongo "things that do things." There are three types of Minkissi:

- The reliquaries, with the ventral cavity containing medicines and magical substances and closed by a piece of mirror.

- The Minkissi Nkonde, covered with nails and blades.

- The Minkissi mpemba or phembawhich represent maternity homes.

The Nkissi Kondi has the power, after his sacramentalization by the Nganga, to confront the sorcerers and evil beings, whether men or spirits.

 

These fetishes, whether of nails or blades, are the symbol of magic power par excellence, used in the People's Republics and Democratic Republics of the Congo, the former Zaire.

The ventral cavity is intended to accommodate the magical substances that form the basis of its power. They are the magic load of the fetish, although they are often provided with a supplement of magic loads introduced in bags. Often the main magic load, from the ventral well, is protected by a piece of mirror. The mirror has great magical qualities, among others, that of driving away those who dare to look at it because they would be reflected in it, which would mean that they would have taken away their soul.

Once endowed with these supernatural forces, fetishes must fight against the hidden forces or, where appropriate, use them. They are protective fetishes that can serve to avenge the innocent, transmitting to the guilty sudden diseases or misfortunes that can cause them death.

The Nganga or sorcerer activates the fetish with magical passes to make it operational and in the midst of magical rites it is sinking nails or iron sheets into the fetish. A nail or blade can mean a cured disease, a favor obtained or an enemy punished or downed.

Nails or blades are a kind of signature that closes the Nganga's pact with the customer in relation to a given word or promise. If the agreement is broken, the Nganga must remove the nail or foil that symbolizes that covenant so that it is annulled and he must be very careful not to get the nail wrong. The Nganga would lose his prestige if he was forced to pluck nails.

They are used in divinatory or curative practices. Families, individuals or peoples can approach the Nganga for a specific demand, cure a sick person, obtain a good harvest, win a war, expose a guilty person, fight the spells of a sorcerer, favor hunting or administer justice. As many demands as the needs can be met by the members of the community.

This fetish does not show apparent arms. In the temples it carries two scarifications painted in the form of "v" open, one white and one red. Open mouth with black lips, as well as eye contours. Interestingly, the first time I see him in an African piece, three circles appear on his face, one on each cheek and a third on his chin. These target-shaped circles have a white circumference inside them, surrounded by a black circle and a red circle, from minor to greater. It seems as if I would like to indicate some pustules of some dermatological disease, diseases so common in Africa. He has no arms, it seems as if they are hidden behind the two shields of bark, which supposedly would be the two shields that help him fight that disease. Neither will any apparent bilongo. It can be a fetish intended primarily to fight skin diseases. Old patina.