Palo, or Las Reglas de Congo are a group of closely related denominations or religions of largely Bantu origin developed by slaves from Central Africa in Cuba. Other names associated with various branches of this religion include Palo Mayombe, Kimbisa or Santo Cristo Buen Viaje. The word "palo" ("stick" in Spanish) was applied to the religion in Cuba due to the use of wooden sticks in the preparation of their altar, also call "la ganga", "el caldero" or "la prenda. Adherents of Palo are known generally as "Paleros"or "Ngangeros". Membership is by initiation into a "house" or "Temple". The organizational structure follows the model of a family. During slavery when blood families often were broken up by slave holders, this model was particularly significant and taken literally. Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu (dull yellow) vs. ...

History

Palo has its roots in the Congo basin of west,central Africa, from where large numbers of African slaves were brought to Cuba and the Americas, as well as to the colony of Santo Domingo, the present capital of Dominican Republic. Accordingly, a great part of Palo Monte's liturgical chants and invocations are in a mixture of the Spanish and Kilongo languages, other influences being introduced through their presence in Black Spanish-speaking Latin America. The Congo River (for a time known as Zaire River) is the largest river in Western Central Africa. ... A liturgy is the customary public worship of a religious group, according to their particular traditions. ...

During the mid 19th century Palo began to spread out among the Hispaniola Island ( Haiti and Dominican Republic) and Afro- Latino communities in the United States, Venezuela, Colombia, and Puerto Rico. Eventually, members of non-African Latino groups, as well as Anglo-Americans, gained access to these traditions. The religion remains largely Afro-Latino in character. The most traditional form can be found in Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... // The term Latino is a linguistic identity that refers to an individual that has significant ancestry from a nation-state where a Latin derived language is spoken or is the offical language of the government. ... The term Anglo-America is used to describe those parts of North America in which English is the main language. ...

The number of followers of Palo in Cuba and Dominican Republic is not known, though it is assumed that a slight majority of Cubans and Dominicans, particularly in the African-influenced cities, believe in all or part of its principles. In Puerto Rico the Palo Religion has grown among non-black people. In this caribbean island, a commonwealth of the United States, an extensive study by Prof. Eric M Miletti, reveled that over 5,000 people are active as "paleros".

Belief system and rituals

The Palo belief system rests on two main pillars: The veneration of the spirits of the ancestors, The belief in natural ("earth") powers.

Natural objects, and particularly sticks, are thought to be infused with powers, often linked to the powers of spirits. These objects are known as "nganga" and are the ritual focus of Palo's magical rites and religious practice.

A certain number of spirits called Mpungu inhabit the Nkisi (sacred cult objects, also spelled Inquice, Inquise, and Enkisi). Mpungu are well-known in name and deed, and are venerated as gods. They are powerful entities, but they are ranked below the High God Zambi or Nzambi. An Nkisi (plural Minkisi, also Nkishi/Minkishi), literally translates as (sacred) medicine. ...

The main worship and practice of Palo focuses upon the religious receptacle or altar known as a Nganga or Prenda. This is a consecrated vessel filled with sacred earth, sticks (palos), human remains, and other items. Each Nganga is dedicated to a specific spiritual Nkisi. This religious vessel is also inhabited by a muerto or spirit of the dead (almost never the direct ancestor of the object's owner), who acts as a guide for all religious activities which are performed with the Nganga. An Nkisi (plural Minkisi, also Nkishi/Minkishi), literally translates as (sacred) medicine. ...

The divination methods used in Palo are various. One, called Shamalongos utilizes shells or disks of various materials, often coconut shells. A more traditional method, Vititi Mensú, is a form of envisioning or scrying, using a sanctified animal horn capped with a mirror. This article is about the religious practice of divination. ... It has been suggested that Crystal ball be merged into this article or section. ...

Syncretism

Religious syncretism, in particular the use of the Christian cross and images of Catholic saints as representations of the Nkisi, can be seen in some houses of Palo, called Palo Cristiano, but in other houses, called Palo Judio, there is no syncreticization with Catholic imagery. The name Palo Judio literally means Jewish Palo, but the term "Jewish" as used here does not refer to the religion of Jews; rather it is metaphorical shorthand for "refusing to convert to Christianity," that is, in the case of Palo, "purely Congo African." It is important to note that because of European economic pressure the Kingdom of Kongo had officially converted to Catholicism while still an independent nation during the late 1400s and that the African-Catholic syncretic movement extended well into the era of slavery, reaching its height under the leadership of Kimpa Vita (1684 – 1706), who promoted Saint Anthony of Padua as "a second God." Thus it is obvious that much of Palo Cristiano's Christian syncretism, as well as Palo Judio's resistance to Christian syncretism, originated in "colonial" Africa, not in Cuba. Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contradictory beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. ... The traditional form of the Western Christian cross, known as the Latin cross. ... In traditional Christian iconography, Saints are often depicted as having halos. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... Kongo may refer to: The Kingdom of Kongo, a kingdom in southwestern central Africa Bakongo, an ethnic group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Angola and Brasil Kongo language Kongo Central, the name of the former Bas-Congo province, in the Democratic Republic of... Slave redirects here. ... Kimpa Vita, baptized as Beatriz and therefore also known as Dona Beatriz, (1684 – 1706), was a Congolese prophet and leader of her own Christian movement, known as Antonianism. ... Events France under Louis XIV makes Truce of Ratisbon separately with the Empire and Spain. ... Events March 27 - Concluding that Emperor Iyasus I of Ethiopia had abdicated by retiring to a monastery, a council of high officials appoint Tekle Haymanot I Emperor of Ethiopia May 23 - Battle of Ramillies September 7 - The Battle of Turin in the War of Spanish Succession - forces of Austria and... Saint Anthony of Padua, also venerated as Saint Anthony of Lisbon (Santo António de Lisboa), particularly in Portugal (August 15, 1195 – June 13, 1231), is a Catholic saint who was born in Lisbon, Portugal, as Fernando de Bulhões (pron. ...

The identity of the Nkisi is further clouded because authors, either outsiders to the religion or coming from houses of Palo Cristiano, have attempted to associate the Nkisi with the Orishas of Santeria, a different religion. Thus the entity "Nsambi Munalembe" (also known as "Nsasi", "Siete Rayos" and various other names) may be said by these authors to be the equivalent of Saint Barbara in Catholicism or Chango (Shango) in Santeria. An Orisha, also spelled Orisa and Orixa, is a spirit that reflects one of the manifestations of Olodumare (God) in the Yoruba spiritual or religious system. ... Lukumí or Regla de Ocha, most widely known as Santeria, is a set of related religious systems that fuse Catholic beliefs with traditional Yorùbá beliefs. ... St. ... In Yorùbá mythology, Shango (Xango, Shango), or Changó in Latin America, is perhaps the most popular Orisha; he is a Sky Father, god of thunder and lightning. ...

Because of Kardecian syncretism in many houses of Palo, a spiritual Misa is often held before the initiation, in order to identify the main spirits which will help to develop one's life. These guides often speak also through possession, and may give direct advice. Kardecist Spiritism or Kardecism is a spiritualistic doctrine created in the 19th century by Allan Kardec. ... Look up Possession in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Related religions

The religions of the Congo reached the Americas by other paths than through Cuba. In Brazil Congo religions are known as Umbanda, Quimbanda, Candomblé de Congo, or Condomble de Angola. The one most closely related to the Cuban Palo Tradition is Quimbanda. Umbanda is a religion that blends Catholicism, Kardecist Spiritualism, and Afro-Brazilian religions . ... Quimbanda is an Afro-American traditional religion found in Brazil. ... Ilê Axé Iya Nassô Oká - Terreiro da Casa Branca Candomblé is an African religion practiced chiefly in Brazil but also in adjacent countries. ...

In Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the Virgin Islands, Congo based religions are called Kumina or, when seen as a form of magic without liturgical worship, as Obeah. Kumina is both the religion and the music practiced by the people of eastern Jamaica. ... Obeah is a term used in the West Indies to refer to folk magic or sorcery. ...

Closely related to Palo in practice, but, like Obeah, lacking Palo's theological and liturgical aspcts, a result of the type of slavery in north America a form of African American folk magic known as hoodoo, conjure, or rootwork. The reason for the striking similarity between these traditions is that the core beliefs underlaying hoodoo derive from Congo,Angola. While in haiti their exist a vodou denomination known as the makaya who share many similarities to palo. An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Folk religion consists of beliefs, superstitions and cultural practices transmitted from generation to generation, in addition to the formally stated creeds and beliefs of a codified major religion. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Pantheon

The highest level of the Palo pantheon is occupied by the creator god, Nzambi. The Mpungu (plural kimpungulu) of the Palo Mayombe cult are spirits or deities encapsulated in sacred vessels (Nkisi), representing aspects of nature, such as thunder, agriculture, wind. ^[1] Other sprits that can inhabit the Nkisi are Nfuri (wandering spirits or wraiths), Bakalu (spirits of ancestors) and Nfumbe (anonymous spirits). God is the divine being that created the omniverse. ... An Nkisi (plural Minkisi, also Nkishi/Minkishi), literally translates as (sacred) medicine. ...

Higher gods

• Nzambi (Nsambi, Sambia, Nsambiampungo, Pungun Sambia, Sambia Liri, Sambia Surukuru, Sambi Bilongo) - not an actual Mpungu, but a higher god, creator of the cosmos. Equivalent to Yoruban Olorun.
• Lungombe (Lukankanse, Kadiampembe) - negative aspect of Nzambi, equivalent to yoruba Esu.

The mythology of the Yorùbá is sometimes claimed by its supporters to be one of the worlds oldest widely practised religions. ... In Yorùbá mythology, Olorun is the Sky Father (though occasionally androgynous or female), and a god of peace, purity and harmony. ... Esu is an alternate spelling for the Yoruban god Eshu ESU is also an abbreviation for: East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania The English-Speaking Union Electrostatic unit, an alternate name for the statcoulomb Electrical Safety Upgrade Elite Strike Unit Emergency Service Unit Enormous State University Electrosurgical Unit, an alternate name...

Mpungu

• Kobayende (Cobayende, Pata Llaga, Tata Pansua, Tata Nfumbe, Tata Funde, Tata Fumbe, Pungun Futila, Tata Kañeñe) - king of the dead, god of diseases, associated with San Lazaro, eq. Babalu Aye.
• Mariguanda (Pungu Mama Wanga, Centella Ndoki, Yaya Kengue, Mariwanga, Mama Linda, Campo Santo) - gatekeeper between life and death. Associated with Santa Teresa & Oya Yansa
• Gurunfinda - god of forest and herbs. Associated with San Noberto non Nato or San Silvestre, eq. Ozain.
• Nkuyu (Nkuyo, Mañunga, Lubaniba, Lucero) - Deity of woods and roads, guidance and balance. Associated with San Antonio, eq. Ellegua.
• Má Lango (Madre de Agua, Kalunga, Mama Kalunga, Pungo Kasimba, Mama Umba, Mbumba Mamba, Nkita Kiamasa, Nkita Kuna Mamba, Baluande) - goddesst of water and fertility. Known also as the Virgin of Regla, the patroness of Havana harbor, eq, Yemaja.
• Chola Wengue (Mama Chola, Chola nengue) - goddess of richness and pleasures. Associated with La Virgin de la Caridad del Cobre, the Patron Saint of Cuba, eq. Oshun.
• Kimbabula (Kabanga, Madioma, Mpungo Lomboan Fula, Nsambia Munalembe, Tonde, Daday, Munalendo, Padre Tiempo) - god of divination and winds. Associated with Saint Francis, eq. Orunmila.
• Watariamba (Watariamba, Nkuyo Lufo, Nguatariamba Enfumba Bata, Saca Empeño, Cabo Rondo, Vence Bataya) - god of hunt and war. Associated with John the Baptist, eq. Oxossi
• Nsasi (Nsambi Munalembe, Siete Rayos, Mukiamamuilo, Nsasi) - god of thunder and fire, equivalent to Santa Barbara, eq. Shango.
• Ma Kengue (Yola, Tiembla Tierra, Pandilanga, Mama Kengue) - spirit of wisdom and justice. This mpungo is associated with La Virgin de las Mercedes & Obatala.
• Sarabanda (Zarabanda, Rompe Monte) - deity of work and strength. Associated with Saint Peter, eq. Ogoun.

In the cult of Orishas, Babalu Aye is the spirit of illness and disease. ... An Orisha (also spelled Orisa and Orixá) is a spirit that reflects one of the manifestations of Olodumare (God) in the Yoruba spiritual or religious system. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... In Yorùbá mythology, Yemoja is a mother goddess; patron deity of women, especially pregnant women; and the Ogun river (the waters of which are said to cure infertility). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Ochun. ... In Yoruba mythology, Orunmila is an Orisha (Orisa), and deity of prophecy. ... Oxossi, (alternately Ochossi or Oshossi, Osawsi) is the orixa of the forest, and one of the three Guerrero, or warrior orixas Ibori in Yourba. ... In Yorùbá mythology, Shango (Xango, Shango), or Changó in Latin America, is perhaps the most popular Orisha; he is a Sky Father, god of thunder and lightning. ... Saint Peter, also known as Shimon Keipha Ben-Yonah/Bar-Yonah, Simon Peter, Cephas and Keipha — original name Shimon or Simeon (Acts 15:14) — was one of the Twelve Apostles whom Jesus chose as his original disciples. ... Ogum In Haitian Vodun and Yoruba mythology, Ogoun (or Ogun, Ogum, Ogou) is a loa and orisha, who presides over fire, iron, hunting, politics and war. ...

References

1. ^ Palo Mayombe beliefes

• Lydia Cabrera. 1993 "El Monte". La Habana: Editorial Letras Cubanas.
• Lydia Cabrera. "Palo Monte Mayombe: Las Reglas de Congo" .
• Lydia Cabrera. "La Regla Kimbisa del Santo Cristo del Buen Viaje".
• Natalia Bolívar Aróstegui. "Ta Makuenda Yaya"
• Miguel Barnet. "AfroCuban Religions".
• Robert Farris Thompson. "Flash of the Spirit".

Lydia Cabrera (May 20, 1899 - September 19, 1991) was a Cuban anthropologist and poet. ... Lydia Cabrera (May 20, 1899 - September 19, 1991) was a Cuban anthropologist and poet. ... Lydia Cabrera (May 20, 1899 - September 19, 1991) was a Cuban anthropologist and poet. ...

External links

• The Palo and Lukumi Organization - General Palo Kongo information and Web Forum.
• Nganga.org, an introduction to Kongo religions including Palo by Dr. Eoghan Ballard.
• Palomayombe.com, general Palo information.
• DMOZ Open Directory - Palo, Congo, Inkisi
• Video of palo dance performed by Cutumba

v • d • e Afro-American Religions
Religions	Candomblé • Hoodoo • Kumina • Obeah • Palo • Quimbanda • Santería (Lukumí) • Spiritual Baptist • Umbanda • Vodou/Voodoo
Deities	Babalu Aye • Eshu • Iansan • Mami Wata • Obàtálá • Ogun • Ọlọrun • Orunmila • Ọṣun • Shango • Yemaja
Roots	Ifá, Oriṣa (Yorùbá) • Lwa (Dahomey) • Nkisi (Kongo) • Catholicism (Portugal, Spain)