My informant a twenty-two year old native of Massachusetts revealed that when she and any relatives of her Italian family are gathered together before they eat, someone calls out “Mangia! Mangia!” “Mangare” is the Italian verb meaning “to eat” and “Mangia” means “he/she/you eat”.
Author Archives: Renee Simpson
Moukoukwe
The twenty-two year old female informant born in the Gabonese Republic, a state located on the west coast of Central Africa, revealed where she is from there is a creature called the Moukoukwe is “really tall beast… like a spirit” of the forest “that dances” it is rarely seen because it lives in the forest. It does appear at special occasions. Men dance around the mask wearing beast in his honor and occasionally the beast will chase after a person.
Tell a lie and die
The twenty-two year old female informant born in the Gabonese Republic, a state located on the west coast of Central Africa, revealed her uncle pressured her and her siblings not to lie by telling a traditional story of four children. “The kids did something bad… there were four of them… they were taken to a lake to see if they were lying.” They were all forced to stand in water. The parents asked the four children to tell the truth and “every time a child told a lie the water would rise up.” One child refused to tell the truth eventually the water rose over his head killing him.
The purpose of the story was most likely to scare a child in order to keep them from telling lies. I highly doubt the story would be convincing for an adult but if you refer to my other post, water is a revered element in Gabon.
Twin Power
The twenty-two year old female informant born in the Gabonese Republic, a state located on the west coast of Central Africa, revealed that where she is from twins are thought to have superpowers. “You’re not supposed to do anything bad to twins or something bad will happen to you.” After birth a ceremony is held in their honor twins. Twins naturally have special abilities. Apparently, not all are capable of controlling those powers. In effort to cultivate those supernatural powers sometimes twins are trained by a sorcerer. When asked if they still have powers when they are separated? My informer found that they are indeed thought of as powerful without each other but more potent when together. Twins are also somehow linked to serpents neither there nor are they not allowed to kill and eat snakes.
Fruit, Candy, and water to appease the spirits
The twenty-two year old female informant born in the Gabonese Republic, a state located on the west coast of Central Africa, revealed that where she is from it is not uncommon to find bowls of fruit, candy, other sweets and cups of water on the dining table. This is meant to appease genies. My informant claimed that not all locals do this. It is found mostly in the homes of people near bodies of water.
Genies are trickster characters that can turn against you. According to my informant the treats are meant to bring luck from the genies who inhabit water. Apparently the genies will wander away from their home and in order to stay in their graces, it is best to provide offerings. People are allowed to eat the offerings but must replace them with something that is equally pleasing.