Ngondo, worship of water oracles and associated cultural traditions among the Sawa

Inscribed in 2024 (19.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

The Ngondo traditions are based on the worship of water oracles. Practised by the Sawa community of Cameroon, they take place annually from September to the first Sunday of December. The popular and festive part of the practice is marked by a caravan touring the traditional Sawa districts with artistic performances, traditional wrestling competitions, a crafts and commercial fair, and a beauty pageant. For the sacred part of the practice, people gather on the banks of the Wouri River on the first Sunday of December to watch the departure of a sacred canoe. A priest dives from the sacred canoe into the water with a vase containing the community’s wishes and grievances. He emerges after some time with a message from the oracles. The message is deciphered in a sacred hut, relayed to the district chiefs, and then shared with the public. The message governs the life of the community until the next celebration. Popular Ngondo practices are transmitted within communities and families, whereas the sacred components are transmitted through initiations. Ngondo links Sawas of all origins and backgrounds to the water, their nurturing mother and the abode of their divinities. It thus perpetuates values of fraternity, solidarity, social cohesion and tolerance.