Nkisis - The Deities of the Bantu Tradition
Origin
Features
Detailed Bantu Cosmology
In Bantu cosmology, the universe is conceived as a totality where Nzambi (supreme divinity) manifests through the Nkisis. Unlike the Yoruba conception of Orishas as anthropomorphic deities, the Nkisis are understood as spiritual forces that inhabit specific material elements.
Main Nkisis
The main Nkisis worshipped include: Aluvaiá (messenger), Roximucumbe (war/iron), Nzaze (thunder/justice), Mutakalombo (ancestors), Kabila (hunting), Kavungo (earth/diseases), Hongolo (rainbow), Kitembo (weather), Matamba (winds), Kisimbi (fresh waters), Zumbaranda (joy), Lemba (peace), Mikaia (sea/motherhood).
Academic References
Robert Slenes, in “Na Senzala, uma Flor” (1999), established the academic foundations for the study of the Nkisis. Juana Elbein dos Santos, in “Os Nagô e a Morte” (1986), analyzed the correlations between Bantu and Yoruba traditions. Pierre Verger, in “Orixas” (1981), documented the correspondences between Nkisis and Orixas.