Nganga

Nganga is a Bantu term for herbalist or spiritual healer in many African societies and also in many societies of the African diaspora such as those in Haiti, Brazil and Cuba.

In Haiti, the term for voodoo high priest, Houngan, is derived from the word nganga.

In Cuba, the term nganga refers to a certain creation made with an iron pot into which several items are placed. It also refers to the spirit of the dead that resides there.

In South Africa, the nganga has a medicinal role, in contrast to the sangoma, who deals with the spirits. In Swahili, mganga refers to a qualified physician or traditional healer.

See also

• African traditional religions
• Inyanga
• N'anga
• Quimbanda
• Witchdoctor

External links

• Nganga Kiyangala Congo religion in Cuba
• African Intellectual Heritage: A Book of Sources By Molefi K. Asante, Abu Shardow Abarry ISBN 1566394031
• THE STORY OF ZOMBI IN HAITI
• The African Religions of Brazil: Toward a Sociology of the Interpenetration By Roger Bastide ISBN 0801886244
• An Anthology of Kongo Religion