nkisi

E295979

Nkisi is a spiritually charged object or vessel in Central African and Afro-Cuban religious traditions, believed to house powerful spirits used for protection, healing, and justice.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
nkisi canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (52)

Predicate Object
instanceOf power object
religious artifact
spirit vessel
spiritual object
activatedBy nganga
ritual specialist
associatedWithPeople Bakongo people
linked to: Kongo people

Kongo people
associatedWithRegion Afro-Cuban diaspora
linked to: Afro-Cubans

Angola
Congo Basin
linked to: Congo Rainforest

Democratic Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
canBe anthropomorphic figure
zoomorphic figure
conceptualizedAs container of spiritual power
embodiment of a spirit
contains animal parts
earth or grave dirt
herbs
medicinal substances
personal belongings of clients
ritual ingredients
spirit
hasFunction conflict resolution
curse removal
divination
healing
justice
oath-taking
protection
spiritual attack
hasOrigin Central Africa
Kongo cultural area
linked to: Bas-Congo
hasVariant nkondi
linked to: nkisi nkondi
languageOfTerm Kikongo
materialForm bundle
gourd
horn
packet
pot
wooden figure
pluralForm minkisi
requires invocation of spirits
ritual consecration
usedFor enforcing agreements
protection against witchcraft
social control
usedInReligion Afro-Cuban religions
Kongo religion
Palo Mayombe
Palo Monte

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Palo Monte hasConcept nkisi