Le rite mortuaire pour un initié au Bouiti

The syncretic religion in Gabon, known as Bouiti, regards the preparation for death as the very aim of its liturgy. The present article shows the emphasis that is placed by the Bouiti religion on death as being essentially the terminal passage towards life in God. The Bouiti religion has created various forms of expression now used to inculcate in initiates a positive notion of death, utilizing, for instance, direction, color, and position. The burial ceremonies are thus essentially the dramatization of the sacred history of the beginning of life, the beginning of death, and rebirth. Such rites are a dramatization of the unique event begun by God when he manifests himself by creating life. Death is, therefore, not the end of life but rather its beginning. The Bouiti mortuary ritual has three different "masses" known as ngozé: a funeral ngozé, a ngozé "to set out," and a ngozé of arrival. Associated with the various mortuary ngozé are appropriate liturgical songs. The ritual thus becomes a way for the community to pay its debt to one of its members who has been of great service to the community and who, in fact, can still be of service now that he is near to God.