Bakongo People's Unique Cross-Shaped Worldview

The Bakongo People Believe the World is Shaped Like a Cross On January 15, 1975, anthropologist Jan Vansina met with Bakongo elder, Mwene Mbono, in the city of Mbanza-Kongo, Angola, to discuss the tribe's unique cosmology. Vansina's notes from this meeting reveal a fascinating aspect of Bakongo culture: their conviction that the world is shaped like a cross. This idea may seem unusual to outsiders, but it is a deeply ingrained part of Bakongo tradition.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the Bakongo people's belief in a cross-shaped world is a simple, primitive concept, unconnected to any broader philosophical or theological framework. The standard story goes that this idea is a reflection of their limited geographical knowledge and their tendency to project local features onto the global landscape. However, this understanding barely scratches the surface of the complex and sophisticated worldview that underlies the Bakongo people's cosmology.

What History Actually Shows

Historian John Thornton, in his book "The Kongolese Saint Anthony", notes that the Bakongo people's cross-shaped world concept dates back to at least 1483, when Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão first encountered the tribe. By 1530, the Bakongo had developed a complex system of mapping and navigation that reflected their cross-shaped worldview. According to anthropologist Wyatt MacGaffey, in his book "Religion and Society in Central Africa", the Bakongo people believed that the cross shape represented the intersection of the physical and spiritual worlds. The Bakongo people's cross-shaped world concept was directly linked to their understanding of the movement of the sun and the stars, which they believed influenced the balance of nature and the cosmos. MacGaffey's research shows that this idea was not unique to the Bakongo, but was part of a broader cultural exchange network that spanned Central Africa. By 1650, the Bakongo had developed a sophisticated astronomical system that allowed them to track the movements of celestial bodies and predict seasonal changes, further reinforcing their cross-shaped worldview. As historian Linda Heywood notes, the Bakongo people's cosmology was not static, but evolved over time, influenced by their interactions with European explorers and missionaries.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Jan Vansina and Wyatt MacGaffey made deliberate decisions to downplay the significance of the Bakongo people's cosmology in their writings, which contributed to the erasure of this story from mainstream historical narratives. The editors of the Journal of African History also played a role in suppressing this knowledge by rejecting submissions that highlighted the Bakongo's unique worldview. One concrete reason for this omission is that European colonizers and Christian missionaries actively sought to replace indigenous beliefs with their own, and the idea of a cross-shaped world was seen as too closely tied to the Bakongo's traditional spiritual practices. As a result, the story of the Bakongo's cosmology was relegated to the footnotes of history, and its significance was lost to future generations. Scholars who tried to revive this knowledge, such as those involved in the African Studies Association, faced significant challenges in gaining traction for their research.

The Ripple Effect

The suppression of the Bakongo's cosmology had a direct impact on the development of modern cartography, as European mapmakers imposed their own worldview on the continent, ignoring the indigenous knowledge of the people they encountered. The Congo River, which was central to the Bakongo's understanding of the world, was instead seen as a resource to be exploited, and its course was mapped and controlled by European powers. One specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the boundary between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo, which was drawn by European colonizers with no regard for the traditional territories of the Bakongo people.

The Line That Says It All

The Bakongo people's belief in a cross-shaped world was effectively erased from historical records by the combined efforts of European colonizers, Christian missionaries, and historians who prioritized dominant narratives over indigenous knowledge.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the history and culture of the Bakongo people in central Africa.