Manger la honte en négro-culture: une analyse ethno-anthropologique des anti-nourritures des rites tso, ndongo et ngii chez les Beti-Bulu du Cameroun
Eating the Shame in Negro-Culture: an Ethno-Anthropological Analysis of Anti-foods in the Tso, Ndongo and Ngii Rites of the Beti-Bulu of Cameroon

Summary/Abstract: In negro-African societies, table companionship usually marks the end of the ritual. However, situations occur when food is consumed at other moments of the rite. This is often, in fact, an “anti-food”, because the ingredients this meal is made of are out-of-the-ordinary gastronomic ingredients. As we will show, such a practice is part of the Tso, Ndongo and Ngii rites of the Beti-Bulu of the Central and Southern Cameroon. During these rituals, the performers are compelled to eat a repulsive meal, whose consumption, however, is really necessary for the success of the therapeutic operation. An endosemic approach to these pratices – in other terms, a scientific study based on an analysis of this ethnic group – will help us make full sense of these ritualistic meals. What we are attempting to demonstrate in this article is that, besides satisfying the organoleptic needs of the body, the act of eating fulfills a social, ritualistic, therapeutic – to put it briefly – a holistic role.

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