The Niembe (or Njembe, Njembé; Ndjembe) is a rite executed exclusively by women, in Gabon. It stands in some way as a response to the male-only Mwiri and Bwiti rites. All three basically consist in two versions of the initiation through which a child becomes an adult.

In the Niembe, as practiced in the Punu community, the initiation takes place under authority of a “spiritual mother”, guardian and defender of the traditions. The instruction handed down aims to help women solve common daily issues, and face possible hardship with wisdom…

The world of ancestral spirits is at the center of this rite, thus bearing a strong spiritual tone. Spirits first need to be eased and satisfied for human beings to eventually find peace and quiet.

The ceremonies consist in a procession of chants and dances produced by women wearing body paint; and various other accessories are involved such as resin torches, raffia, loincloths, etc.

The following video shows a part of the ceremony taking place at night in the village, after the women have returned from a session out in the bush, and out of the sight of men: with the help of a priestess and through a long series of chants and dances, the objective here is to create a relation with the invisible world of the spirits.

The Niembe ceremony

Linguist: Jean-Marie Hombert
Ethnologist : Thierry Nzamba Nzamba
Camera and sound: Luc-Henri Fage
Editing : Caroline Laurent

Watch all videos in Punu

In addition to this film on the Niembe ceremony, you’ll find another video on sorosoro.org showing a few songs from this rite, only this time, as it is practiced by the Akele, another Gabonese community settled in the lake region around Lambarene.