Wisdom and Initiation in Gabon: A Philosophical Analysis of Fang Tales, Myths, and Legends

Wisdom and Initiation in Gabon: A Philosophical Analysis of Fang Tales, Myths, and Legends is a study of the philosophical significance of Fang mythology and the rituals of Initiation that lead to Wisdom. Bonaventure Mvé Ondo argues that Fang tales, myths, and legends are components of the foundation of a worldview that sustains and protects a unique, historical Fang identity. For Mvé Ondo, the contemporary challenges to the existence and identity of the Fang require, perhaps more than ever, recognition of the central role of mythology. At an historical moment when Africans are faced with the challenges of westernization, the metaphysics of the Fang, illustrated and preserved by tales, myths, and legends, is a critical element of Fang survival. Mythology is far more than a collection of amusing or awe inspiring stories, they are profoundly important moral lessons for the Fang in their continuing encounters with such contemporary challenges as materialism and, as the “stories” in this book illustrate, the constant struggle to live lives of purpose and meaning. For Mvé Ondo, the critical, central issue for the Fang is to focus on the distinction at the heart of his analysis, i.e., the crucial distinction between “to have” and to “to be.” The lessons transmitted from generation to generation by these marvelous stories are, Mvé Ondo argues, central to living lives that reflect and perpetuate the eternal truths of the Fang experience.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Professor Douglas A. Yates Prologue Wisdom and Initiation in Gabon: A Philosophical Analysis of Fang Tales, Myths, and Legends by Bonaventure Mvé OndoAcknowledgments Preface to the Second Edition Introduction Chapter One—The Legend of the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars Chapter Two—The Seven Sons of Essamnyambogë Chapter Three—The Legend of the Three Sons of Ada Chapter Four—The Myth of Evus Chapter Five—The Legend of Ngurangurane: Son of the Crocodile Chapter Six—The Tale of the Orphan and the Old Woman Conclusion Bibliography Index About the Author

About the Author :
Bonaventure Mvé Ondo was born near the city of Oyem in the Gabonese Fang heartland, and is the author of several books that explore Fang history and culture. He served as the rector of Omar Bongo University in Libreville, Gabon, and most recently as vice-rector of the Association of Francophone Universities. In 2013, he was inducted into the French Legion of Honor for his contributions to the advancement of Francophone education. James F. Barnes is professor of political science at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. He is the author of Gabon: Beyond the Colonial Legacy and co-editor with Michael Reed of Culture, Politics and Ecology in the Gabonese Rainforest. He has also authored several commentaries and articles on Gabonese politics.

Review :
Wisdom and Initiation in Gabon is an extremely valuable sourcebook for historians, ecologists, political scientists, anthropologists, folklorists, and many other social scientists interested in comparative worldviews, folklore, and inter-dependence between people and their natural surroundings. This book will be particularly suitable for teachers of evolution and creationist schools of thought about the human origins in Africa. Ondo helps to answer one question that is rarely addressed in evolutionary discourse: what do Africans say about human relationships with other primates? This is a book for your shelf—a fascinating, lucid, and readable introduction to the Fang of Gabon.