Salla VartiainenKangurang is coming!!
Kangkurang! Kangurang is coming!!
Suddenly my brothers start to run towards me and the women rush to close the gates to the compound.
What is going on? I ask my oldest younger brother who at this time probably is around 6 years old.
Kangurang! He starts to explain, if you see them you have to run! They can even hit you!! They have katlas, the middle brother says, they hit them like this! And he makes a demonstration in the air.
Two of my three brothers 🙂
We peek through the holes in the concrete wall that surrounds our house. Aaaargh!!! A scary faceless face on the outside of the wall makes us all jump back. The creature sticks his hand through the hole and tries to grab us! I’m as scared as my screaming brothers. The creature withdraws and we see through the holes how he and his entourage continue their quick walk towards the beach. He carries two machetes which he bangs together to create a clopping sound.
Every Gambian knows from far what that clopping sound is. And now also do I.
The Ifangbondi Kankurang is covered in treefibers
To become a Mandinka man
The Kankurang is a part of a Mandinka ritual and his job is to ward off the evil spirits that may want to harm the young boys, 8-13 years old, who just have undergone the rituals to become Mandinka men.
During this time the boys are taken in groups to secret locations in the forest. They are circumcised and they will remain in the bush together with the elders for 6 weeks. During this time they learn how to be men. They learn about traditions, social codes, values and about the Mandinka history.
Mansa Musa was a powerful Mandinka king who ruled Mali 1312-1337
The first Kankurang
Some say that the first Kankurangs originated from the 12th century in the Mandinka’s Kaabu Empire of West Africa. Others believe that the tradition was born within Komo, a secret hunting society which participated to form the Manding nation. The Kankurang usually live in the bush, only to come out when called upon.
The Kangurang wears a mask of the bark and fiber of the faraa tree (Piliostigma thonningii). His body is also covered in bark and fiber and has a special reddish color.
Once the costume is put on, the initiate, the man inside the costume disappears and the Kankurang spirit takes his place!
Powers of the Kankurang spirit
The Kankurang spirit is very powerful. He protects order and justice and wards of evil spirits. He can become invisible, jump great heights and even fly! In addition to warding off evil spirits during the circumcision rites, Kankurang can also appear around accidents or other events where chaos may occur. Kankurang is there to maintain order.
Sometimes children dress up in home made kankurang outfits just for fun. Then they go from place to place hoping to get some dalasis
Different types of Kankurang
In hindsight I have understood that the scary Kankurang outside my fathers compound was a Ifangbondi. And that there are different types of Kankurang, each one with their special powers and duties.
A big Ifangbondi Kankurang stands outside of the National museum in Banjul. The museum also have some very nice paintings depicting the different types of Kankurang.
Did you think this article was interesting? Let me know and I´ll write more 🙂
xoxo/Salla V