Mystical rituals draw hundreds to the Dipri Festival of Ivory Coast's Abidji people

Record ID: 1419934

  • Title: Mystical rituals draw hundreds to the Dipri Festival of Ivory Coast's Abidji people
  • Date: 20th June 2019
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF MAN PLUNGING KNIFE IN HIS MOUTH CELEBRANTS SINGING AS MAN CUTS HIMSELF WITH KNIFE MAN CUTTING HIMSELF WITH KNIFE, BLOOD ON PANTS
  • Embargoed: 4th July 2019 15:05
  • Keywords: Cultural festival Dipri festival Abidji community mysticism and tradition benevolent spirits rituals that involve followers plunging knives into their bodies
  • Location: BADASSO VILLAGE, IVORY COAST
  • City: BADASSO VILLAGE, IVORY COAST
  • Country: Ivory Coast
  • Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA002AK598IF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: It's celebration time in Badasso village in southern Ivory Coast, where the Abidji community is marking one of the most important events on their calendar - the Dipri Festival.
    Dressed in all white, celebrants sing and dance through the streets, alerting other residents that the festival has begun.
    "When we come from the sacred river, we express our joy by singing and dancing through the streets of the village, which is also a signal to everyone that they need to get ready, that the day has come for the Abidji people to celebrate their traditional event," said the festival's president, Adou Emmanuel.
    Community members say the festival helps them resolve conflicts between generations, purifies followers and wards off evil spirits.
    Several rituals including plunging knives into their bodies are performed, which followers say are done under the guidance of benevolent spirits known as Sekes that heal them with through a concoction of raw eggs and herbs.
    One of the rituals performed on the celebrants is one of purification, using a special concoction made from raw eggs.
    The egg used for the concoction is usually provided by the high priest of Badasso village, who goes into a frenzied trance, where he says he possessed by the Sekes.
    The priest the spits the ceremonial egg out of his mouth and uses it to make the concoction. The recipe is only known to him.
    "A man cannot lay eggs but I did it. I have a certain power that God almighty gifted me with," said high priest Koffi N'guessant.
    N'guessant goes on to perform what is known as purification rituals, by giving the concoction to followers to drink and smearing it on their heads.
    Residents from neighboring villages who are also deemed to have supernatural powers are also invited to witness the power of the people in Badasso.
    "You should avoid engaging in any sexual activities with a woman, for at least a week before participating in this festival, especially for those who perform the different rituals, like plunging knives in their bodies and so on. Because naturally, women tend to be weak, and because of their nature, they are not compatible with the strength that it requires to perform certain rituals," added N'guessant.
    Watched by a fascinated crowd, the highlight of the festival comes when young initiates cut or plunge knifes into themselves, led by what they say are the spirits.
    The wounds are then treated with a concoction of raw herbs and are said to heal immediately.
    The initiates believe that practicing these rituals will protect them from accidents or misfortune and brings them luck and success.
    The festival also attracts many young people living in the diaspora, who say the festival represents a major part of their culture that needs to be celebrated and protected.
    "Dipri is our culture, it's a culture that has been neglected by our leaders. They talk to us about God, but who is God? There is the God of the skies, the God of the moon, the God of the sun, there are many Gods. The reason we practice this festival is because it brings us a lot of beneficial things," said one celebrant Gerafd Djedje.
    Another celebrant, Bertin Koffi, feels the same.
    "Long before Jesus came, mysticism existed, we cannot abandon this tradition. You can go to the West, but people will always come back to celebrate their traditions, to celebrate Dipri. I think somewhere in the bible it says "give Cesar what belongs to Cesar". So mysticism existed way before Adam and Eve came to earth," he said.
    (Christophe Van Perre, Media Coulibaly, Lisa Ntungicimpaye)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: WARNING: Editors please note, this clip contains graphic material
Register