The Congo peafowl was only discovered in 1936 in the rain forests of the eastern Congo and called Hokoe by the natives. The name is derived from its song, “Hokoe, hokoe, hokoe,” sung around 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. It is believed that this bird tells people to wake up or to return home from […]
Tag: DR Congo
Bird stories, Common Bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus)
Mbuti boys in the Congo under initiation are prohibited from eating most birds, except some common birds as greenbuls and weavers. These prohibited birds are also regarded as kuweri. By imposing such food restrictions on the initiates, the Mbuti conceptualize circumcision as a social birth of an adult. The birds play another special role in […]
Bird stories, Brown-chested Alethe (Alethe poliocephala)
There is a food taboo for this totemic animal of a particular clan of the Mbuti hunter-gatherers of the Congo. The clan members cannot eat this animal called ngini-so (things prohibited), or ngini-so-su (things prohibited to us), which symbolize their membership of a particular clan. Should one eat such a prohibited animal, his teeth would […]
Bird stories, Blue-headed Coucal (Centropus monachus)
The Tembo tribe of the Congo use parts of the Blue-headed Coucal as medicine. Its well-dried head serves as medicine for a women who has just given birth so that she can give much milk. For this, its head is suspended over the woman’s chest with a rope called Lubiku. Also, when it sings, people […]
Bird stories, Black-casqued Hornbill (Ceratogymna atrata)
During the Tembo initiatory rites in the forest, its head is used as a mask. It is also used in the dance called Britnga among the Betende clan during the initiation ceremonies. It is thought that it flies singing Fuo, fuo, fuoo (Who lives there?). Its head is used in the treatment of headaches. One […]