Foreword by Professor Douglas A. Yates
Prologue
Wisdom and Initiation in Gabon: A Philosophical Analysis of Fang
Tales, Myths, and Legends by Bonaventure Mvé Ondo
Acknowledgments
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
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.
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.
*Jeremiah Mutio Kitunda, Appalachian State Universirty*
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