Bamendjin people urged to reconcile with ancestors after fon returns from trip at bottom of lake

By Stephen TADAHA

The people of Bamendjing, a village in Galim subdivision of the West region have been urged to reconcile with their ancestors by rehabilitating their shrines which have been neglected.

This is the message from ancestors of the land channeled to the people through their Fon, HRM Fon Pekeko Isaac at the esplanade of the royal palace of Bamendjing on Monday February 26, 2024 after returning from a spiritual journey made in lake Bamendjing.

The spiritual peregrination according to the traditions of Bamendjing, is a ritual which sees the Fon take on a journey into the lake, communicate with his ancestors and receive an important message for his people.

Monday’s event began at about 8am with the visit of some shrines by the traditional authority and his delegation made up of notables, princes and princesses. Then followed the spiritual journey by the Fon to a world “beyond mortal comprehension”. The Fon was later triumphantly welcomed by his people to the esplanade of the Palace after spending about 3 hours in the unknown place.

The main message from the ancestors was the rehabilitation of their shrines which have long been neglected by the people. According to the traditional ruler, this will go a long way to fortify the ties between the ancestors and the people of Bamendjing.

“I discussed with my fathers, 18 of them and they told me to pass the message to my people. Message of reconciliation. The people have been neglecting many traditional aspects. So it was time for me to take on this journey which is beyond human understanding,” the Fon explained.

The peregrination day, marked the Fon’s immersion at the bottom of the lake also saw the suspension of business and farming activities. The event was also marked by the presence of a host of traditional authorities from neighboring villages likes Bâti, Bamegoung and Bamoun.