Ritual & language· Kikongo
Nkisi (pl. minkisi)
Kongo power-figure activated by an *nganga* with magical loadings — *bilongo* — sealed into the body.
A nkisi (plural minkisi) is a Kongo ritual object — wood, ceramic, gourd, bundle, or shell — empowered by an nganga (ritual specialist) who seals magical substances (bilongo) into the body to bind, heal, judge, or hunt down witches.
The most striking type is the nkisi nkondi — the "hunter" — a standing wooden figure into which iron nails, blades, and small bundles are driven on every consultation. Each driven nail records an oath, a contract, or a verdict. The accumulated iron is biography in metal.