night. The instruments played in the typical
Winti ceremony are the drums, which are key to
calling on the divinities. The adjida drum, the
largest, is 3 meters in length; the face of the drum
is about 35 centimeters wide, and it is played
with a stick and on a stand so that the drum
leans on an approximately 45-degree angle. This
drum, like some played in West Africa for the
same reasons, is sacred and is only allowed to be
played in sacred rites. Before this drum is played,
it must be washed with beer or some alcoholic
beverage, sprinkled with white clay powder
(pemba doti), and covered with a cloth of the
corresponding colors.
Other drums include the mandron drum,
which is about the same length as the adjida, but
more slender; and the apinti drum, which is a
smaller stout-looking drum and is the same as the
mpintin of the Asante. There are also a few other
small drum types and percussion instruments, but
the instrument with the most dominant distinc-
tive sound is the kwakwa, which is a small
wooden bench that is played with two thick sticks.
This instrument provides the musical landscape
for the other instruments and vocal chorus. The
kwakwa is a product of Congo heritage; the same
instrument is also calledkwa-kwain Congo, and
the sticks, called kula or nkula, also have the
same name in Congo.
Aside from the instrumentation, there is group
singing in the typical call-and-response style.
Dancing is done typically in single file, forming a
moving circle of men and women. At some point
during the group dancing, the divinity answers
the call and possesses one of the participants. In
this case, possession is a welcome aspect of the
rite and is usually immediately apparent, as the
person moves in a manner that identifies with a
particular animal, which corresponds to that par-
ticular divinity (i.e., snake, bird, etc.). Possession
is often intense and may not last more than a
minute or two, after which the person faints in
exhaustion. However, while in trance, the body
dances and moves in ways one would normally
not think possible.
ConclusionThe Winti tradition and practice is one in which rit-
uals play a prominent role. To achieve a particular
spiritual objective, one must often perform a
series of rituals that are dependent on each other
in a specified time frame. In the Winti religion,
the bonu Winti stands for life and harmony cor-
responding to the name bonuman, and its oppo-
site, wisi, which stands for destruction. The wisi
man, who is a spiritualist who conducts socially
destructive work through spiritual means,
through the manipulation of supernatural forces
usually directed at a particular person or family,
also facilitates wisi or destruction. When wisi
work is executed, it can result in sickness or even
death of the target person unless a bonu or other
positive spiritual force successfully counters it.
This dichotomy is reflective of the dialectics of
human life and the forces of nature.
Wisi is often the reason that people fear
Winti—first because of general ignorance of the
religion and, second, because accounts of wisi are
highlighted more in society rather than the bonu
and other aspects of the religion. A bonuman is
the spiritual guide or priest/leader in the Winti
religion. Through his spiritual abilities, he fulfills
his tasks and helps guide one to an enriched and
healthy spiritual future. Through a combination
of the elements of nature (i.e., plant life, water,
certain types of animals, and air or life breath)
with singing, dancing, and drumming, one can
achieve internal spiritual satisfaction.
In all Winti rituals and ceremonies, prayer is
indispensable. Without prayer, no ritual is possi-
ble. Winti, like other religions, provides a strong
moral guide that is closely connected to commu-
nal and family life. Research shows that there
is an intimate connection among the physical,
mental, and spiritual health of a person; when
this relationship is evaluated for the Surinamese,
belief in Winti must be considered. Winti reli-
gious culture demonstrates that the fundamental
aspects of various traditional African religions
have been retained in the proud African
Surinamese religious heritage. This cultural her-
itage deserves to be respected, and its essential
principles should be studied, understood, and
regarded without the prejudice and stigma
inherent in the colonial cultural paradigm. The
fundamental aspects of Winti, like other
African-based religions, should be studied by
present generations so as not to fall prey to
some of the age-old colonial misunderstandingsWinti 723