12405: Re: 12400: Re: 12381, Don Pedro, from Mambo Racine (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: LeGrace Benson <legrace@twcny.rr.com>

Rite Petro and the Kingdom of Kongo

The rulers of the Kingdom of Kongo during the period when it was an
independent nation having diplomatic relations with Portugal, Spain, the
Vatican States, etc., used the title "king" (in whatsoever language
document or exchange would require) rather than "Don"(or "Dom") a title for
lower positions in its hierarchy. They traded with Portugal but in the years
of kingdom were peers rather than subalterns.  A Dom Pet(d)ro in St-Domingue
would have been a member of the Kongolese royalty (unlikely) or perhaps an
imposter. There were any number of freelance imposters running around the
Caribbean during the period from 1300 (about when the first large excursion
from an African nation into the "New" World took place) until the present
time.  Knowing Kongo history may do little to help understand the inception
and development of the Petro rites of HaitianVodou. The Kingdom of  Kongo
has such strong documentation that its history is well known. There are
numerous scholarly books, articles, and monographs. In 1718 King Pedro IV,
the last ruler, held things together as much through marriage as by poitical
power, but there were powerful lords and merchants with consideralble weight
and wealth. From the time of  King Alfonso I under whose reign the kingdom
became Christian, a most important honor was to be named to the Order of
Christ. After Pedro IV there were enormous social, economic and religious
changes.  The church structure, especially, began to disintegrate after
about 1718, a  date that accords with a rise in the number of captives
designated "Congo." The roles of these latter is alluded to in various
studies of Haitian history and Haitian Vodou, but I have not yet seen a
detailed and comprehensive study.  It would be good to see such a study in
print. It is possible that "Pedro" naming is entirely coincidental with
nothing at all to do with Rite Petro or with the Kongo rulers Pedro II, III
and IV. What is true, however, is that any captive from Kongo would have
come from a region in which Catholic Christianity was the dominating choice
of the indigenous rulers with a highly developed tradition and practice,
including relationships with another African nation ruled by Christians,
Ethiopia. Note that although the public names of the rulers were "in"
Portugese, Portugal did not rule the Kingdom of Kongo, nor were these kings
Portuguese. The strongest historical suppositions would lead one to believe
that Rite Petro is pure Kreyol.  ----- Original Message -----