Tradition: Gabonese Mythology
Alternative Names: Obambo, Obamba
Category: Demon

The Myth

Obambou is a supernatural being that can be evil and possesses the power to cause harm, although it may also choose to do good. It can possess people, cause sickness and madness, and in some traditions may be the spirit of someone who was not buried properly.

Among the Commi, severe illness could be attributed to an Obambou. An Ogounga, or traditional doctor, could determine whether the spirit was responsible. The Obambou was believed to reside inside the bowels of the afflicted person.

To drive it out, the person’s family, friends, and neighbors gathered around them and made as much noise as possible. They sang, danced, shouted, and struck objects together until the Obambou was driven from the person’s body.

Among the M’pongwe, it was believed that a person could be born with an Obambou spirit and be born insane. More generally, traditions concerning the Obambou held that the spirit could cause insanity through possession.

Another tradition tells of an Obambou that remains in the bush after a person has died and been improperly buried. Eventually tired of wandering, the spirit appears to a close relative and asks them to build it a house near their own.

That night, the women of the village gather to sing and dance. The following day, the people visit the deceased person’s grave and make an idol for the spirit. They build a small hut beside the relative’s house and place inside it the bier on which the deceased was carried to the grave, together with some dust from the grave. A white cloth is then hung over the entrance.

In some traditions, an Obambou is also believed to be married to a female spirit.

Sources

“Obambo.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed September 9, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obambo