Between gold and earth

Catholic and African elements in the coronation of the king of Congo according to the narrative of John Green (1746)

Abstract

The article seeks to analyze the rites and symbols surrounding the story about the coronation of the king of Congo made by Catholic missionaries in the 17th century and compiled by the British geographer and cartographer John Green in the 18th century. The ritual and the elements of material culture used in the ceremony both present elements typical of the Catholic faith, embraced by the Congolese ruling class in the 15th century and elements of its ancestral religious tradition. The article also seeks to analyze the reports made by European observers regarding the rite and the way they were interpreted within their Christian perspective at the time.