Revealed to the general public almost three decades ago by the television program “God in Question”, the great master of Bwiti bowed out on August 8 in Libreville, following an illness. Fervent defender, key player in the promotion of culture, African and Gabonese traditions in particular, pan-Africanist, Marcelin Eyene Abaga, better known under the pseudonym Atome Ribenga, has worked for the past 30 years to promote Gabonese culture.
Atome Ribenga, great master and initiator in Bwiti, propagator of the spiritual tradition of Gabon. © Facebook/Master-Atome-Ribenga
Man of culture, traditionalist, depositary of the Bwiti rite, Marcelin Eyene Abaga, – from his stage master Atome Ribenga – born in Bitam, in Woleu-Ntem, died on August 8 in Libreville, following an illness. Author of several works devoted mainly to the initiation rite to which he gave theoretical and scientific finery, but also to the awakening of the consciences of the Gabonese and African people, he pointed out that “a country without culture is a country without soul” and “someone who has no soul is a dead being“.
Atome Ribenga in 2006. © Photo Yann Guignon
Former policeman admitted to retirement in 1994, self-taught, he studied philosophy and mystical-spiritual literature in “European schools of divine mysteries and in African initiatory traditions, particularly within the Gabonese Bwitist mystical-spiritual Tradition“. For more than thirty years, as a Bwitist priest, he represented this highly spiritual man, who gave a philosophical and intellectual dimension to Bwiti.
All the exegetes of this rite also agree in presenting it as “a monumentof Gabonese culture whose work has deepened knowledge of this tradition and the spiritual world. On his retirement, in fact, he devoted his life to the Bwitist tradition of which he was an initiate, initiator, consultant and trainer. “He is one of the first Gabonese to publicly declare that the Bwitist tradition is not satanic and to defend it, so that it is considered a true and authentic spiritual tradition.“, can we read on the notes of the International Festival of Gabonese Books and the Arts (Filiga), one of the last events where he appeared in public.
Master Atome Ribenga truly revealed himself to the general public a few decades ago, thanks to the program “god in questionhosted by Jean-Clair Total Békalé on national television and on which he had become one of the emblematic figures. Much later, around 2013, he created the Traditional Bwitist Initiatory Center (Citrab) with the aim of promoting knowledge and teachings relating to Bwiti in Gabon. During the last edition of Filiga, from May 25 to 27, 2022, he signed his essay “The Bwitist tradition in Gabon: direct way of communication with the divine“. This, after the animation of a conference devoted to “The Bwitist tradition: how useful for humanity and civilization“.
Maître Atome Ribenga is also the author of several books dealing with different aspects of the Bwitist tradition, including “The Bwitist tradition in Gabon: a direct channel of communication with the Divine» ; “Biblical tradition and Bwitist tradition: What relationship?» ; “Bwitist initiation in Gabon: Way of knowledge of oneself, of God, of his laws and of his manifestations»; “Eboga or Iboga: sacred wood, tree of knowledge of good and evil“. For some time now, he has also been hosting a weekly live stream on his Facebook page through which he exchanged with Internet users and transmitted knowledge, in particular on various topics related to Bwiti. He was 86 years old.
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