The Kongolese Joan of Arc (sorta)

Thornton’s writing about the political and religious turmoil in Kongo at the close of the 17^th c., and the chronicle of Kimpa Vita (Kongolese), or Dona Beatriz if you prefer the Portuguese variant, is written to appeal to a large, non-academic, readership.  Indeed, the author writes that his primary goal “is not to break new interpretive ground but to present a narrative account of the movement in a way that is accessible to a non-academic audience.” (p. 7)  It seems that most of what is known about the Kongolese Saint Anthony and her [Antonian] movement, is through the accounts of Italian (Capuchin) priests.  These missionaries were certainly not impartial observers, and it is certainly understandable that a certain amount of guesswork is needed – as we have seen time and again throughout this term – and as we see in many places in The Kongolese Saint Anthony and what Thornton thinks is likely to have happened, as opposed to what we know happened based on evidence.  Thornton addresses this by saying “the modern scholar has little choice but to try to read between the lines and hope that the Kongolese viewpoint can be surmised.” (p. 3)  This book is a narrative based largely on eyewitness observations of the primary sources, and Thornton hopes the reader can “see beyond the prejudices of the missionary sources.” (p. 5)  It seems to me that a common theme of microhistories has developed as, forgive the comparison, “fill in the blank, ” at least when and where it’s necessary to interpret sources.  I did like this book, especially since I thought there was a strong tie to the Annales School in the detailed descriptions of landscape, ordinary life and work, and religious beliefs and practices.  This book really (fondly) reminds me of Le Roy LaDurie’s Montaillou.

          In side reading about Thornton’s Kimpa Vita, and Kongo, I came across an interesting comparison of the Kongolese Saint Anthony to Joan of Arc.  Considering Kimpa Vita’s prophetic mission to restore the politically and spiritually fragmented Kingdom of Kongo,  Simon Bockie at UC Berkeley compares the two heroines and their “prophetically inspired crusade to throw off foreign influences” as complementary.  I thought it was an interesting idea and thought I would share it.