Aux portes de l'enfer

This book invites each one of us to learn from the mistakes of people who are victimes of AIDS. It also contains basic information on AIDS, various messages to specific categories of people, a strong appeal to repeal traditional evils against women, secret messages by various people to their sexual partner, an appendix that consists of texts which further encourage us to lead a safe sexual behavior.

This book covers various aspects of African traditional cultures that include: communication, marriage ceremonies, funerals, traditional rites, witchcraft, traditional cultural activities, and traditional beliefs. It will undoubtedly appeal to anyone who wants to understand better our African cultures. The reading of some of the stories will certainly raise existential questions about the nature of spirits, truth, and the place of God in the collective mind of the Africans. Some of the questions are the following: how is it possible that a human being has his double in an animal known as his totem ? How corne that, for people who do not believe in reincarnation, it is the chief who determines the future of the soul of the deceased ? In "Mourning habits in the West province of Cameroon," it appears that, if the soul is not taken care of, it will cause physical havoc in the society. Could there be a link between our souls and the physical elements of nature ? Is skull worshiping among the Bamileke merely a traditional practice or are they really able to communicate with their ancestors through the skulls ? What has led the Aghem people to firmly believe that lakes can physically move, that the dead live in their lakes, that children live in their pre-human state as caterpillars and may transform into reptiles when they are still babies ? What makes it possible for the human mind to communicate with animais, exchange messages as is shown in "How animais and things can speak and communicate in the Yambassa culture" ? Apart from the physical world as we know it, could there truly be a spiritual world that witches and wizards have access to and which system of values could this spiritual world be subjected to ? Every single paper of the more than 80 papers and squibs this book comprises is truly an invitation to explore further the untapped richness of African cultures.

Ce livre contient des informations essentielles sur le sida, délivre différents messages adressés à des catégories spécifiques de personnes. Il lance un appel pour proscrire les traditions malsaines contre les femmes et propose une annexe dont les textes encouragent à une vie sexuelle responsable.