Kongo maternity statue. Piece over 50 years old.

The Kingdom of Kongo was an empire in southwest Africa, located in territories of northern Angola, Cabinda, the Republic of the Congo, the western end of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and part of Gabon.

At its peak, it extended from the Atlantic Ocean west to the Kwango River in the east, and from the Congo River to the Loje River in the south.

The Kongo kingdom developed after several Bantu migrations from the 7th to the 15th centuries in an area populated by Baka pygmies. These independent groups were unified under the leadership of one and unified into a state by a king.

The power of the Kongo king, the Manikongo, is first of all of a spiritual nature, this authority is assured to him by supernatural and divinatory powers, he has access to the ancestors. In principle, the kings were elected by the elders from among the eligible members of the 12 Kongo clans. According to a Portuguese source from 1624, Historia do reino do Congo, the kingdom was founded in the 13th century.

The Kongo Empire was a highly developed state, with a large trading network. Aside from natural resources, the country smelted and traded copper, gold, raffia clothing, and pottery, had a currency and public finances.

Depending on the sources, there are multiple variations of the name: Bacongo, Badondo, Bakango, Ba-Kongo, Bakongos, Bandibu, Bashikongo, Cabinda, Congo, Congos, Fjort, Frote, Ikeleve, Kakongo, Kikongo, Kileta, Kongos, Koongo, Nkongo, Wacongomani

Internationally, the term Bakongo prevails. "ba-" is in Kikongo the prefix which indicates the plural, "mu- indicates the singular, and "ki-" the language.

Spirituality is the basis of political and social organization.

The intersection between the two worlds has the shape of a cross, hence the importance of this symbol in Kongo thought.

Furthermore, the character of Ne-Kongo (from whom the name Kongo comes) is supposed to be this intersection of Kalunga with the human world, therefore a divine being in human form, also symbolized by the cross.

It is these similarities with Christianity that facilitated its infiltration.