bubi

bubi, in the religion of the Bantu-speaking Luba people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the notion of evil. The term is used to designate that which is contrary to the best and most ethical. Bubi is thus the opposite of buya, or goodness or beauty of character. Luba religion is generally oriented toward minimizing or counteracting bubi within society.

In the Luba worldview, evil is defined in relation to the fundamental concept of life (bumi). That which destroys or diminishes bumi is regarded as bubi.

The Luba recognize four major kinds of evil. The first kind involves evil thought, or having an evil heart (mucima mubi). The second kind is that which is committed by means of an evil tongue, or evil speech (ludimi lubi). The third kind is the evil eye (diso dibi), which consists of looking at people with eyes that suggest one wishes them dead. Finally, there is evil committed by means of evil actions (bilongwa bibi), which may include incest, murder, theft, lying, and adultery.