MPONGWE (PONGOS)  , a settled Bantu people of the Gabun, West Africa, constantly confused with the Mpangwe or Fang (q.v.) . The Mpongwe, who call themselves Ayogo or " the Wise," have a rich collection of national songs, myths and traditions, and the tribal elders know the "Hidden Words," a kind of secret language of unknown origin . Their language, a Bantu dialect, has been the means of communication between the tribes of the interior and the Europeans . The family organization is intricate and very similar to the Roman patria potestas; wives, children and slaves being all subservient to the father, who alone is really free . They practise the poison ordeal, and reverence vague and malignant spirits who require propitiation by offerings and ceremonies . The ghosts of the dead are especially feared .