Камерунның Бамум этносы

Grassfields ethnic group of Cameroon

The Bamum, sometimes called Bamoum, Bamun, Bamoun, or Mum, are a Grassfields ethnic group located in now Cameroon. In 2018, the Bamum and Bamileke peoples accounted for about 24% of the country's population. The Kingdom of Bamum covers approximately 7,300 km. The Kingdom of Bamum was surrounded to the north by the territory of Cameroon, from the west and south west the kingdom's boundary touches the River Nun while the Rivers Mape and the Mbam surround it to the east. Climate in the Kingdom consists of two seasons: a long rainy season, and a short dry season. This is mainly due to its location between a forest zone in the south and a tropical savannah grassland in the north. The length of the two seasons last for irregular time lengths. As the kingdom developed slowly over the years, a main factor of society was the agricultural farms near the villages. This created an environment of cooperative ideology, through teamwork when it came to handling the work on the farms. Slaves and war captives were used to supply a labor force for farms of kingdom officials and other title holders. During the time of reforming his script, there was political concern with surrounding villages and colonial conquests in the area. Njoya believed creating secure and sustainable communication between him and his officials was important. At first, alongside the creation of his script, he sent officials to a neighboring state, Hausa, to learn Arabic. However, due to the increase of powerful Hausa influence in his land, Njoya decided that Arabic was not the right language to learn for his people, as Hausa and outside colonial forces could read it as well. He needed to focus on creating and reforming the script he, and his officials, created. The following decades were spent simplifying the number and complexity of the design of the characters. To this day, it continues to be a significant holiday for the Bamum people.

The Bamum territory covered major trade routes, allowing them to gain access to multiple mediums. Those include brass and glass beads, which are a major component in Bamum art. The visual domain is where the Bamum were able to showcase their power and dominance within their state. The art is used as a reminder of the historical development and supremacy of the Bamum people. To do this, the Bamum artists appropriated the regalia and symbols of defeated leaders from surrounding states. They also take other objects from the leader’s treasures, and they keep the appropriated replica in the Bamum palace. They also created brand new symbols of power for the rulers and male descendants of the court. This symbol is to be a visual representation of their connection to the court and the king. They are commonly displayed as an embellishment to their apparel. Artists were also known for their work covering wooden sculptures as bead embroiderers. Many works are a part of thrones and statues, often kept within the village palace. These works intended to focus on the expansion of the Bamum land and the warfare used in the expansion, showcasing the strengthened ties in the groups that make up Bamum. Two motifs were common when trying to display the power of the Bamum in warfare. One is a single head, which one can assume it belongs to an enemy. Usually, the head is paired with a spear held in the other hand. This is shown in brass statues that were created showing a Bamum male holding the head of an enemy. Another motif is an equestrian figure made from wood and then covered in beadwork.