The Bainuk people (also called Banyuk, Banun, Banyun, Bainouk, Bainunk, Banyum, Bagnoun, Banhum, Banyung, Ñuñ, Elomay, or Elunay) are an ethnic group that today lives primarily in
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤠(Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤠ðž ...
as well as in parts of
Gambia
The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...
and
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau ( ; pt, Guiné-Bissau; ff, italic=no, 𞤘ðž¤ðž¤²ðž¤« 𞤄ðž¤ðž¤§ðž¤¢ðž¥„𞤱𞤮, Gine-Bisaawo, script=Adlm; Mandinka: ''Gine-Bisawo''), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ( pt, República da Guiné-Bissau, links=no ) ...
.
History
The Bainuk are believed to have been the first inhabitants of the lower
Casamance
, settlement_type = Geographical region
, image_skyline = Senegal Casamance.png
, image_caption = Casamance in Senegal
, image_flag = Flag of Casamance.svg
, image_shield =
, motto ...
.
The name ''Banyun'' is attributed to the Portuguese, who derived the word from Mandinka and applied it as a collective name for a number of groups settled at strategic sites along waterways, portages, and trade paths between the Gambia and Cacheu rivers.... Possibly ''Banyun'' served as a generic term for "trader," much as ''dyula'' identifies Mande traders engaged in long-distance commerce (Map 9).
In the fifteenth century, there were at least five Bainuk states including
Bichangor, Jase,
Foni, and
Buguando. The Bainuk were also a major component of the population of the
Kasa kingdom
The kingdom of Kasa, also known as Kasanga, was the dominant kingdom in lower Casamance (now Senegal) during the late 15th century. Most of the inhabitants of the realm were Banun or Kasanke. In the 15th century, Portuguese slave traders and nav ...
.
In modern times the Bainuk have heavily adopted
Mande and
Jola cultural customs.
Culture
Many Bainuk are adherents of Islam, a process that began around the 17th century due to the influence of Muslim Mande scholars and merchants settling in the region.
Some also practice their traditional
animistic
Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, hum ...
religion.
The Bainuk are known as skilled
dyers and weavers.
Notes
Sources
*Clark, Andrew F. and Lucie Colvin Phillips, ''Historical Dictionary of Senegal'' (Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Press, 1994) p. 73, 179.
*Barry, Boubacar. ''Senegambia and the Atlantic Salve Trade'' (Cambridge: University Press, 1998), p. 21
External links
* ELAR archive o
Bainouk and its main contact language Mandinka
Ethnic groups in Senegal
Ethnic groups in the Gambia
Ethnic groups in Guinea-Bissau
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