The Bamum, sometimes called Bamoum, Bamun, Bamoun, or Mum, are a
Grassfields ethnic group
An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
of
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
with around 215,000 members.
Religion
The Bamum traditional religion placed great emphasis on ancestral spirits which were embodied in the skulls of the deceased ancestors. The eldest males of each lineage had possession of the skulls of deceased males. When moving a diviner must find an appropriate place to hold the skull. Despite these efforts some men's skulls remained unclaimed and their spirits are deemed restless. Ceremonies are thus done to placate these spirits. There is also respect for female skulls, but the details are less documented.
They also believed women made the soil fruitful, thus women did the planting and harvesting. Masks and representations of the head also had importance. In modern times, many Bamum are
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
or
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
. King
Ibrahim Njoya
King Ibrahim Mbouombouo Njoya ( Bamum: , ''Iparəim Nʃuɔiya'', formerly spelled in Bamum as , and Germanicized as ''Njoja'') in Yaoundé, was seventeenth in a long dynasty of kings that ruled over Bamum and its people in western Cameroon dati ...
himself converted to
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
then to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
and then back to
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
after the
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...
. He is said to have disliked abstaining from
polygamy
Crimes
Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is married ...
when Christian, and from
alcohol
Alcohol most commonly refers to:
* Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom
* Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks
Alcohol may also refer to:
Chemicals
* Ethanol, one of sev ...
when Muslim, so ultimately split the difference toward the end.
Writing system
Bamum language
Bamum (Shü Pamom "language of the Bamum", or ''Shümom'' "Mum language"), also spelled Bamun or in its French spelling Bamoun, is an Eastern Grassfields language of Cameroon, with approximately 420,000 speakers. The language is well known for ...
(''Shüpamom,'' pronounced , "language Bamum"; in the French tradition spelled ''Bamoun'') is one of the
Benue–Congo languages
Benue–Congo (sometimes called East Benue–Congo) is a major branch of the Volta-Congo languages which covers most of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Subdivisions
Central Nigerian (or Platoid) contains the Plateau, Jukunoid and Kainji families, and Banto ...
of
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
, with approximately 215,000 speakers. The language is particularly well known for
its original phonetic script, developed by Sultan
Njoya and his palace circle around 1895. The development of the script spanned ideographic to syllabic systems, with the script's final and most prominent form known as "A-ka-u-ku." This is not to be confused with another of Njoya's inventions, an artificial spoken language known as
Shümom, which was devised after the script. Outsider observers in recent years have tended to confuse the script with the invented language. The French colonials destroyed Njoya's schools and forbade the teaching of the script, which fell into rapid decline and today hovers on the brink of extinction (the
Bamum Scripts and Archives Project Bamum Scripts and Archives Project at the Bamum Palace is engaged in a variety of initiatives concerning the Bamum script, including collecting and photographing threatened documents, translating and in some cases hand-copying documents, creating a ...
, in
Foumban
Foumban or Fumban is a city in Cameroon, lying north east of Bafoussam. It has a population of 83,522 (at the 2005 Census). It is a major town for the Bamoun people and is home to a museum of traditional arts and culture. Foumban is known fo ...
, is teaching the script to young people to spread literacy), but the Shümom language is spoken as a second language by many people and is taught on the radio throughout the Bamum kingdom. Cameroonian musicians
Claude Ndam
Claude Ndam (27 May 1955 – 12 June 2020) was a Cameroonian singer-songwriter.
Biography
Ndam was born in Foumban in the west of the country. He became famous in the 1980s for his discography.
Claude Ndam died in Yaoundé
Yaoundé (; , ) i ...
and Gerryland are native speakers of Bamum and use it in their music.
Nguon
Nguon is a significant holiday for the Bamoun people. Recently, Ngoun has taken place every two years in late November-early December.
Art
Königsthron Bamum EthnM IIIC33341.jpg, Throne of King Nsangu, ca. 1880 Ethnological Museum of Berlin
The Ethnological Museum of Berlin (german: Ethnologisches Museum Berlin) is one of the Berlin State Museums (german: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin), the de facto national collection of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is presently located in t ...
Afrikaabteilung in Ethnological Museum Berlin 23.JPG, Royal headdress (mpelet), ca. 1900 Ethnological Museum of Berlin
The Ethnological Museum of Berlin (german: Ethnologisches Museum Berlin) is one of the Berlin State Museums (german: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin), the de facto national collection of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is presently located in t ...
Figur Kamerun Bamum Museum Rietberg.jpg, Figural sculpture, 19th century Museum Rietberg
The Rietberg Museum is a museum in Zürich, Switzerland, displaying Asian, African, American and Oceanian art. It is the only art museum focusing on non-European art and design in Switzerland, the third-largest museum in Zürich, and the largest t ...
Bamoum Masque Facial MHNT ETH AC AF 114 Labouret.jpg, Facial mask in bronze 1935 MHNT
Art Bamoun - Marmite MHNT ETH AC 1206 Labouret.jpg, Wooden container 1935 MHNT
Art Bamoun - Masque cimier MHNT ETH AC AF 55 Labouret.jpg, Crest mask - 1935 MHNT
File:CEREMONIE DE FUNERAILLE EN PAYS BAMOUN 01.JPG
File:CEREMONIE DE FUNERAILLE EN PAYS BAMOUN 08.JPG
File:CEREMONIE DE FUNERAILLE EN PAYS BAMOUN 09.JPG
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File:Kdfvoile1.JPG
File:Kdfportrait5.JPG
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File:Kdfdansetra.JPG
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File:Kdfiesta0.JPG
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File:Kdffete21.JPG
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File:Kdfiesta101.JPG
See also
*
List of rulers of the Bamum
List of the rulers of the Bamum people, an ethnic group located in Cameroon. Their capital Fumban is also spelled Foumban in some sources.
(Dates in ''italics'' indicate ''de facto ''continuation of office.)
Fon (title), Mfon = ''Ruler''
Se ...
*
Bamum kingdom
The Kingdom of Bamoun (also spelled Bamoum, Bamun, Bamoun, or Mum) (1394–c. 1916) is a pre-colonial Central African state in what is now northwest Cameroon. It was founded by the Bamun, an ethnic group from northeast Cameroon. Its capital was th ...
External links
Bamum Scripts and Archives Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bamum People
Ethnic groups in Cameroon
Semi-Bantu