THE BAKWERI: NYONGO WITCHCRAFT AND THE "BANANA BOOM” OF THE 1950s

By Cyprian F. Fisiy & Peter Geshiere
(Translated from French by Dibussi Tande)

The classic study on the relationship between economic development and witchcraft in Cameroon is by [Edwin] Ardener, which analyzes how the Bakweri broke free from the Nyongo terror in the 1950s, thus benefiting from the Banana-boom.

The Bakweri are a small group of about 16000 people [pre-independence statistics ed.] who live on the steep but fertile slopes of Mount Cameroon, close to Cameroon's southwestern coast.

Before the beginning of colonial conquest in the early 1880s, the Bakweri constituted a very fragmentary society dominated by an egalitarian ideology-- it is not even certain that there was ever a real chieftaincy position at the village level. Ardener however emphasizes that there was a strong tendency among the Bakweri to accumulate wealth, particularly, goats, pigs and short cows. It was through accumulation that individuals increased their prestige in the villages.

This disposition towards accumulation was however restrained by the threat of liemba (witchcraft), which was directly linked to jealousy, and by the obligation to destroy wealth during grandiose Potlatch-type ceremonies. Through this ostentatious destruction of wealth, individuals increased their stature and best protected themselves against jealousy and liemba.

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Comments

[Iya Eposi Tokeson]

Has anyone really taken a concise census of the population of modern Bakweri? I have seen reports of 32,000 in a modern 1982 census of Cameroonian languages. Are we to beleive that our population has increased only by over 10,000 since 1950's?
I would also like to include that the potlatch type killing of animals served a purpose that is mostly overlooked by anthropologists and other scholars. When animals were slaughtered, they were distributed to every member of the village depending on their ages and rank in the ceremonies and standing in the village. Men, women and children were included in these distributions of meats and even cooked foods.

Regarding the egalitarian nature of the Bakweris, we are aware that most Bantus utilized egalitarian systems of administration and only formally created hierarchical structures to ward off invaders. Although the Ibos are not Bantus, they belong to a larger Niger Congo group and they are a good example of a people who still utilized an egalitarianism until the advent of the British when they formalized their chieftaincies. Whereas the Bamilekes had a lot of time to perfect their hierarchical system of government because of the maurauders from the north who forced them to move constantly southwards from their original ancestral homelands in the Tikari regions.

[williams williams]

dear sirs,
I write to point out a striking point concerning the bakweri tribe.There is another group called the bomboko people,partly in meme and partly in fako.Are these people a tribe or a clan in the bakweri tribe?Please,do not hesitate to answer me,for it is a boiling issue amongst us in a place from Cameroon,precisely,Hongkong.THANKS

[usman mbella]

well i have been going through some of the articles here and i really find them interesting just wish i could be given the chance to past articles in this site cos i really enjoy it and wish that you continue with that same spirit and i know with God by your site you shall make it so as to lift the Bakweri flag to the highest level

USMAN MBELLA

[Usman Mbella]

Yes its very true that the bakwerians do have very strong traditional believes which I will not like to termed it ''witchcraft'' because that’s what you find in all tribes but that of the ''mo kwepes is often referred to as witchcraft for me own opinion the bakwerians have rich Cultural values that is not found in other tribes in this part of the country that’s why more and more comments are generated from it a critical example is the ‘’ Moteo’’ one of Bakweri’s famous war dance that is used in grazing funerals of highly respected or noble men in the clan. The moteo dance has a great significance in the culture of the bakweri people an individual with a sharp matched takes off the head of a goat in just one strike of matched. Bakwerians should be proud of their culture.

[witchcraft]

This disposition towards accumulation was however restrained by the threat of witchcraft which was directly linked to jealousy, and by the obligation to destroy wealth during grandiose Potlatch-type ceremonies.

[witchcraft]

Yes its very true that the bakwerians do have very strong traditional believes which I will not like to termed it ''witchcraft'' because that’s what you find in all tribes but that of the ''mo kwepes is often referred to as witchcraft for me own opinion the bakwerians have rich Cultural values that is not found in other tribes in this part of the country that’s why more and more comments are generated from it.