A Visit to the Maalé: A Festival of the Mokpe Secret Society of the Elephant

By Lyombe Eko (Iowa City, Iowa, USA)

We live in an age of mascots. Transnational political groupings, nations, ethnic and tribal groupings, organizations, companies and sports franchises all have social symbols or mascots that incarnate their values, ethics and aspirations. Not so with the Whakpe (Bakweri) people group of Fako division in the South West Province of Cameroon. The symbol of the Bakweri people is the elephant or Njoku. To say that the Bakweri have a mascot, which happens to be the elephant, would be an understatement. Indeed, the reverse is true. For the Bakweri, the elephant, a denizen of the rain forests of the slopes of Mount Fako, is not just a mascot.

It is a cultural symbol, a mystical, spiritual co-creature. To the Bakweri, the Balondo and the Bomboko, people can, and do become elephants, and elephants can and do become people. The attributes of the elephant or Njoku are part and parcel of the psyche of the Bakweri people. The creature’s sheer strength, size, loyalty to its (family) troupe, its calm, yet unpredictable temperament, proud indifference, and graceful demeanor are, to the Bakweri, the picture of physical and psychic behavioral perfection. It is therefore no surprise that the Bakweri, have a secret society that venerates, imitates and personifies the attributes of the elephant. Indeed, those who belong to the Maalé, the secret elephant society, swear by nothing other than Loxodonta Africana (the African elephant.)

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Comments

[Brian Smithson]

Why are Nigerian scam artists attacking this site?

[Samira]

Thank you for this write-up. I've just been trawling the net (google) for pictures to add to a blog I'm writing, about some of the mystical cultural icons of Africa, for which the Maalé,(or Njoku), the Epasa Moto, the Obasinjom, and the Mwanku jujus in the south West are lead exemplars. Your blog here came up but I was disappointed not to get any pictures. Growing up as a child in Buea, one of the most enduring cultural spectacles was the impressive image of the Maalé dancers in their costumes. I've often wondered about the symbiotic relation between the Maalé group and the legendary Epasa Moto. So I’ll take advantage to both request if I may, a picture of some Maalé dancers and if possible get a response about my question; what is the link between Maale and Epasa Moto? Thanks. I’l check out the site from time to time to see if you’ve responded.

[Samira Edi]

Thank you for this write-up. I've just been trawling the net (google) for pictures to add to a blog I'm writing, about some of the mystical cultural icons of Africa, for which the Maalé,(or Njoku), the Epasa Moto, the Obasinjom, and the Mwanku jujus in the south West are lead exemplars. Your blog here came up but I was disappointed not to get any pictures. Growing up as a child in Buea, one of the most enduring cultural spectacles was the impressive image of the Maalé dancers in their costumes. I've often wondered about the symbiotic relation between the Maalé group and the legendary Epasa Moto. So I’ll take advantage to both request if I may, a picture of some Maalé dancers and if possible get a response about my question; what is the link between Maale and Epasa Moto? Thanks. I'll check out the site from time to time to see if you’ve responded.

[Bakwerirama]

Check these two links for pictures of maleh dancers:

http://www.bakweri.com/2004/05/the_bakweri_nyo.html#more

http://www.bakweri.com/2004/02/the_bakweri_ele.html#more

[Samira Edi]

Thanks for the link. If only I'd taken the time to search the archives here!! :-)
Oh, well.That'll do for now.

Kind regards

[Etame Nadege]

Hello,
it's a great job u are doing out there, i'm a student at the university of Buea and writng my project ur article has help me alot, plz i wish to know the origin of the Njoku dance and if i can also have some pictures of the dancers it will help me on the wofk i am doing inorder to graduate. Thank u and more grace to urelbows God bless u.

P