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Tribe Snapshots Mangbetu |
| Location: |
Northern Congo
(Zaire) |
| Population: |
40,000 |
| Language: |
Mangbetuti (central Sudanic) |
| Neighboring
Peoples: |
Azande, Mbuti, Momvu |
| Types
of Art: |
Most Mangbetu art was reserved for ruling class
and was secular in nature. Wooden figures are
believed to be ancestral portraits. Harps and
trumpets that were used by court musicians were
often adorned with sculpted human heads. Decorated
thrones and knives were also part of the royal
regalia. |
| History: |
Linguistic patterns indicate that the Mangbetu
originated from the northeast, probably from modern
day Sudan. As they moved southward they encountered
Bantu migrations moving northward. They finally
settled in their current homeland in the 19th
century. This area had been occupied by the Mbuti.
The Mangbetu intermarried with and subsumed many
of the Bantu and pygmy populations they encountered.
In the 19th century the Mangbetu Kingdom was established
under Nabiembale and became the dominant political
force in the region until 1880, when Sudanic and
Islamic slavers entered the region, fragmenting
the kingdom into sultanates controlled by Moslem
leaders. When the Belgians arrived they expelled
the slavers. |
| Economy: |
The people living in the Mangbetu region subsist
mostly on hoe farming, fishing, and some hunting.
Yams and plantains are the primary crops, and
some cattle farming is done. Unlike other Sudanic
peoples, however, among the Mangbetu only the
men are permitted to do the milking. Livestock
is seen as a symbol of wealth and is often exchanged
for bride prices. When the king reigned, he monopolized
the copper and ivory trade. |
| Political
Systems: |
The name Mangbetu refers strictly to the ruling
aristocracy, which ruled the region during the
19th century. The paramount leader inherited his
position and controlled many subkingdoms throughout
the region. Often he appointed his relatives or
subjugated leaders to act as his spokesmen in
these villages. Most of the people who live in
the area do not originate from Mangbetu lineages,
but have been subjugated by them. Individual villages
are stratified in accordance with the relationships
of the people to the founding Mangbetu lineages. |
| Religion: |
The Mangbetu creator god is known as Kilima
or Noro. Ara is a god associated with water and
was known to take the form of an animal that was
to be feared. They also believed that human souls
could be reborn as animals. The Mangbetu royalty
demanded that their ancestors be venerated. Bad
spirits (Likundu) demanded offerings by punishing
those who ignored them with sickness and misfortune.
These spirits could be directed at an individual
by witches. The job of the diviner among the Mangbetu
often involved uncovering and correcting the work
of witches. |
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