Bamileke Crocodile Mask
The Bamileke are said to have entered their current location from the Mbam region, and they were later joined by the Tikar, Bali, Bamum and Bafia peoples, who migrated into their current region of Cameroon.
Bamileke settlements follow a well-organized and structured pattern where the settlements are organized as chiefdoms. The chief, or fon or fong is considered as the spiritual, political, judicial and military leader. The chief is also considered as the 'father' of the chiefdom, and thus has great respect from the population
Today, the dominant form of worship is still ancestral with most Bamileke practicing Veneration of the dead. Death is always met with mystery, and the family is required to turn the body over to an examiner to determine the cause of death. To satisfy the Ancestors, the person believed to be a murderer must perform a special ritual that consists of the pouring out of libation during the burial ceremony.
The Bamileke are said to have entered their current location from the Mbam region, and they were later joined by the Tikar, Bali, Bamum and Bafia peoples, who migrated into their current region of Cameroon.
Bamileke settlements follow a well-organized and structured pattern where the settlements are organized as chiefdoms. The chief, or fon or fong is considered as the spiritual, political, judicial and military leader. The chief is also considered as the 'father' of the chiefdom, and thus has great respect from the population
Today, the dominant form of worship is still ancestral with most Bamileke practicing Veneration of the dead. Death is always met with mystery, and the family is required to turn the body over to an examiner to determine the cause of death. To satisfy the Ancestors, the person believed to be a murderer must perform a special ritual that consists of the pouring out of libation during the burial ceremony.
The Bamileke are said to have entered their current location from the Mbam region, and they were later joined by the Tikar, Bali, Bamum and Bafia peoples, who migrated into their current region of Cameroon.
Bamileke settlements follow a well-organized and structured pattern where the settlements are organized as chiefdoms. The chief, or fon or fong is considered as the spiritual, political, judicial and military leader. The chief is also considered as the 'father' of the chiefdom, and thus has great respect from the population
Today, the dominant form of worship is still ancestral with most Bamileke practicing Veneration of the dead. Death is always met with mystery, and the family is required to turn the body over to an examiner to determine the cause of death. To satisfy the Ancestors, the person believed to be a murderer must perform a special ritual that consists of the pouring out of libation during the burial ceremony.
Tribe: Bamilike
Country: Cameroon
Age: 50 - 75 years
Height: 54in.
Width: 19 in