Africa
Congo | Kenya | Ghana | Ethiopia | Rwanda | Uganda
A Diverse Continent
Africa is a diverse landscape, with climates ranging from the Sahara desert to the rainforests in tropical Central Africa to the plains of South Africa. It has the largest number of megafauna (large animals like elephants, rhinos, and hippos) and is home to many species of endangered primates, including great apes such as mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. Africa is also very rich in natural resources, like cobalt, diamonds, and other important minerals. The peoples of Africa are just as diverse. With an estimated 1.6 billion people, Africa makes up 16% of the world’s population. Over a thousand different languages are spoken in Africa by thousands of different peoples.
Masks
Masks are used in Africa for both social and religious purposes. The Sub-Saharan African peoples, such as the Dogon of Mali, especially make use of masks in their culture. Typically, they represent tribal ancestors or spirits, and the person wearing the mask loses his or her own identity and takes on the role of the spirit. Masks can be worn during funerals, initiation rites, and weddings.
African Toma Mask
This mask belongs to the Toma people, who lived high up in the rainforest along the Guinea-Liberia border. These are Landai-type masks, which were used in initiation ceremonies for young boys aspiring to be men. The boys would be taken out into the rainforest and would don the mask. The mask would then “devour” the boy, and he would emerge from the rainforest as a man. The masks are surprisingly small, indicating that becoming a man could occur at 10-12 years old. Most of their culture is based on the Poro culture, which was a secret society created by the Mane people, who were Mande elites who fled from the Mali Empire to the south.
The Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo is a Central African country with a population of over eighty million people, making it the second-largest African country and the eleventh-largest country in the world. It has an incredibly rich fount of natural resources, including diamonds, copper, and cobalt, but has suffered from political instability and corruption. The Democratic Republic of Congo is home to two hundred different ethnic groups, the majority of which are Bantu peoples (people who speak a Bantu language, of which there are more than three hundred different dialects and languages).
Ngbaka People
Some 60,000 out of the approximately one million Ngbaka people attend adult education classes organized by churches, and approximately 9,000 children are in schools that use Ngbaka materials. Because teachers do not typically make any money, these are some of the only functioning primary schools in the area. Against all odds, the Ngbaka educate their own.
Ngulu Sword
The African Ngulu Sword dates back to the late 1800s from the Ngombe tribe of the Congo, although it is used primarily by the Bantu people. Originally, the curve in the blade was thought to be for executions, as the English dubbed it an executioner's knife. However, there is little evidence of this occurring. This rumor is likely the result of 19th and 20th-century prejudice against seemingly primitive tribes. The sword's design is similar to the Mambele, another tribal African Weapon. Thus, it's believed that the unusual design serves to intimidate or create a more dangerous cutting surface, as the general swordsmanship of many African tribes relied on furious slashing. Being a single-edged sword, the “scallops” or curved indents in the back of the blade were supposed to allow the wielder to comfortably rest the sword on their shoulders. Being a single-edged sword, the curved sickle-shaped blade allowed not only forward-facing slashing attacks but also a stabbing attack while being swung normally with the back edge. This sword was most often used for ceremonial purposes and worn as a symbol of status.
Ngombe Sword
This brass blade is characterized by its wide blade and ‘ears’ at the blade forte. Usually, this sword would also have a handle with fur or hide and be filled with herbs or other medicines. This was believed to protect the bearer, but these usually fell off the sword easily. The blacksmiths of the Poto and Ngombe tribes were incredibly influential among metalworkers in Africa, which can be easily seen by the elegance of this blade. While some swords of similar names appear more pointy and lack the bulbous and rounded blade of the one in the museum, this may be because of differing designs among either individual blacksmiths or the Ngombe and Poto tribes.
Kenya
Maasai
The Maasai people are an ethnic group located in the area around the African Great Lakes. They are known for their distinctive dress, which is bright and colorful. Red is the most common color for Maasai clothing, although bold patterns such as blue, black, and striped patterns are also commonly seen. Their population is estimated to number over 800,000.
Elongo Shield
Nomads from the southern grasslands of Kenya, the Massai, used this shield in combat, hunting, and even rites of passage. Constructed from buffalo hide, this shield apparently is supposed to have a wooden framework underneath, but our shields lack wooden features. However, the wooden “framework” might just allude to a wooden handle, and its exclusion could be a deliberate manufacturing choice. It could also be a shield from before they decided to use wood, but that is unlikely, given the vibrancy of the paint. The various patterns made out of triangles are motifs that communicate the wielder’s position in a complex hierarchical system. These are called Sirata but are largely unused in the modern day due to their purpose being lost between generations of Massai people. The dyes used to color these shields are made by combining different clays and ashes. Blue and red dye specifically give implications of great accomplishments.
The Oloibon, or spiritual leader of a tribe, would often bless these shields with “entasim” charms. These charms were meant to increase the strength of the shield and guarantee the wielder’s safety and return after a raid. Two of the most famous Massai warriors were the brothers Senteu and Lenana. Somehow, their story is near-identical to the story of Esau and Jacob from the Bible. Admittedly, these brothers were alive at the turn of the 20th century, so it is likely they, or someone else, stole the story from the Bible.
Kenyan Maasai Mask
A mask carved by Maasai tribesmen, this mask was a means to both identify each other and also intimidate enemies. The Maasai are one of the most powerful and influential tribes in not only Kenya, but also Tanzania. They were known for their skill in battle as well as their ability to herd cattle. Often, these masks were also used in ceremonies where they symbolize bravery and skill as a warrior. Usually, other African tribes would hold ceremonies to celebrate and mourn their dead, but the Maasai don’t believe in life after death and don’t even bother burying their dead. Instead, they held rituals before battle in which the warriors would enter a trance-like state and recite a chant while wearing masks.
Ghana
The Republic of Ghana is an African country in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa. It is only a few degrees north of the Equator, which gives the country its tropical climate and monsoon seasons. Ghana’s diverse landscape is comprised of grasslands and forests. Ghana has an estimated population of 24.2 million people and has eleven government-sponsored languages.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a country located on the Horn of Africa, or the far west of Africa. It has an incredibly diverse landscape ranging from the rivers and jungles of the west region to Dallol in the north, which is the hottest settlement in the world. It is the birthplace of the coffee bean and boasts more than 800 different avian species. Ethiopia is widely regarded as the birthplace of humanity, with the oldest evidence for anatomically correct humans found in this region. Its Ge’ez script is one of the oldest written languages still in use today. At 100 million inhabitants, it is the most populous landlocked country. There are over 80 different ethnic groups in Ethiopia who speak a total of 90 individual languages. The largest ethnic group, the Oromo, makes up about 34 percent of the total population.
Rwanda
Rwanda is a small sovereign state in central Africa, just a few degrees below the Equator. It is a highly elevated region, primarily mountains and savannah, with many lakes. The Rwandan population is rural but very dense, one of the highest densities in Africa. The people of Rwanda are all from the same ethnic group, the Banyarwanda, which is divided into three subgroups: the Hutu, Tutsi, and the Twa. The Rwandan genocide occurred in 1994 as part of the Rwandan Civil War, wherein between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu people were killed by Hutu extremists. Rwanda is still in the process of recovering from this disaster, but the country is well on the way to recovery. There have been significant advancements in the economy and human development.
Uganda
Uganda is an East African country whose landscape includes snow-capped mountains, dense forests, and the large Lake Victoria. Chimpanzees, gorillas, and many species of rare birds have made their homes in the thick forests of the area. 340 mountain gorillas, half the population of the critically endangered species, live in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Unfortunately, in 1992, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest was made into a World Heritage Site and national park, and the Batwa people were evicted. Their exile caused hardship and many deaths for the Batwa people. In 2001, American medical missionaries Dr. Scott and Carol Kellerman purchased land and helped the Batwa people build houses, schools, and hospitals.
Batwa Pygmies
The Batwa pygmies are an ethnic group who live in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a large national park in Uganda that is home to a wide range of animals and plants. They are traditionally known as the “Keepers of the Forest.”