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The Bamileke of Cameroon
By Jamil Kweni Shabazz

 

 

Peace and love everyone!

 

It's Bamileke time!

 

The Bamileke of Cameroon are a large and diverse population. They are very economically strong and independent. Known for great business savvy as well as rich culture. There are as many as 100 Bamileke kingdoms/villages in the Central African country of Cameroon.  One of these many kingdoms is Bamena.

 

The Bamena are a Bamileke people in the West Province of Cameroon. The name "Bamena" means "Throne of the stolen goat".

 

The Bamena are often teased with humor as goat thieves. This joke is not at all unfounded. Instead, it has a direct relationship with the history of the village.

 

Here is the story behind the name Bamena...

For a very long time, the village was hit by a famine and the people asked the dignitaries and great hunters to procure meat, which caused them (Dignitaries & Hunters) to run towards hunting. However, one of them (BLINGOUN) very clever after only a few kilometers grabbed a goat and put it in a bag and brought it back to the people as the game he was claiming. Despite protests, BLINGOUN brought the population to accept his offer by making them recognize that they had asked for the meat without specifying whether it was that of a domestic animal or not.

 

Having won the bet, BLINGOUN NJONVUEUP became the Paramount Fon of Bamena before the other dignitaries had returned from hunting. Later it was discovered that the Fon had stolen his game and this is why he was called the "King Robber Goats." Since then, the Bamena are teased as well as their Fon as goat thieves.

 

When the Fon disappeared his son TCHAPTCHOP KOUAGOUN took the reins of power. Then came successively WANGUEP who reigned only a few months MEFEU (who was an Albino) and Kombou TOUKEP (who was the most famous). All girls and sons from this sovereign are referred to as NGOUTOUKEP.

 

Pictured is the Fon(King)of Bamena, His Royal Highness Alexandre JOUKWE. He has received awards for the great public service works and financial management skills the Bamena people, home and in the diaspora, have done. This just one of the many stories from the Bamileke peoples. ‪#‎Bamileke‬