Bambara Mother figure, 15th-20th century The Bambara (Bamana in their own language, or sometimes Banmana) are a Mande people living in west Africa, primarily in Mali but also in Guinea, Burkina Faso and Senegal. They are considered to be a large Mande ethnic group. Throughout the country of Mali, the Bambara people are the largest and most dominant culture. The name Bambara means "infidel" or "barbarian" and is the name their enemies used to describe them. (An alternate interpretation is that "Bambara" is an inaccurate French transliteration of Banmana.) Banmana in contrast, means "accept no master" and is the name they use to refer to themselves.[citation needed] Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...
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Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (604x1522, 163 KB) Photographer (contact via flickr email on user page link above) states that he releases rights according to Commons CC-By-2. ...
Mande refers to: the Mandé people of western Africa the Mande or Mandinka people of western Africa any of the Mande languages the Mande or Mandinka language This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ...
Mande refers to: the Mandé people of western Africa the Mande or Mandinka people of western Africa any of the Mande languages the Mande or Mandinka language This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
History The origins of the Bamana are with the greater group they are a part of, the Manding, the founders of the Mali Empire in the 13th Century. As a part of the Mande ethnic group, their earliest known history begins with Tichitt, where Mande urbanization began as early as 1500 BCE. By 250 BCE the Mande subgroup, the Bozo, founded the city of Ancient Djenne. Later the Soninke Mande dominated the Western Sudan between 300 CE and 1100 CE. It was after 1200 CE that the Manding came to dominance. However infiltration by Morocco lead to a decline in the civilization after 1600 CE. However, the rise of the Bamana Empire after 1700 marked a renaissance of Mande civilization. They became one of the most dominant cultural communities in Mali The Bambara language, considered a dialect of the Manding language, has become the principal interethnic language in Mali and the main semi-official language of the state alongside French. Bambara, also known as Bamanankan in the language itself, is a language spoken in Mali by as many as six million people (including second language users). ...
The Mandinka are a people of West Africa. ...
Culture The Bamana people gained certain spiritual beliefs over time; these beliefs were adapted through specific events many of the Bamana people encountered daily. Although most Bamana today adhere to Islam, many still believe in the traditional beliefs of worshiping their ancestors. Tribes that lived in close proximity to each other eventually grew as one or adapted to the ways of life they believed would help each tribe member to reach eternal happiness.
This specific culture progressed to be a great source of power throughout Western Africa. Bamana displayed proudly what they believed to be their reason for living through their artworks and heritage. Bamana people believed the universe was bigger than any one man could ever imagine. They specifically used their art in hopes to help with certain issues at hand with in the environment. They referred to man as nothing but a small incremental part of a person, a man was seen as tiny bit in a group and an even smaller part in the universe.
The Bamana tribe divided themselves among different groups throughout their tribe known as inauguration societies. These societies were considered to be created because each person with in this group had similar traits or abilities. Two important groups throughout this tribe are the farmers and artisans. As these tribes are split up they are unable to marry outside their castes thus creating long lines of family members who each hold similar important traits to keep a tribe flourishing.
Each of these tribes thrived off of farming, hunting and trade to keep their culture afloat throughout many hard times. They relied on farming as a way to obtain the nutrients and food any group of people must have. Hunting was also a means of food and way to keep unwanted predators away from the tribes living grounds. Trade was a thriving market within this culture; they supplied townspeople with everyday needed items and used their crafts to sell for little revenue. Families within these tribes could have member numbers anywhere from 100 to 1000. Each group of people deemed as a village averages about 600 people and has its own leader or chief. Member of these villages between ages 6 and 30 have certain roles to help keep the village on a forward pace. Bamana people given the title of a tribe leader hold specific political roles as well as reigning religious duties. Although these tribes are split up into many different groups they all work together to maintain a solid tribal foundation. Each generation of the Bamana people have adapted and proved to prosper well through the demands of life.
Bambara art The Bamana people adapted many artistic traditions and began to create display pieces. These artworks were created as a display of how they felt for the spirits and an exhibit of their cultural and religious beliefs. Different types of Bamana art include pottery, sculptures, woven cloth, iron figures, and in depth mask forming customs. Before money became the main drive of creation of their artworks, these tribes used their abilities solely as a sacred craft for display of spiritual pride, religious beliefs and display of tribal customs. Unfired green ware pottery on a traditional drying rack at Conner Prairie living history museum. ...
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Tweed loom, Harris, 2004 Woven sheet Weaving is an ancient textile art and craft that involves placing two sets of threads or yarn made of fiber called the warp and weft of the loom and turning them into cloth. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Standard atomic weight 55. ...
Papierkrattler masks at the Narrensprung 2005 Carnival parade, Ravensburg Germany A mask is a piece of material or kit, usually worn on the face. ...
Example artworks include the Bamana n’tomo mask. This mask was used to dance at a male initiation ceremony. Another popular mask is the Tyi Warra (or ciwara) headdress. This mask was used at harvest time by two young men chosen from the farmers association. They were danced for celebration of the village’s most industrious farmer. Other Bamana statues include fertility statues. Many of these types of figures were meant to be kept with the wife at all times to ensure fertility. Other statues were created for people such as hunters and farmers, so other tribe members could leave offerings after long farming seasons or group hunting parties.
Each special creative trait a person obtained was seen as a different way to please higher spirits. Powers throughout the Bamana art making world were used to please the ancestral spirits and show beauty in what they believed in. Hampate Ba, a Malian philosopher and writer, stated "we have learned weavers, sculptors, potters and smiths were members of exclusive societies in which the masters, assisted by their servants, taught the apprentices the sacred craft. Rather than derive money...they devoted themselves to the sacred craft in order to please the gods and the spirits of the ancestors."[citation needed]
See also Bambara, also known as Bamanankan in the language itself, is a language spoken in Mali by as many as six million people (including second language users). ...
The Bambara Empire (also Bamana Empire or Ségou Empire) was a large kingdom based at Ségou, now in Mali. ...
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