Bandjoun

Bandjoun ( La' OJ in local language) is the chief town of the department of the Koung-Khi, in the province of the west of the Cameroun. It also constitutes the Chefferie traditional, most important of the bamilékés countries . The palate sheltering this cheffery was seriously damaged by a case of arson on January 20th, 2005.

Its inhabitants speak the Ghomala' or Bandjoun, which belongs to the family of the languages Bamiléké.

The Chefferie Bandjoun

With 20km of Bafoussam, on the road of Bagangté, is the Chefferie of Bandjoun, most beautiful of the country Bamilékés. Sinuous ways, bordered of fences locking up of the banana trees, lead to a succession of traditional boxes, aligned well and supported by carved wood pillars, kind of colonnade around the habitat which deserves to be detailed.

The frontages are made bamboos patiently dependant with vegetable fibers; some are decorated geometrical reasons. The doors, framed carved panels, are elevated to 50 cm of the ground so that water of flow and the animals do not cross them. The unit is overcome by a heavy sufficiently thick conical roof not to let filter the drops of rain.

The outside of the box tends to change more and more, in spite of the will of certain notable Bamiléké which tries to preserve old local architecture. The thatched roof is replaced by a corrugated sheet roof and the curtains in bamboux do not cover any more the frontages. On the other hand, the interior of the boxes remains the same one everywhere. The hearth is in the center of the large part; three stones are enough to support the pots. All furniture is in bamboo: the scale, to climb with the attic where are stored the groundnuts, the corn and wood, the racks to arrange the domestic ustensils, the beds and even the stools.

The Chefferie contains also a museum where the accessories of the former chiefs are found, the inheritance of the family, but also a large modern building which is used as room of festivals, of meeting room…

The Chefferie

The large box measures 17m top and was used formerly as residence to the chief. It was built by Nghoto approximately two centuries ago. Since; it is regularly restored. Its upper part is used as attic with groundnuts and corn, following the example other boxes. She consists of 3 corridors and a meeting room decorated with skins of lion, symbol of the chief, of panther, symbol of large notable and doors with engravings of lizards, symbol of small notable. It supported by carved pillars of which those of the medium are oldest, having resisted the three fires which took place with the Chefferie.

The structure of the cheffery resembles has that of the concession of the notable ones. The main entrance leads to the large box and the boxes of the women are situees of the two dimensions of the road. The women of a dimension are dirigees by the first still marries appellee " nkoung" and those of the other by " Djuikam" , the woman of her predecessor whom it takes during initiation.

The initiatory concessions surround the cheffery and are dirigees by notable the very influential ones. Example of the various concessions of initiation of the chief or " Fam" , the concession of the royal bracelet and the concession of " Taptouom-Kwamou" , one of the two initiators of the " Todjom" , initiatory remedy that one manages has all the Bandjounais babies whatever the place or they live.

The drill of the cheffery is very important. The part locates just behind the large box, includes/understands the " Fam" or place of entterrement of the chief. It is not pressed that by initiate. Another drill is close to the place of the walk of " Dzemto" , and all along the hill from abroad " mghue". It is the place of rest of the totems initiate.

The cheffery is the center of convergence of the various provinces or " Dje" , which is traditional administrative units with each one a specificity. The German missionaries for example were install has " Djiomghue" , just after the river from abroad. The " Dje Njiomghue" east specializes in the magic or " nkou" direct by " Tatuene" and " Tatuebou". To fight against the spirits malefic, to cancel the rain at the time of the important ceremonies, or to drive out the spirit of one initiate deceased is their field. The " Dje Djesse" east specializes in the " Dje" or sacrifices to bless the chief and to require the rain has God. When the weather is too hot, " DZudie Teyo" " Dzudie Tambou" and 5 others make a turn has Baleng and their return east greets first rain before the seeds.

Contrary to the chief who east buries by initiate with the " Fam" , the wives and the princes are bury in other concessions out of the cheffery.

The chief

He is called Fôn de Bandjoun by the foreigners. In patois, one calls it Fô has djoun, which wants to say the Chief of Bandjoun.

It is surrounded by

the council of the nine notable ones, consisted of notable of the first degree. The notable ones are called Nkam. It is them which assist the chief in all his legislative decisions. The room where the council takes place is called the la' kam, it is to some extent an National Assembly. Almost the totality of the laws enacted by the chief is initiated by them. The council limits and moderates the authority of the chief avoiding by there the abuses of power and possible slip towards the dictatorship.

the council of the seven notable ones, consisted of notable of the second degree. They are the agents of administration of the village: they are charged to maintain peace, the order and internal safety.
the chiefs of district who are with the head of a district of the village and act each one in their sphere of competence

The chief is at the same time

the holder of the capacity religious magico, because he is regarded as a higher being, having a charismatic capacity. He is before all the intermediary between deaths and the alive ones.
the holder of the economic capacity. He is the single owner of the territory constituting his State. It is him which gives the right of use on the ground, right which perhaps removed for unworthiness. By there, it is very powerful since the ground is an essential good. The ground is not sold since it is the property of the gods who do not give it, through the chief, who of use with the inhabitants of the cheffery.
the judge, the referee: it is him which names the members of the central court who, under his presidency, slice the disagreements and deliver the sentences without call on the businesses which are transmitted to him by the courts of district. He delegates to the chiefs of district the power to judge the small businesses, each one in the territory which concerns its competence.
the holder of the political power and administrative: it cuts out the territory in districts and names at their head the chiefs of district and delegates part of its capacities to them. The population pays him in work and in kind a tax whose periodicity and amount are not fixed, but depend on the needs for the chief and the competitive spirit for the taxpayers. The chief is assisted in his government by certain influential personalities of the company gathered within usual secret societies.

Women of the chief

the family of the chief is very numerous: One of the Big bosses of Bandjoun, Kamga II, had several tens of women and almost 250 children. Since its death in 1975, it was in turn succeeds by its sons: Fotue Kamga (Technician of agriculture has which one owes the construction of the museum and the modern palate. He died tragically of an car accident far from his kingdom, after to have taken about thirty young wives), Ngnie Kamga (civil Administrator and fine dancer, he is the initiator of the annual week of pride " msem" of Bandjouns it had approximately 60 wives whose widows of his brother Fotue Kamga) and currently Ndjomo Kamga Honore (Engineer with the polymers it harnesses himself has to rebuild the inheritance destroyed by a fire right after his access to the throne. In addition to the new wives, it with the responsibility to take the young widows of its predecessors as a sign of continuity)

To note

the Dwellings

The dwellings of notable have pointed roofs, the number of points depends on the hierarchy.

the Museum

The chief has a great number of objets d'art having belonged to his ancestors:

water-bottles and statues decorated with pearls
jewels and statuettes out of ivory
masks
hats of dance: largest which is carried only by the chief at the time of the great annual festival 25kg weighs (and it carries it during almost all the dance of exhibition or Tso, about two towers of the place of Dzemto walk! it is assistance by the servants, who carry also his tails of horse, whereas the other notable ones are assistances in the transport of their hats each one by a son)
tables, pieces of furniture (of which thrones)
hunting trophies

External bonds

Site of the museum of Bandjoun

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