Mende is the name of a Ethnie alive in Sierra Leone, with the Liberia and in Guinea-Bissau. They are roughly 700.000.

Origin

Their oral tradition indicates that they came from the Sudan between the II {{E}} and the 16th century.

The people mende fixed themselves in his current habitat at the end of the 18th century, with horse on the North-West of the Liberia and on the south-west of the Sierra Leone, after being themselves a long time opposite with the hegemony of the coastal kingdoms directed by the current people Baga and Landuman. Located in wet tropical zone, the territory of Mende, cover of secondary forests, meadows and raised savannas are crossed many rivers.

Social organization

The family organization of Mende puts back on the patriclans (clans structured by patrilineal filiation) and the Mariage, which rests on a very broad Polygynie, is of residence Virilocale (husbands resident near the family of the husband). The village mende constitutes basic political division. It is divided into districts, directed each one by old. The joined together villages, of variable number, constitute a Chefferie. Formerly, of broad confederations of these chefferies were controls by a kind of assisted higher chief of a council.

Agriculture

Traditionally, they lived mainly of the culture of the Riz and practiced the farming Rotation to preserve the fertility of the ground.

Culture

The culture mende is known for its splendid masks of initiation and more particularly those of the company of initiation sande, the sowei, large heaumes representing a head of woman to the broad face curvature. Relatively rare fact in Africa, these masks are manufactured by men and are carried by women.

See too

External bonds

• Mende - Joshua Project