Yeyi people
The MaYeyi (also: Yeyi or Bayei) are
History
According to oral tradition, the baYei emigrated from the kingdom of the
In the early 19th century the baTswana tribe known as baTawana arrived in the Ngamiland. After the arrival, many of the baYei became serfs, or batlhanka, of the baTawana. Initially the servitude was voluntary in many cases, as it offered protection to attach oneself to a powerful household.[2]
In Namibia, the Mayeyi were first recognised as an independent tribe in 1992; before they were covered under the
Culture
The baYei had a matrilineal succession, i.e. the inheritor of a kingdom is the son of a sister to the king.
The baYei believed in a creator god who lived among the humans. One day the god became angry with the humans for their wickedness and went to heaven. He does not interfere much in the world, except for throwing down the occasional thunderbolt. The baYei also venerate ancestor spirits.
Crops that are important for the baYei culture includes sorghum and tobacco.[7] Maize and sweet potatoes especially for those people in the Okavango Delta are also grown widely.
References
- ^ a b Sanzila, George (5 August 2015). "Mayeyi celebrate cultural heritage". New Era.
- ^ a b "Botswana Ethnic Groups". Study.com. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
- ISBN 978-94-6343-858-2. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
- ISBN 9782865376445.
- ^ "Batsara Batsapi festival attracts thousands". New Era. 4 August 2015.
- ISBN 9789991642055.)
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link - ^ "FAU South Africa Bureau – Friends of the African Union". Friends of the African Union. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
External links
- Thaba, Atomic (27 November 2014). "Tembwe Motshidisi: Self-acclaimed Wayeyi historian". The Daily News.