Teke people
The Teke people or Bateke, also known as the Tyo or Tio, are a
History
As part of the Bantu expansion, the Teke established a powerful kingdom in what is now the Republic of Congo in the first millennium C.E. with religion as the basis of legitimacy.[2]
The
The French first arrived in what is now the Republic of Congo in the 1880s, and occupied the Congo until 1960. During this
Ethnography and traditions
The name of the tribe shows what the occupation of the tribe was: trading. The word teke means 'to sell'. The economy of the Teke is mainly based on farming maize, millet and tobacco, but the Teke are also hunters, skilled fishermen and traders. The Teke lived in an area across Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon. The mfumu was the head of the family and his prestige grew as family members increased. The Teke sometimes chose blacksmiths as chiefs. The blacksmiths were important in the community and this occupation was passed down from father to son. In terms of life of the Teke, the village chief was chosen as religious leader, he was the most important tribal member and he would keep all the potions and spiritual bones that would be used in traditional ceremonies to speak to the spirits and rule safety over his people.
Teke masks are mainly used in traditional dancing ceremonies such as wedding, funeral and initiation ceremonies of young men entering adult hood. The mask is also used as a social and political identifier of social structure within a tribe or family. The Teke or Kidumu[clarification needed] people are well known for their Teke masks, which are round flat disk-like wooden masks that have abstract patterns and geometric motifs with horizontal lines that are painted in earthly colors, mainly dark blue, blacks, browns and clays. The traditional Teke masks all have triangle shaped noses. The masks have narrow eye slits to enable the masker to see without being seen. They have holes pierced along the edge for the attachment of a woven raffia dress with feathers and fibers. The mask is held in place with a bite bar at the back that the wearer holds in his teeth. The dress would add to the mask's costume and conceal the wearer. The masks originate from the upper Ogowe region.
Notable Bateke and notable people associated with the Bateke
- Omar Bongo (1935–2009), President of Gabon
- First Lady of Gabon(1967–1987)
- Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of Gabon (2009–2023)
- Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, Interim President of Gabon (2023–)
- Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo (1996–1997)[4]
- Ngalifourou (1864–1956), a queen of the Teke
Bateke dogs and cats
The Teke historically breed
See also
Notes
- ^ Reed 1987, p. 287
- ^ NDINGA MBO, Abraham Constant (2010). "LES PRELUDES HISTORIQUES : GENESES, MIGRATIONS, INSTALLATION DES PEUPLES". In Obenga, Theophile (ed.). HISTOIRE GÉNÉRALE DU CONGO DES ORIGINES À NOS JOURS I. Méthodologie historique Genèse du Congo (in French). L'Harmattan. p. 148-149.
- ^ Ndinga Mbo, 150-151.
- ^ "Congo: décès de Charles Ganao, ancien Premier ministre de Lissouba". Jeuneafrique.com. 2012-07-06. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
References
- Reed, Michael C. (June 1987), "Gabon: A Neo-Colonial Enclave of Enduring French Interest", S2CID 153880808.