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The Mangbetu are a people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, living in Orientale Province. The majority live in the villages of Rungu, Poko, Watsa, Niangara, and Wamba.Their tribal language is Mangbetu, called Nemangbetu in their language and Kingbetu in the regional language of Lingala. Mangbetu is a member of the Nilo-Saharan language group.The people living in the Mangbetu region subsist mostly on hoe farming, fishing, and some hunting. Yams and plantains are the primary crops, and some cattle farming is done. Unlike other Sudanic peoples, however, among the Mangbetu only the men are permitted to do the milking. Livestock is seen as a symbol of wealth and is often exchanged for bride prices. When the king reigned, he monopolized the copper and ivory trade. The Mangbetu creator god is known as Kilima or Noro. Ara is a god associated with water and was known to take the form of an animal that was to be feared. They also believed that human souls could be reborn as animals. The Mangbetu royalty demanded that their ancestors be venerated. Bad spirits (Likundu) demanded offerings by punishing those who ignored them with sickness and misfortune. These spirits could be directed at an individual by witches. The job of the diviner among the Mangbetu often involved uncovering and correcting the work of witches. |
External links
http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Mangbetu.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangbetu
http://www.ccd.rpi.edu/eglash/csdt/african/MANG_DESIGN/culture/mang_culture.html