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The Pende people live in the southwest part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). Originally from the area of modern-day Angola they were forced north in 1620 by the expansion of the Lunda people. In 1885 the expansion of the Chokwe people overwhelmed most of the eastern Pende and extended into the western groups. The rise of colonialism halted this incursion and the Pende regained their cultural unity. The Pende are divided into the eastern, central and Kwilu Pende. Although each group is culturally distinct they consider themselves as one people. The Pende are an agrarian people who grow millet, maize, plantain, and peanuts. While it is women who do most of the farm work, the men help to clear the fields and supplement the diet by hunting and fishing. Pende masks were almost always associated with the Mukanda or men’s fraternity. A new class of initiates is taught every 10 to 15 years and its members are considered a generation. Each generation takes a specific name to identify itself and create solidarity within the group. Members of the Mukanda generally perform masquerades during the initiation period. Masquerades tend to take place when the village must pull together for the common good or to meet a challenge. The masquerader’s purpose is to achieve a communion between the living and the dead. While the ritual context of masquerades still exists for the eastern Pende this is no longer true for the other Pende groups. For them, masquerades have become a means for men to attain social distinction and status within their communities. |
External links
http://www.anthroposys.be/ethnoartafrique.htm
http://www.randafricanart.com/Pende_sickness_mask.html
http://www.hamillgallery.com/PENDE/EasternPendeMasks/EasternPendeMasks.html