Abstract

This study is entitled The Impact of Christianity on the Culture of the Bakweri people in the South West Region. Christianity came as a result of Colonization when missionaries were sent by their colonial masters to evangelize. They used Christianity to wipe out the evil practices. But it should be noted that before the coming of the missionaries, the Bakweri people and Cameroonians, in general, had the knowledge already that there was a Supreme Being.

The aim of the study was to see if Christianity has brought positive or negative impacts on the Bakweri people in the South West Region. An interview was used to collect data and the sample size was 20. Frequency tables were used to analyze the data which shows that Christianity eradicated most of the traditional practices like the worshipping of idols, belief in many gods, and the wicked practice towards widows.

Also, Christianity has brought unity, peace, and love amongst people and families in the community. As unique as the Bakweri culture stands, some recommendations should be respected for it existed side by side Christianity such as; Christianity and tradition should work for hand in glove because before the coming of Christianity, the Bakweri people tradition has long existed and they were aware of the existence of the Supreme Being and because of this, Christianity should not view the Bakweri people tradition as evil.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Study

Christianity is defined in many ways. It is a monotheistic religion on the life and teaching of Jesus Christ as presented in the canonical gospel and other New Testament writings. Oxford Advanced learners Dictionary, Sixth edition  p. 501(2000). Adherents of Christianity are the way of the lord, a way of truth, a way of salvation, and a way of righteousness (Escaper, 1984). Bud lock Philip (1965) defined Christianity as the whole body of Christian believers in God as the Father Almighty who as a just and merciful creator and sustainer of the universe works through the Holy Spirit for man’s salvation and that affirms Jesus Christ as Lord and savior who proclaimed to man the gospel of salvation.

Christianity is the largest world religion at the moment. It has two billion followers who classify under 34000 different denominations (EWTN Rev. Father Martha, W.R August 2011). INITIALLY, Christianity derived from Judaism as Jesus Christ as a Jew (as were his apostle). Christianity is based mainly around the life death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Christianity first arrived in North Africa in about the 2nd century Africa was among the earliest in the world. Legend has it that Christianity was brought from Jerusalem to Alexandria on the Egyptian coast by Mark One of four Evangelists, in the 00 AD. Christianity was an agent of great change in Africa. It disorganizes the status quo, bringing new opportunities to some and under-finding the powers of others.

With the Christian missions came education and hope for the disadvantaged. However, the spread of Christianity passed away for commercial speculators and in its original   European form, denied people pride in their culture and ceremonies. In the 15 century, Christianity came to sub-Saharan Africa with the arrival of the Portuguese in the South of the continent, the Dutch sounded the beginning of the Dutch reform church in 1952. Adherents (28 August 2005).

The Bakweri are a homogeneous ethnic group located at the foot of Mount Cameroon. The culture and tradition of these people have been handed down verbally from generation to generation in bits and pieces. The tribe is facing extinction on grounds that the tribal past is fast dying out with no signs of redemption force. Urbanization and the influx of strangers is a strong desulfurizing force to be the tribe. The youths of today have lost their tribal political representation and if at all there exists any its rule is reduced to obeying the Master will never as custodian of the tradition.  Tribal elites on their part promote rivalry among themselves thus creating loopholes to allow division and internal chaos. Christianity came to the Bakweri people in the early 1840s and spreads throughout the people are;

The Supreme Being: the people of Bakweri were traditional, religious before the coming of Christianity. They did not see the existence and all other things that existed in the world has come being by chance. They knew that it was through the hard work of a supreme being of his creation such as extraordinary phenomena like deep points in rivers, rocks, the sunshine, and moonlight. This Supreme Being was known among the people as “Loba” meaning God.

Witchcraft:  among the Bakweri people, witchcraft is very common. Witchcraft is known as “liemba” is regarded as an inborn art inherited from either parent and it can be passed on to another person by initiating. It can be practice at all ages. The practice is sacred is dealing with the spirit. If a victim’s illness is diagnosed to be caused by witchcraft, special treatment call “yowo” is performed with the constitution of a diviner or soothsayer.

Natural spirit: the Bakweri people have some spirits which as intermediaries between them and the Supreme Being. The people know these spirits were for the whole of the area while others were personal spirits. That is every person in the clan believed that they had a spirit that acted between him and God. These spirits were not God. They were dedicated messengers of the Supreme Being, to guide his creation. Their functions were all positive towards men. They are said to protect the interest of the people rather than destroy.

The Bakweri also have certain rituals and beliefs they perform.

Rituals: The Bakweri people have certain rituals.  They perform which is against Christianity. Christians see these rites as being evil: Though some of the rituals do not longer exist, some are still performed, as we will see below.

Mbando Rites: The Mbando rite is a public rite for the entire village. Its origin can be traced to the founding fathers of each village. Every village was autonomous and paid no allegiance to another for size and population. A special stone was set up on a central sport in the village to restore the future and present the untold or the unforeseen.

Catastrophes

This stone is called “Mbando” it derived its meaning from vanda meaning to cover. It is believed to cover the village and actually a congregational spot where the ghost of the ancestors assemble to receive prayers, libations from the living, the living affecting the entire village during special occasions e.g. wrestling in the libation ceremony is called “lisomelele”. The eldest male (patrilineal) of the village performs it. From time to time, a series of misfortunes may make it necessary to deconsecrate the son to receive it power, or in a defensive public ceremony. Circumstances of this male violent nature could be sickness, continual strife in the village, and bad Omens such as fowls crying at night and sometimes hallucination of various kinds and nightmares.

Situations of this nature bring panic to the village that calls for a Mbando doctor who would perform these rituals at night. Thereafter, the villagers are required to obey certain laws or don’t such as no one should cry when darkness falls, this was very theoretical to some recalcitrant wives who should carry a firebrand at night, no one should carry a log of wood and walk across the village. The failure to observe these powers slowly weakened the Mbando stone.

Nowadays, the Mbando rites had completely lasted their usefulness as a result of Christianity, also because some of the Mbando performers are dead. The early missionaries denounced these practices as evil and primitive. The missionaries did not consider the belief system which could co-exist with the Western belief system of a monolithic God or we call him the God of Israel.

Matrilineal Rites

The matrilineal rite involves all males and females sharing common matrilineal ancestors. These rites are performed when symptoms such as death and common disease are spotted in a family. Its origin is unknown. Specially wrapped in leaves and buried in the forest. A diviner is also consulted when a family member defects symptoms of death, illness, and some cases dreams, the diviner always states that a woman of matrilineal lineage had seen the shiny gold bangle in her farm and has told nobody. The seeing of this bangle by a woman is very essential, by imputing the difficulties of the family mishaps. Once the bangle is found its destructive power becomes harmless and transformed into a fertility fetish. The adult members of a family make a collective contribution to defray expenses and the rites are generally performed in the house of senior males.

Rites of passage

The Bakweri boys and girls are initiated into adulthood through rituals linked with various types of supernatural sickness suffered by the individuals. In the old days, circumcision of boys was delayed until about the age of 18years as a preliminary to marriage. The delay was to prevent boys from community adultery. Nowadays, however, circumcision takes place immediately after birth or at a later date in a better sanitary conditions. There is clitoridectomy for girls among Bakweri. The initiation rites for the girls take the form of the “Kengu” rites.

Liengu rites

The liengu rite is connected with the water spirit cult found mostly among some coastal ethnic group of Cameroons, more especially with the Bimbia, Bota, and the Bakweri people. The Bakweri called it “liengu” while the other ethnic group calls it “Jengu”. Its objective was to secure the prestige or dignity of the free-born. A slave was never granted admission to be initiated into these rites. Persons born of both of free or one the parents of free lineage were granted membership. The contention is that these spirits are being human forms are partly human-like less dwelling under special deep spots in the sea. These places are called “Ndiw” (Ndiwa) and are held very sacred.

The Bakweri view of liengu

The Bakweri have these rites as a form of initiation mainly for women and also curative to certain forms of illnesses. There are three forms of liengu namely, the liengu la vetea, liengu la ndiva and liengu la mongbonja. The three forms manifest themselves as illness which usually attacks and general body pains believed to be caused by the water spirit.

Pregnancy Rites

During pregnancy, the Bakweri woman undergoes certain rites to maintain the unborn baby until her period to give birth naturally. These rites are called lilala, Mondo, Mokosa and Mesumma. To assert any of miscarriage, a woman must perform the rites of lilala which takes the simple form a special traditional doctor trained only for this purpose. Lilala simply means to step on this relates stepped upon to hold fast, never to have a miscarriage.

The Mondo rite is a regeneration of the powers of the matrilineal fetish called “Yowa a Mondo”. The treatment is done by a special traditional doctor whom the matrilineage recognizes. The rite is performed with a goat of single birth and then during the process of this rite, the woman confesses all the ugly acts she might have committed against her husband, her family members, and even herself. Once this is done she is required to cut off the head of the goat in one attempt with a machete.

The Mokosa rite is similar to all with the intention to stop any untold problems during pregnancy. It also entails simple enema medicine.

The Mesuma rite is a cure to many female afflictions from menstruation problems to the prevention of a woman from giving birth to twins has been accepted as a blessing to the family, if and only when they come without problems. It is also believed that these rites prevent a breech presentation at birth should a pregnant woman fails to perform any of the pregnancy rites there is great fear that, she may have an abnormal delivery.

1.2 Problem Statement

The Bakweri people who are known by oral tradition to have originated from Mbomboko, had their own way of carrying out their bellets since their settlement in the present location.

However, these religious beliefs are changing as time goes on. A lot has been modified with respect to religious beliefs nowadays. In as much as these changes take place, it should be noted that the people read differently to these changes. Most people especially the old are very conservative and do not always agree with these changes in Christianity on the tradition (aspects such as marriage, religion, sex, and family) of the Bakweri people. They must exist a mix feeling about Christianity among the people not all of them have a positive feeling about Christianity others have negative feelings.

1.3 Objectives of the study

The objective of this study is divided into two parts; there are the main and specific objectives. The main objectives are to examine the effects of Christianity on the tradition of the Bakweri people in the south West Region of Cameroon.

1. To examine the traditional practices of the Bakweri people eradicated by Christianity
2. To examine how Christianity came and its manifestation in the Bakweri community.
3. To identify those factors that have led to the survival of Christianity.
4. To examine how Christianity is today as compared to the past.
5. To examine the effects of Christianity on the Bakweri people

1.4 Research Hypothesis

This has to do with relevant answers to our research questions that are related to studies on Christianity (impacts) and to stop those things which our fore fathers did which were wrong and to accept Christ in our lives