Bamum people

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The Bamum, also known as Bamoum or Mum, are a Grassfields group living mainly in western Cameroon. They number about half a million people and, together with the Bamileke, make up a large part of Cameroon’s population.

Kingdom and life
The Bamum kingdom centers on the city of Foumban, where the king and his palace oversee the people. Agriculture has long been the main way of life, with farming organized through teamwork. A council called the Koms acted as watchdogs over the king, and for many years they could dethrone him in a ritual called Nguon. The festival of Nguon, held every two years, was suspended during colonial times and was revived in 1992; it remains an important Bamum celebration.

Religion and customs
Traditional Bamum religion focused on ancestral spirits, kept in the skulls of deceased ancestors. Elders guarded these skulls and ceremonies were held to keep restless spirits at peace. Women were seen as important for planting and harvesting. Masks and representations of heads played a big role in Bamum art and symbolism. Today, most Bamum are Muslims, though the community also has a history of traditional beliefs. King Ibrahim Njoya, a notable early ruler, is said to have converted to Islam and Christianity before returning to Islam.

People, work, and crafts
Most Bamum are farmers, but many also work in crafts such as metalworking, woodcarving, leather, embroidery, and ivory carving. Their art often uses brass and glass beads to show power and status. Beaded decorations cover wooden sculptures and thrones, highlighting the Bamum’s history of expansion and war. Common motifs include an enemy head paired with a spear and beaded equestrian figures.

Language and writing
The Bamum language, called Shüpamom, has about 215,000 speakers. It is famous for a unique writing system created by Sultan Njoya around 1895. The script, known as A-ka-u-ku, was simplified to about 80 symbols by 1910. Njoya also produced a large book about Bamum history. Colonial rule damaged Bamum schools and nearly wiped out the script, but a Bamum Scripts and Archives Project in Foumban is teaching literacy again. A spoken language called Shümom exists as well, and the Bamum language is used in music by some artists.