Post by anansi on Sept 12, 2010 0:10:04 GMT -5
Perhaps one of the most influential but least known African civilization is the Ejagham, growing up in Jamaica I some times came across designs done with white chalk on the ground this was mostly in the country side when I inquired I was told not to be nosy or those designs were the work of the Obeah man in any case mind your own business,years later I came across the book Flash Of The Spirit (highly recommended) and low and behold child hood memories flashed back the drawings looked the same and the artist had their origins in a civilization called the Ejagham and their designs called Nisibidi.
Ekoi people, also known as Ejagham, are an ethnic group in the extreme southeast of Nigeria and extending eastward into Northern Cameroon. Ekoid Bantu languages are spoken by many groups, including the Atam, Boki, Mbembe, Ufia, and Yako. The Ekoi are related to the Efik, Annang and Ibibio people of southeastern Nigeria and have lived closely with them and also claim to have migrated from the Cameroon's to their area. The inhabitants of Kwa, located near Calabar, claim to be the first Ekoi people to have migrated from the Cameroon's. The Ekoi are best known for their Ekpe headdresses.
Origin
The Ekoi believe that the heirs of the first settlers of their present settlement own the land; while newcomers are not allowed to buy land, they are able to purchase rights of settlement. Ekoi men have traditionally hunted, while women have engaged in agriculture, raising yams, plantains, and corn (maize). Women also fish, and both men and women participate in weaving.
Rulers
Ekoi towns are ruled by councils of elders, but townspeople are free to attend meetings. Native courts that were instituted under British administration provide an appeals system outside of the decision making by the elders. Representatives from various towns sit on the courts.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekoi_people
Wiki Sourced but backed up by the book in hand.
Nisibidi is a writing system of African origins
Nsibidi
Nsibidi is an ancient system of graphic communication indigenous to the Ejagham peoples of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon in the Cross River region. It is also used by neighboring Ibibio, Efik and Igbo peoples. Aesthetically compelling and encoded, nsibidi does not correspond to any one spoken language. It is an ideographic script whose symbols refer to abstract concepts, actions or things and whose use facilitates communication among peoples speaking different languages.
Nsibidi comprises nearly a thousand symbols that can be drawn in the air (as gestures), on the ground, on skin (as tattoos), on houses and on art forms, such as masks and textiles. Though it is enjoyed as an artistic practice by the general public, deeper knowledge of the nsibidi symbols is restricted to members of men's associations, which once controlled trade and maintained social and political order.
Nsibidi continues to inspire the work of many Nigerian contemporary artists such as Victor Ekpuk.
Nigerian Leopard Society members have created some of the most brilliant and elaborate displays of nsibidi. On ritual occasions, members create a dramatic presence with nsibidi-laden ukara cloth. An abundance of signs (leopards, lizards, drums, staffs, geometric and organic shapes) cover the surface of the cloths that each member ties around his waist to form a long skirt. The nsibidi is created by tightly stitching the design on a white cloth that is then dyed with indigo. After drying, the stitching and ties are removed to reveal the white nsibidi signs that appear against the deep blue background, creating a stunning cloth that is immediately recognizable as an emblem of the Leopard Society and a testament to their possession of knowledge, power, and beauty.
africa.si.edu/exhibits/inscribing/nsibidi.html
The Leopard societies in Cuba and other parts of the New world is a secret society instigating slave revolts behind the scenes read the book Flash of the Spirit, in Cuba the are called Abakua or the Leopard people
Ekoi people, also known as Ejagham, are an ethnic group in the extreme southeast of Nigeria and extending eastward into Northern Cameroon. Ekoid Bantu languages are spoken by many groups, including the Atam, Boki, Mbembe, Ufia, and Yako. The Ekoi are related to the Efik, Annang and Ibibio people of southeastern Nigeria and have lived closely with them and also claim to have migrated from the Cameroon's to their area. The inhabitants of Kwa, located near Calabar, claim to be the first Ekoi people to have migrated from the Cameroon's. The Ekoi are best known for their Ekpe headdresses.
Origin
The Ekoi believe that the heirs of the first settlers of their present settlement own the land; while newcomers are not allowed to buy land, they are able to purchase rights of settlement. Ekoi men have traditionally hunted, while women have engaged in agriculture, raising yams, plantains, and corn (maize). Women also fish, and both men and women participate in weaving.
Rulers
Ekoi towns are ruled by councils of elders, but townspeople are free to attend meetings. Native courts that were instituted under British administration provide an appeals system outside of the decision making by the elders. Representatives from various towns sit on the courts.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekoi_people
Wiki Sourced but backed up by the book in hand.
Nisibidi is a writing system of African origins
Nsibidi
Nsibidi is an ancient system of graphic communication indigenous to the Ejagham peoples of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon in the Cross River region. It is also used by neighboring Ibibio, Efik and Igbo peoples. Aesthetically compelling and encoded, nsibidi does not correspond to any one spoken language. It is an ideographic script whose symbols refer to abstract concepts, actions or things and whose use facilitates communication among peoples speaking different languages.
Nsibidi comprises nearly a thousand symbols that can be drawn in the air (as gestures), on the ground, on skin (as tattoos), on houses and on art forms, such as masks and textiles. Though it is enjoyed as an artistic practice by the general public, deeper knowledge of the nsibidi symbols is restricted to members of men's associations, which once controlled trade and maintained social and political order.
Nsibidi continues to inspire the work of many Nigerian contemporary artists such as Victor Ekpuk.
Nigerian Leopard Society members have created some of the most brilliant and elaborate displays of nsibidi. On ritual occasions, members create a dramatic presence with nsibidi-laden ukara cloth. An abundance of signs (leopards, lizards, drums, staffs, geometric and organic shapes) cover the surface of the cloths that each member ties around his waist to form a long skirt. The nsibidi is created by tightly stitching the design on a white cloth that is then dyed with indigo. After drying, the stitching and ties are removed to reveal the white nsibidi signs that appear against the deep blue background, creating a stunning cloth that is immediately recognizable as an emblem of the Leopard Society and a testament to their possession of knowledge, power, and beauty.
africa.si.edu/exhibits/inscribing/nsibidi.html
The Leopard societies in Cuba and other parts of the New world is a secret society instigating slave revolts behind the scenes read the book Flash of the Spirit, in Cuba the are called Abakua or the Leopard people