Skip to main content

Image / Hausa Chief and his attendants at the Sowing Festival

Have a question about this item?

Item information. View source record on contributor's website.

Title
Hausa Chief and his attendants at the Sowing Festival
Hausahäuptling mit Gefolge beim Säe-Fest
Creator
Wuhrmann, Anna (Ms)
Date Created and/or Issued
1915-03-01/1915-03-31
Publication Information
University of Southern California. Libraries
Contributing Institution
University of Southern California Digital Library
Collection
International Mission Photography Archive, ca.1860-ca.1960
Rights Information
All the images (photographic and non-photographic) made available in this collection are the property of the Basel Mission and are managed by mission 21. mission 21 / Basel Mission claim copyright on the images in their possession and require those publishing any of the images--both individuals and organisations--to pay a user's/copyright fee.
Contact the Archives of mission21 at address mentioned or at info@bmpix.org.
info@bmarchives.org
mission21
mission21, Missionsstrasse 21, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland, tel. (+41 61 260 22 42), fax (+4161 260 22 68)
Description
Note: "Hausa Häuptling mit Gefolg beim Sa-fest. Nicht allzu weit von der königlichen Residenz Fumban entfernt, wohnen die Hausas. Sie sind eigentlich übrall zu finden, an der Küste und im Innern des Landes, in Städten und in Dörfern. Die Hausas sind ein mohamedanisches Nomadenvolk, das als Händler und Hirten ganz Afrika durchquert und oft auch sehr viel Propaganda für den Islam macht. Nzoya hatte den etwa 2000 Hausas, die nach Bamum kamen, zuerst eine Wohnstätte innerhalb der Stadtmauern angewiesen
aber bald nahm sich das kleine Völklein allerlei Rechte heraus, die ihm nicht zukamen und deshalb mussten sich die Leute ausserhalb der Stadt ansiedeln. Sie sind natürlich, da sie auf Bamumboden wohnen, dem Häuptling Nzoya verpflichtet und stehen unter den Gesetzen des Landes. Ist irgend ein Fest, so erscheint der Hausahäuptling mit seinen Untertanen, und dieses Erscheinen ist immr eine wortlose Huldigung und das Zugeständnis, dass Nzoya, der Heide, der Grössere und Mächtigere sei. Der Hausakönig ist ein alter, freundlicher Mann. Er scheint in seinem Dorf keine grosse Macht zu besitzen und auch keine besondere Ordnung zu haben. Ausser ihm führen noch einige das Szepter im kleinen Reich
gibt es doch im Hausadorf noch einen 'König des Handels', einen 'König der Pferde' und einen 'König des Viehs'." (Wuhrmann, A., 1917. Beschreibung zu den Lichtbildern aus Bamum. E-30-0,6).
Note translation: The Hausa chief and his followers at the Sowing Festival. Not far from the royal residence in Fumban live the Hausas. You find Hausa everywhere - on the coast, and in the interior, in towns and in villages. The Hausas are a people of muslim nomads who go right across Africa as traders and herders, and often make a lot of propaganda for Islam. Njoya hat about 2,000 Hausas, who came to Bamum and at first they were assigned to live inside the town wall. But this small people [sic] took all sorts of advantages for themselves which were not theirs by right and for this reason had to move outside the town. They are naturally linked to King Njoya, since they live on Bamum soil, and are subject to the laws of the land. If there is a festival the Hausa chief appears with his subjects, and their appearance is always a statement without words of their homage and their acknowledgement that Njoya, although from their point of view a heathen, is greater and more powerful than they are. The Hausa king is a friendly old man. He seems not to possess much power in his village. Nor does he impose much order. And there are others beside him who have authority in his little kingdom: In the Hausa village there is a King of the Traders , a King of the Horses , and a King of the Cattle. (A. Wuhrmann, 1917, Commentaries to Slides from Bamum, E-30-0,6. K 371).
Type
image
Format
b/w positive, paper print, gelatin-silver
5.7 x 7.9 cm.
Identifier
impa-m28810 [Legacy record ID]
impa-abmpix-3437
http://doi.org/10.25549/impa-m28810
http://thumbnails.digitallibrary.usc.edu/impa-abmpix-3437.jpg
Subject
Agricultural ritual
Chief m
Event
Fence
Festival
Mat
Men's wear
Retainer m
Time Period
1915-03-01/1915-03-31
Place
Bamum
Hausa
Foumban
Source
E-30.31.055 [Reference number]
Relation
Cameroon. Grasslands. Bamum. 1. Palace and its organisation, members of staff; 2. Palace festivals, 3. Palace and other royal buildings
Historical Photographs from the Basel Mission
International Mission Photography Archive, ca.1860-ca.1960
impa-m15099; impa-m17105
mission 21 / Basel Mission

About the collections in Calisphere

Learn more about the collections in Calisphere. View our statement on digital primary resources.

Copyright, permissions, and use

If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.

Share your story

Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.

Explore related content on Calisphere: