The Bambaras (Bambara: bamanan; plural, Bamananw, Bamana or Banmana) are a Mandingue people of the Sahelian West Africa, mainly settled in Mali. They formed the “Bambara Kingdom of Ségou” in West Africa. They speak Bambara.
Bambara, or Banmana (from “Ban” = refusal and “Mana” = Master, meaning “those who refused to be dominated”) or Bamanan, “men of the crocodiles.” In Mali, the Bambara are the largest ethnic group, representing 35% of the population (1,700,000), but Bambara are also found in Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Côte d’Ivoire. When they mixed with other ethnic groups, they always dominated them. The Ouassoulounké, living between Bougouni (Mali) and Siguiri (Guinea), although of Fulani origin, share the same customs and crafts as the Bambara. The Dioula (70,000 in Mali) also have strong cultural ties with the Bambara, as do the Malinké and Khassonké, particularly visible in mask and sculpture styles. The Bambara occupy the Niger Valley from Bamako to Ségou, San, Djenné, Mopti, and Bandiagara. In the northwest are the Bambara of Bélédougou and Kaarta; in the south, those of Bougouni and Sikasso, who are a minority among the Minianka Sénoufo.
History
Originally, the Bambara ethnic group consisted of several clans, vassals of Mali. A legend recounts that two Bambara brothers went west in search of a safe place to settle. Baramangolo and Niangolo, unable to find a canoe to cross the Bani River (a Niger tributary), were transported across the river on the back of a giant catfish (called polio). Hence their name: Kouloubali (koulou = canoe, bali = without), which became Koulibaly. According to the legend, they were the ancestors of the two major Bambara kingdoms.
Baramangolo, kind and generous, founded the Kouloubali dynasty of the Ségou Kingdom (1600–1862) on the right bank of the Niger.
His brother Niangolo, cruel and wicked (he had killed the polio fish, his benefactor), exiled himself to the left bank and founded the Kouloubali Massassi dynasty (“descendants of the king”), later the Kaarta Kingdom (1633–1854).
According to other griots, this episode occurred later, under the reign of Biton Mamari Kouloubali (1712–1755). Historically, by the 17th century, western Sudan, weakened by Moroccan domination, no longer had powerful empires, and former Bambara vassal clans became free, founding the kingdoms of Ségou and Kaarta. In the 19th century, these kingdoms faced attacks from neighboring ethnic groups and had to end their rivalries. When the Toucouleur conqueror El Hadj Omar Tall arrived, the two kingdoms reconciled and allied with the Fulani of Macina to fight their common invader. They were defeated and remained under Toucouleur domination until 1890, when Ségou was captured by the French. Due to the fierce resistance of the Bambara and Fulani, El Hadj Omar could not establish a stable state. The fiercely independent Bambara fought the French courageously until 1893, when King Badian, installed by the French, signed a peace treaty.
Economy
Agriculture is the main occupation of the Bambara. They entrust their herds to Fulani herders. Beehives (N’Gounou) are visible in trees, with honey harvested by the Bambara.
Social Life
The Bambara are divided into three main social classes:
- Ton Tigui – warrior landowners.
- Nyamakala – caste people of Nyama (artisans and bards), including: Noumou (blacksmiths), Lorho (leatherworkers), Koulé (woodworkers), Garanké (shoemakers and saddlers), Dieli (griots), and Finah (religious bards).
- Dyon – slaves.
Bambara society has several age-grade groups (flanton). A traveling Bambara can always find companions of his age group who will welcome him, remembering shared experiences.
Religion
Most Bambara remain animist. They believe in a god of creation and light, Faro. The creator verb generated the spirit Yo, who in turn created Faro, the world-builder, master of the Word, father of all air and water deities. Faro resides in the seventh heaven and sends beneficial rain. His color is white. Faro created the first woman, Mousso Koroni, mother of humanity.
Like all animists, the Bambara worship spirits (mâne of ancestors and invisible beings), expressed through fetishes (Boli) and gris-gris. Magic plays a significant role in daily life. Many secret societies also exist, the most important being the komo, with each village having its own, independent from others, led by blacksmiths. Other secret societies include nama, koré, kono, dio, and nia, each serving a specific role. Each society has masks representing animals or humans with animal traits. The most famous Bambara sculpture, tyi wara (tyi = straw, wara = wild animal), belongs to the kono society and relates to agriculture. Tyi wara guides dances during funerals, initiation ceremonies, and rituals for rain and crop fertility. Membership in magico-religious societies, which invoke spirits and sometimes induce trance, is not incompatible with practicing Islam.
Culture
Festivals – Religious festivals, including those of the komo, occur at the start of planting and after harvests; weddings, with celebrations reflecting the groom’s family resources; funerals of chiefs and notables, conducted with special grandeur; circumcision ceremonies lasting several uninterrupted days. Bambara griots are renowned for epic songs. Former komo religious songs are forbidden to women and performed by caste members, especially blacksmiths. Griots preserve oral and musical traditions. Bambara dances are numerous. The national troupe of the Ballets du Mali showcases the most characteristic dances. Some dances are reserved for women. There are also special dances for artisan castes: tagué or diamara (blacksmiths, emphasizing muscle movements, especially chest and thighs); domba (shoemakers, graceful movements); kokoun kokoun (fishermen seeking good catches); and dances of secret societies. Bambara puppets from Mopti and San have elongated faces and sharply defined noses, with tall braided headdresses. Controlled by a hidden puppeteer, the movable arms and legs operate via strings. Traditionally, puppets served religious cults, symbolizing spirits of the dead; today they are used for comedies and farces.
Oral Literature – Griots recite or sing Bambara legends, recounting major events of national heroes. Bambara theater combines dialogue, dance, and song (e.g., zantegueba). Popular literature is recited by the korodiouga, a troupe of jesters using imagery, wit, and comic stories to entertain.
Crafts – Practiced by special castes, except basketry, weaving, and dyeing, which anyone can do. Nyamakala had the status of free men; some taught their skills to servants, who could become skilled workers but could never open independent workshops. Without initiation by Nyamakala, a person could not practice the craft properly and risked the wrath of spirits, masters of the trades.
Clothing and Adornment – Traditional men’s clothing is still worn in villages: embroidered boubous, short tunics, and baggy trousers. Men cover their heads with caps with two points, sometimes folded over ears (bamba dah, “crocodile mouth”), and wear conical straw hats (gaban) for sun protection. Women wear open-sided wrappers. Traditional hairstyles for men include a crest from forehead to nape with two side braids tied under the chin; a pierced left ear holds a lucky ring. Women wear crests with two braids on each side, large gold earrings, and sometimes nose rings in silver, copper, or gold. Necklaces and bracelets are numerous. Scarifications on face and body vary by region and have occult significance.
