Other so-called Kirdi groups in northern
Cameroon, such as the Mafa, Mofu, or Meri,
kept humpless cattle in the past. These animals
have completely disappeared for various reasons,
such as population movements toward the
mountains, lack of grazing land, or absorption
by other breeds. These groups still sometimes
keep one as a domestic animal to be slaughtered
every 4 years at Mere on special occasions, but
this tends to be a Zebu that they purposely buy
from the Fulani.
ExpressionsofCultureThe Kirdi people are polygamous, yet most men
have only one wife. In the case of the Kirdi cul-
ture, men and women are usually married after
much consultation with parents. The marriage has
to be agreed on by the parents.
The Kirdi believe in one creator god who is
responsible for all created things, but who does
not act as an administrator on a daily basis. The
Kirdi allow the ancestors to take care of their
ordinary needs and to intercede for them if neces-
sary. Others can be called on to assist the commu-
nity in maintaining its moral order. Indeed, the
priest, diviner, healer, and therapist of the clan are
responsible for using herbs, rituals, surgery, and
psychology to make the society well. These per-
sons are also the mediators between the spirits
and the human society.
Using instruments such as flutes, horns, drums,
and harps, the Kirdi religious leaders practice
ancestor reverence and hold special celebrations
for the ancestors during festivals. Finally, the Kirdi
say that the Earth is the mother goddess who
brought into the world all supernatural things,
like thunder and lightning.
Ana Monteiro-FerreiraSeealsoTiv
FurtherReadings
Falola, T., & Heaton, M. (2008).The History of
Nigeria. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Lugard, L. (1997).A Tropical Dependency. Baltimore,
MD: Black Classic Press.
KISALIAN GRAVES
The Kisalian graves represent one of the largest
collections of artifacts ever found in an African
site. Discovered in the area where the Baluba exer-
cised hegemony, the Kisalian graves have become
identified with the southeast area of the Central
African Forest near the shores of Lake Kisale in
the Upemba rift.
Initially, 145 graves were excavated, and 2
atypical ones were dated to the 1st century AD.
What this means is that the Baluba culture is far
older than the usual date given in the 18th cen-
tury; this is particularly true if the founders of the
Kisalian culture were related to the current occu-
piers of the region. Given that most European
anthropologists date the Baluba culture from the
time they became known to whites or Arabs, it is
important to appreciate the significance of the
Kisalian culture.
Kanimba Misago, a Congolese, and others
have tried to reconstruct the culture of the
region. Indeed, by the end of the 1970s, more
than 200 graves were excavated. More than 40
of the sites had radiocarbon dating done on
them, and the age of the sites was more precisely
established. Scholars have now structured the
activity at the grave sites into four broad stages.
The first was the Kamilambian tradition dating
from the earliest time of the Kisalian culture in
the region to the end of the 8th century AD. The
second stage was the Ancient Kisalian stage from
the 8th century to the 11th century. The third
tradition is called the Classic Kisalian, which
began in the 11th century and lasted until the
14th century when the Kabambian tradition, the
fourth tradition, began according to the artifacts
that were found in the graves.ARichCulture
Clearly, the Kisalian graves reveal a rich cultural
tradition on the shores of the lakes and rivers in
the Upemba depression. Since before the Early
Iron Age, humans have occupied most of these
cultural sites, with little lateral movement. This
means that sites have served purposes of living,
harvesting, burial, and settlement. A lot of theKisalianGraves 369