History: In the 16th
century, the Kuba peoples migrated from the distant north to their current
location along the Sankuru River. When they arrived, however, they found that
the Twa already lived there. The Twa were eventually absorbed into the Kuba
Kingdom, but retained some independent cultural characteristics. The height of
the Kingdom was during the mid-19th century. Europeans first reached the area in
1884, but the Kuba, being relatively isolated, were not as affected by the slave
trade as many of the other peoples in the area. The Nsapo invaded during the
late 19th century, and the Kingdom was broken up to a large extent.
The Kuba Kingdom was founded in the 16th century by the Bushoong
people, and still have a king alive (I think it is the twenty first). The Bushoong
kings live in a palace known as Mushenge. Each clan pay a tribute to the Nyim
king and in echange the king is responsible for wealth and fecondity. Kuba Cups
where used to drink Palm Beer and to close an agreement. Usually decorated with
a face, those cups where also used as a gift from the King or to remember an
important event.
The Kuba oral
history tells of the creation of the world by Bumba, who decreed that the
Bushoong would always be the ruling class. This creator god is not formally
worshiped. At one time the Kuba had a religion based on ancestor worship, but
this seems to have died out, although divination is still practiced in order to
discover causes of evil. Success during hunting is recognized as a gift from the
gods. It is not incidental that diviners often employ carved wooden hunting dogs
as rubbing oracles in order to arrive at their knowledge. Dogs are seen
throughout the region as responsible for delivering the will of the god, whether
it be through hunting or through the diviner.
Kuba Cup from above (left) and under (right) views
Are
you interested in this Kuba Cup ? Send me an email
+32
3 227.35.40
Book
documentation on the Kuba tribe
Meet
David Norden at NYC Tribal Art Show 2012 in May