African Pygmies-The Bambuti

The pygmies are probably the most fascinating group of people living in this planet.The Pygmies are the nomadic hunting and gathering inhabitants of the Ituri Forest in Africa.The Bambuti are the most famous of the Pygmies and also the shortest with an average height of 4 feet 6 inches.

The Bambuti hunt and gather food which they use for their own consumption and for trading to their neighbours in exchange for agricultural food,pots,pans and other material which are not available in the forests.The Bambuti live in beehive-shaped houses which they construct in a matter of hours.They move every three weeks to take advantage of the changing positon of the plants and animals which they hunt for their living.The different groups of the Bambuti use different techniques for hunting.

The Bambuti culture is as fascinatiung and unique as the people itself.The Bambuti divide themselves into various patriclans,each clan having one area of the forest to which it claims exclusive rights.Marriage among the Bambuti is a very extraordinary event and is done by 'sister exchange'.A prospective bridegroom must arrange the marriage of one of the fermale members of his clan to a man in his bride's clan.Only a few of the Bambuti men are polygynous and so family bonds are very strong.The Bambuti show very little concern for afterlife and the dead are buried near the huts and the camp is abandoned.

The Bambuti culture is incomplete without music and dance.They are skilled musicians.Storytelling is a well-developed form of art,highly respected by all members of the society.The Bambuti practise a form of singing called the Yodeling,a type of singing in which high falsetto and low chest notes are rapidly alternated.The rites and rituals of the Bambuti revolve around the forest.

The knowledge about the existence of the Pygmies dates back to 2150 B.C.They were present in the court of the Egyptian King Pepi II Neferkare and were depicted on Egyptian pottery.

The African Pygmies ar one group of people whose lifestyle has changed very little despite various foreign invasions.The Pygmies continue to fascinate us with their stature and lifestyle.

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