The northern mbundu or ambundu distinct from the southern mbundu or ovimbundu are a bantu people living in angola s northwest, north of the river kwanza. In reality the european colonial powers had only very limited resources to suppress the growing alcohol trade. Today, migration of the young generation to the urban centres as luanda heavily affects the traditions of the mbundu 31. Based on extensive fieldwork and solid archival work in france, senegal, burkina faso and. Women went to the villages of their husbands, and their children were raised there. As the largest ethnic group in angola, they make up almost 40 percent of the countrys population. The ambundu speak kimbundu, and mostly also the official language of the country, portuguese. The northern mbundu or ambundu distinct from the southern mbundu or ovimbundu are a bantu people living in angolas northwest, north of the river kwanza. Among the mbundu, the matrilineage survived centuries of change in other institutions. In 1988 they made up an estimated 25 percent of the angolan population. Later, it was a major source of slaves for portugals new world colony, brazil, and for the americas, including the united states. Popular culture in brazil owes a great deal to african cultural elements that have been reorganized and reassembled through various and multiple historical processes.
There are around 4 million speakers, mainly in the central highlands and the western coastal region and also in the cities of benguela, lobito, luanda and lubango. Communication portuguese is the official language of angola, however, a total number of fortyone languages is listed for angola 32. Mbundu ambundu people of angola by the late 1960s, the mbundu living in the cities, such as luanda and malanje, had adopted attributes of portuguese lifestyle. Introduction portuguese explorers first reached the congo basin in the late 15th century, beginning a linguistic and cultural presence that in some regions was to last for 500 years. Map of mbundu kimbundu language from the llmap project.
Just north of ovimbundu territory lived the mbundu, the second largest ethnolinguistic category, whose language was kimbundu. North mbundu, or kimbundu, is one of two bantu languages called mbundu see umbundu. Mbundu, second largest ethnolinguistic group of angola, comprising a diversity of peoples who speak kimbundu, a bantu language. South mbundu, or umbundu is a language used by the southern mbundu people. On the eve of independence, the national union for the total independance of angola unita controlled many of the rich, foodproducing central and southern. This text is widely known as the araldi manuscript since it was.
At its height in the late 16th century, it stretched west to the atlantic coast and south of the cuanza. Nzinga of ndongo and matamba, also known as nzinga mbandi, anna nzinga, and rainha ginga, was born in 1583 to the king of ndongo, a kingdom of the mbundu people in modernday angola. A brief history mu xi ietu ia luuanda mubita ima ikuata sonii in this our land of luanda painful things are happening from a popular folk tale introduction angola endured five centuries of portuguese colonial rule and almost continuous war in. They are the second biggest ethnic group in the country and make up 25% of the total population of angola. Umbundu, or south mbundu, one of two bantu languages of.
It is one of the most widely spoken bantu languages in angola. Although the portuguese captured many slaves in the war that followed, the trading network into the interior was disrupted. Kongo, mbundu and lunda kingdoms 16141700 the expansion of the portuguese settlement in luanda led to conflicts over land between them and the kongo in the period after the death of alvaro ii in 1614. The ethnic can be broken down into north mbundu called kimbundu and south and cental imbundu called ovimbundu. A number of those peoples, like the imbangala and the mbundu, were active slave traders for centuries see african slave trade. Miller convincingly reconstructs the mbundu efforts to establish a broader sense of identity, and a wider basis for political power. The history of mbundu has been traced back to prehistoric times, up through the arrival of the europeans on the african coast, and into modern day by way of written records and oral tradition. For specialists in the history and culture of francophone west africa, this war is better known as the revolt against military conscription which occurred in the niger bend in 191516. A brief history the overthrow of portugals prime minister, marcello caetano, on 25 april 1974 hailed a watershed moment for the former portuguese colonies of mozambique, guinea bissau, cape verde, sao tome and principe and angola.
It is mostly in the northwest of the country, notably in the luanda province, the bengo province, the malanje province and the cuanza norte province. The mbundu live in an environment where droughts occur frequently. Mbundu people of angola dancing mbundu woman, angola. In 1624, ana nzinga inherited rule of ndongo, a state to the east of luanda populated primarily by mbundu peoples. Mbundu translation services company mbundu translators lc. Ndongo, historical african kingdom of the mbundu people. Manual laborers at the sao salvador mission, 1907 these men and boys worked. For example the smuggling of spirits from portuguese angola to the northern part of south west africa continued throughout the german colonial period 18841915. Umbundu is the most widespread bantu language in angola.
Fifty tales, with kimbundu text, literal english translation, introduction, and notes, volume 1 volume 1 of american folklore society. Their speakers are known as ovimbundu, which con stitute a third. The ovimbundu, also known as the southern mbundu, are a bantu ethnic group who live on the bie plateau of central angola and in the coastal strip west of these highlands. Renamed nova lisboa in 1928, the city supposedly stood as an. Angola on the move angola em movimento this book aims to provide a better understanding of the signi. Well, that was the first part of the african roots series. As the congo nations the mbundu do have a lot of artwork with carvings. The ancient kingdom of angola, or more precisely ndongowhich until 1671 essentially existed in the area north of the kwanza river in presentday angola and the neighboring state of kasanje, which was established by the mbangala around 1630belong to what is historiographically one of the more privileged areas of africa, the history of. Anthropology by chicago natural history museum 19451966 and field museum of natural history 1966. The expansion of the portuguese settlement in luanda led to conflicts over land between them and the kongo in the period after the death of alvaro ii in 1614. At that moment, the kingdom was under attack from both portuguese as well as neighboring african aggressors.
First ethnobotanical analysis of useful plants in cuanza. The majority of mbundu have traditionally lived in provinces around the. North mbundu, nai to kimbundu, ek bantu bhasa hae jisme angola me baat karaa jaawe hae bahaari jorr. The historicalsociological matrix and ethos at the heart and strength. Mbundu, the fnla with the bakongo, and unita with the. By david birmingham london, clarendon press, oxford university press, 1966. Fifty tales, with kimbundu text, literal english translation, introduction, and notes, heli chatelain. Numbering about 2,420,000 in the late 20th century, they occupy much of northcentral angola and live in the area from the coastal national capital of luanda eastward. Mbundu, ovimbundu, kimbundu common names afropedea. Nzingas statue displayed in angolas capital city, luanda. Mbundu, also known as umbundu is the bantu language. The northern mbundu or ambundu are a bantu people living in angolas northwest, north of.
The mbundu count nowadays something like 10 million people and share common traditions and their common language kimbundu. Project muse the extraordinary journey of the jaga. Mbundu arts are, when you find sources about them, usually intermixed witht the arts of neighbouring nations, as well as the arts of the congo. However, most of the population lives near the kwanza river. The mbundu and neighbouring peoples of central angola under. South mbundu language simple english wikipedia, the free. Mbundu is a 6 letter word, used as a noun, and has the letters bdmnuu bdmnu. At first these slaves came from kongo, but by the midsixteenth century the smaller kingdom of angola had gained control of the greater part of this trade. They are the second biggest ethnic group in the country and make up 25% of the total population. Word lists are in the order of the most common words and most searched. Jun 09, 2016 portuguese slave traders were no match for angolan queen nzinga mbandi. Many had intermarried with portuguese, which led to the creation of an entirely new class of mesticos.
Umbundu, or south mbundu, one of two bantu languages of angola called mbundu, is the most widely spoken language in. Angola called mbundu, is the most widely spoken language in. The speakers of umbundu language are known as ovimbundu, and they call the language umbundu. Mbunduambundu people of angola by the late 1960s, the mbundu living in the cities, such as luanda and malanje, had adopted attributes of portuguese lifestyle. One leader who proved to be adept at overcoming these difficulties was the queen of ndongo, ana nzinga. Full text of the ovimbundu of angola internet archive. Ovimbundu comprise the majority of the population of angola. The southern neighbours of the congo people were another ethnic group with a high importance for portuguese slave trade, the mbdundu. Miller convincingly reconstructs the mbundu efforts to establish a broader sense of identity, and a. The abolition of the statute in 1961 marked a new period in angola s and in huambos colonial history, not covered by this research. Actually most of the mbundu live in rural areas and are subsistence farmers 30. For the mbundu, a major ethnolinguistic group of angola, traditional allegiance and identity did not center on kingdom, nation, race or ethnicity, but on the extended family. Neto, maria da conceicao 2012 town and out of town. The three largest groups of angola are the ovimbundu, bakongo, and mbundu.
Mar 01, 2017 mbundu people also known as ovimbundu people they can be found in angola they developed in agriculture and by breeding animals such as chicken, swine and goats the mbundu people are the founders of mbundu empire\ kingdom they also are cavaran traders and herdsmen. The mbundu are the second largest enthnolinguistic group of angola afterthe ovimbundu. Kongo, mbundu and lunda kingdoms 1614 1700 updated october 2005. Slavery in angola existed since the late 15th century when portugal established contacts with the peoples living in what is the northwest of the present country, and founded several trade posts on the coast. The ovimbundu are located in westcentral an gola and are located south of the mbundu. Explored by the portuguese navigator, diego cao in 1482, angola became a link in trade with india and southeast asia. Bordering the ovimbundu on the east is the nganguela and on the south there are the herero, ovambo, and nyanekahumbe. Kimbundu is spoken in loanda and the capital luanda. The lineage supported the individual in material and nonmaterial ways because most land was lineage domain, access to it required lineage membership.
Mbundu, also called kimbundu, second largest ethnolinguistic group of angola, comprising a diversity of peoples who speak kimbundu, a bantu language. Lipski presented at annual meeting of the aatsp, san diego, august 9, 1995 0. They account for of angolas population of about 6. Numbering about 2,420,000 in the late 20th century, they occupy much of northcentral angola and live in the. One speciality seems to be the mbundu masks worn in rituals.
The mbundu matrilineage was in some respects a dispersed unit, but a core group maintained a lineage village to which its members returned, either at a particular stage in their lives or for brief visits. Religion was another crucial factor in the social history of huambos angola s most christianized district by 1960, so the articulation of christianity, urbanization and social change is analysed, with a focus on the catholic missionaries of the holy ghost. Membership in and loyalty to it was of great importance. Jun 16, 20 the head of the main mbundu kingdom was called ngola, which is the origin of the name of the country angola. Queen nzinga nzinga mbande, the monarch of the mbundu people, was a resilient leader who fought against the portuguese and their expanding slave trade in central africa during the late 16th century, the french and the english threatened the portuguese near monopoly on the sources of slaves along the west african coast, forcing it to seek new areas for exploitation. Kimbundu simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Pdf this chapter provides an overview of angola, with sections covering its historical.
The mbundu and their neighbours under the influence of the portuguese 14831790. For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription. The northern mbundu or ambundu are a bantu people living in angolas north west, north of. The mbundu are the largest ethnic group of people in the modern state of angola. Cavazzi, missione evangelica african american studies. Trade and conflict in angola trade and conflict in. The chief was called ngola, whence the name angola was. Angola on the move angola em movimento angola on the. This region is an excellent example of how such connections. Starts with m, ends with u, four consonants, two vowels and two syllables. The original core of the kingdom was in the highlands east of luanda, angola, between the cuanza and lucala rivers.