Fali people
Encyclopedia
The Fali people are a small ethnic group
of west
and central Africa
. The Fali are concentrated in mountainous areas of northern Cameroon
, but some also live in northeastern Nigeria
. The Fali are composed of four major groups, each corresponding to a geographic region: The Bossoum Fali, the Kangou Fali, the Peske–Bori Fali, and the Tingelin Fali. The Fali in Cameroon have been described as being centered around Garoua
as well as the rocky plateau
s and peaks of the Adamawa mountains in the country's north. The Fali are sometimes referred to as the Kirdi
, meaning "pagan
," a term given by the neighboring Muslim
Fulani; the term Kirdi also describes up to 25 other cultures and was originally a pejorative
, although some writers have reappropriated
it.
The term Fali is from a Fula
word meaning "perched," a reference to how Fali compounds appear on the sides of mountains. The Fali in Nigeria primarily live in the Mubi District, Mubi Division of the former Gongola State
.
The Fali speak the Fali language, one of the Chad-Adamawa languages
.
The Fali primarily engage in farming and hunting. Major crops include millet
, chickpea
s, peanut
s (groundnuts), squash, tobacco
, okra
, and cotton
. The Fali are exogamous
, patrilineal
, and hierarchical, with society being made up of clans with distinct territories and chiefs, and tracing their origin to a common ancestor. They observe virilocal residence
.
The Fali people trace their ancestry to the Ngomma, who founded the ancient capital of Timpil. Other accounts trace the Fali's origins to the Sao civilization on Lake Chad
, which flourished from the tenth to the 16th centuries.
The Fali religion is traditional African
. It has been identified as monotheistic
, involving belief in a creator god
, Faw, and a mother goddess
, Ona, the Earth. Followers of the Fali religion make prayers and offerings to ancestors
to intercede
with Faw on behalf of the living. The Fali "conceive of Faw not only as creator and organizer, but also as a just God who is undepictable by human intelligence." The religion also includes belief in supernatural
beings, including genies, sacred crocodile
s, and the black snake
, the master of darkness. By 2009, increasing numbers of Fali were converting to Islam, although many converts maintain syncretic beliefs. A 1996 work estimated the total population of Fali at 95,000 people, with 80 percent being Muslim
and the remainder being Roman Catholic, Protestant
, animist, or syncretic.
Cissus quadrangularis
is significant to Fali in Cameroon, and the Fali are reported to wash their dead in a decoction
of the plant. The Fali believe that the development of the plants is important to fertility; a C. quadrangularis is planted on proposed construction sites, and if the plant does not flourish, a new site is chosen.
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
of west
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
and central Africa
Central Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
. The Fali are concentrated in mountainous areas of northern Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
, but some also live in northeastern Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. The Fali are composed of four major groups, each corresponding to a geographic region: The Bossoum Fali, the Kangou Fali, the Peske–Bori Fali, and the Tingelin Fali. The Fali in Cameroon have been described as being centered around Garoua
Garoua
Garoua is the capital of the North Province of Cameroon, lying on the Benue River. The city had 235,996 inhabitants at the 2005 Census, and is an important river port.- Overview :...
as well as the rocky plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
s and peaks of the Adamawa mountains in the country's north. The Fali are sometimes referred to as the Kirdi
Kirdi
The Kirdi are is a term that describes some many cultures and ethnic groups who inhabit northwestern Cameroon and northeastern Nigeria.The term was applied to various peoples who had not converted to Islam at the time of colonization and was a pejorative, although some writers have reappropriated it...
, meaning "pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
," a term given by the neighboring Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
Fulani; the term Kirdi also describes up to 25 other cultures and was originally a pejorative
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
, although some writers have reappropriated
Reappropriation
Reappropriation is the cultural process by which a group reclaims—re-appropriates—terms or artifacts that were previously used in a way disparaging of that group. For example, since the early 1970s, much terminology referring to homosexuality—such as gay, queer, and faggot—has been reappropriated...
it.
The term Fali is from a Fula
Fula language
The Fula or Fulani language is a language of West Africa. It is spoken as a first language by the and related groups from Senegambia and Guinea to Cameroon and Sudan...
word meaning "perched," a reference to how Fali compounds appear on the sides of mountains. The Fali in Nigeria primarily live in the Mubi District, Mubi Division of the former Gongola State
Gongola State
Gongola State is a former administrative division of Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from Adamawa and Sardauna Provinces of North-Eastern State, together with the Wukari Division of the then Benue-Plateau State; it existed until 27 August 1991, when it was divided into two states -...
.
The Fali speak the Fali language, one of the Chad-Adamawa languages
Adamawa languages
The Adamawa languages are a putative family of 80–90 languages scattered across the Adamawa Plateau in central Africa, in Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Chad, spoken altogether by only one and a half million people . Joseph Greenberg classified them as one branch of the...
.
The Fali primarily engage in farming and hunting. Major crops include millet
Millet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
, chickpea
Chickpea
The chickpea is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae...
s, peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s (groundnuts), squash, tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, okra
Okra
Okra is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of South Asian, Ethiopian and West African origins...
, and cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
. The Fali are exogamous
Exogamy
Exogamy is a social arrangement where marriage is allowed only outside of a social group. The social groups define the scope and extent of exogamy, and the rules and enforcement mechanisms that ensure its continuity. In social studies, exogamy is viewed as a combination of two related aspects:...
, patrilineal
Patrilineality
Patrilineality is a system in which one belongs to one's father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritance of property, names or titles through the male line as well....
, and hierarchical, with society being made up of clans with distinct territories and chiefs, and tracing their origin to a common ancestor. They observe virilocal residence
Patrilocal residence
In social anthropology, patrilocal residence or patrilocality is a term referring to the social system in which a married couple resides with or near the husband's parents. The concept of location may extend to a larger area such as a village, town, or clan area...
.
The Fali people trace their ancestry to the Ngomma, who founded the ancient capital of Timpil. Other accounts trace the Fali's origins to the Sao civilization on Lake Chad
Lake Chad
Lake Chad is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Africa, whose size has varied over the centuries. According to the Global Resource Information Database of the United Nations Environment Programme, it shrank as much as 95% from about 1963 to 1998; yet it also states that "the 2007 ...
, which flourished from the tenth to the 16th centuries.
The Fali religion is traditional African
African Traditional Religion
The traditional religions indigenous to Africa have, for most of their existence, been orally rather than scripturally transmitted. They are generally associated with animism. Most have ethno-based creations stories...
. It has been identified as monotheistic
Monotheism
Monotheism is the belief in the existence of one and only one god. Monotheism is characteristic of the Baha'i Faith, Christianity, Druzism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Samaritanism, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism.While they profess the existence of only one deity, monotheistic religions may still...
, involving belief in a creator god
Creator deity
A creator deity is a deity responsible for the creation of the world . In monotheism, the single God is often also the creator deity, while polytheistic traditions may or may not have creator deities...
, Faw, and a mother goddess
Mother goddess
Mother goddess is a term used to refer to a goddess who represents motherhood, fertility, creation or embodies the bounty of the Earth. When equated with the Earth or the natural world such goddesses are sometimes referred to as Mother Earth or as the Earth Mother.Many different goddesses have...
, Ona, the Earth. Followers of the Fali religion make prayers and offerings to ancestors
Veneration of the dead
Veneration of the dead is based on the belief that the deceased, often family members, have a continued existence and/or possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living...
to intercede
Intercession
Intercession is the act of interceding between two parties. In both Christian and Islamic religious usage, it is a prayer to God on behalf of others....
with Faw on behalf of the living. The Fali "conceive of Faw not only as creator and organizer, but also as a just God who is undepictable by human intelligence." The religion also includes belief in supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
beings, including genies, sacred crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
s, and the black snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
, the master of darkness. By 2009, increasing numbers of Fali were converting to Islam, although many converts maintain syncretic beliefs. A 1996 work estimated the total population of Fali at 95,000 people, with 80 percent being Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and the remainder being Roman Catholic, Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
, animist, or syncretic.
Cissus quadrangularis
Cissus quadrangularis
Cissus quadrangularis is a perennial plant of the grape family. It is commonly known as Veldt Grape or Devil's Backbone.- Distribution :...
is significant to Fali in Cameroon, and the Fali are reported to wash their dead in a decoction
Decoction
Decoction is a method of extraction, by boiling, of dissolved chemicals, or herbal or plant material, which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes. Decoction involves first mashing, and then boiling in water to extract oils, volatile organic compounds, and other chemical substances...
of the plant. The Fali believe that the development of the plants is important to fertility; a C. quadrangularis is planted on proposed construction sites, and if the plant does not flourish, a new site is chosen.