The origins of the Fang: language , culture and genes Myth and reality
L. J. van der Veen (DDL, UMR 5596, Lyon) Research with J. -M. Hombert (Lyon), P. Mou - guiama -Daouda (Lyon -Libreville), D. Comas (Barcelone), L. Quintana -Murci (Paris), L. Sica (Franceville, Gabon) et al.
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Objective
Presentation of some expected and unexpected results of the " Language , Culture and Genes in Bantu" project (OHLL, OMLL programmes)
Findings related to – Fairly well -known Black African population – Population movement and migration
Linguistics and other disciplines – Population genetics – Archaeology and history – Cultural anthropology
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
1 Outline
The Fang – Where they live – Who they are – Where they come from Evidence from Linguistics Evidence from Population Genetics – MtDNA – Y-chromosome Possible scenario(s) Further investigation Fang reliquary
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Fang: where they live
Southern part of Cameroon (with the Bulu and Beti pops as their northern neighbours ) Most of the northern half of Gabon Small region in northwest of Congo -Brazzaville
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
2 C A M E R O U N Fang Bulu & Beti
Geographical distribution of Fang, Beti and Bulu
With recent expansion pat- terns for Fang dialects: Ntu- mu, Mvaï, Okak, Mekè, Nza- man, Betsi G A B O N (Modified from Perrois 1972:102)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Fang: who they are 1/4
Most recently installed Bantu -speaking population in Gabon Demographically and linguistically , dominant group (Gabon) ±700,000 individuals distributed over 3 countries Patrilinear descent system Marriage strategy : exogamy (!) Farming villagers
Fang women coming home from plantation - Cureau (1912)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
3 Fang: who they are 2/4
Oral tradition – Mvett (storytelling /music): performing ancestral myth More or less important differences between lineages !
Initiation rituals – Bwiti : adopted from Tsogo (southern Gabon) at beginning of 20th century AD – Melan , as part of Byeri : ancestor worship
Art – Masks (e.g. Ngil ), funeral statuettes ( « Byeri »), ironwork , …
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Ngil mask
Fang Ntumu reliquary
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
4 Fang: who they are 3/4
Ethnic group that has never failed to fascinate the European traders, explorers , missionaries , anthropo - logists , ever since the first encounter
Reputation largely based on Western ( mis)perceptions (outsiders ’ view , ideology , etc.) – ‘Ferocious ’, ‘superior ’, ‘nomadic ’ ‘conquerors ’ – ‘Intelligent ’, ‘industrious ’, ‘honest ’, ‘handsome ’ – Suspected of having practised cannibalism Rumours spread by Mpongwe and allied brokers? (The latter ’s priviledged position being threatened !) Rumours (?) cunningly used by Fang to strengthen their position
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Fang hunters (Griffon, 1865:311)
’Ndiayai, roi des Fans’ (Du Chaillu, 1863)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
5 Fang: who they are 4/4
Usually considered to belong to larger cultural unit, with Beti and Bulu (the so -called ‘Pahouin ’ group) – ?? ‘Mpangwe ’, ‘Pamouay ’ or ‘Pamue ’ < (mi -)paw ̃yẽ ‘I don ’t know ’ (Mpongwe language , B11a) – Name most certainly attributed by others , probably the Mpongwe brokers ( external naming or exoglossy )
Possibly , a confederation of various lineages – Related ? Unrelated ? Some related , others not?
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Fang: where they come from 1/7
Most consensual and most likely scenario ( though limited time depth !)
– Fairly well -documented demic movement within the Cameroon - Gabon area, though the precise (ancient ) geographical origin is still a matter of debate
– Real intensification during 18th century AD and come to an end during first half of 20th century AD in Gabon
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
6 Fang: where they come from 2/7
– Not just one population involved ! Proto -Fang: part of a much more general , southward move - ment
– Turmoil and slave trade in more northern regions Cameroun, Nigeria Raids by Islamic groups
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Fang: where they come from 3/7
– Fang ’s arrival in Gabon ( chronology ) Prior to arrival , the Mpongwe (Myene -speakers ) are the exclusive trade partners of the Europeans First reference to Fang in Gabon: Bowdich , 1819 ( inland location, but where ?). First contacts between Fang and Europeans : Wilson, 1842 ( first description! ) Progressive entring of the Estuary : from 1844 on Southward movement to Ogoou é river: from 1866 on Descent encouraged by the French: development of trade activities – Destiny of Fang tied to destiny of the Colony !
Some accounts suggest presence of Fang in Gabon ( Komo region ) is older – Couple of isolated villages! (Avant -garde?? Iron workers ? Salt traders?) N.B. Revision of borders (Berlin Conference , 1884 -5) introduced part of Fang into Gabon without movement !
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
7 Fang: where they come from 4/7
– Arrival profoundly reshuffled the populational and linguistic land - scape ( their number , skills , economic status , etc.) Previously installed groups left their territory being pushed away by the Fang ( e.g. Kele (B22), Kota (B25) ) Those who stayed underwent process of gradual cultural and linguistic assimilation ( e.g. Makina =Osyeba (shiwa , A83) ) – Osyeba occupied much larger area before arrival of Fang!
– Main sources: oral traditions and testimonies , some written documents ( accounts , reports , registers ); carefully built inferen - ces Although divergent in many respects, these sources corroborate the Fang movement and/or migration
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Adamawa highlands ?
? er riv aga San ? Upper-Sangha
Fang migrations from 1800 AD on
Bulu migrations from 1840 AD on Gabon For Cameroon: after Geschiere (1981) based on Alexandre (1965)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
8 Marquis de Compiègne (1874) Expeditions of Compiègne and Marche (Marche, 1878:405)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Fang: where they come from 5/7
A more picturesque , Romantic theory : nomadic warriors come down from the Upper -Nile region in order to conquer Gabon
– Theory elaborated by the French (!) Rev . Trilles (1912, 1931) and several other ‘specialists ’: ‘Egyptian ’ origin (plateaux of Bahr -el -Ghazal ) for the Fang population, language and culture
Built on a series of speculative and often random parallels drawn by 19th century administrators, explorers and missionaries ( natural fascination with the Unknown, the presumably ‘Unspoilt ’, the Savage ) Built on debatable interpretation of Mvett , and arguments referring to linguistic, cultural and phenotypical traits (skin colour , overall size, etc .)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
9 Bahr-el-Ghazal, Sudan
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Fang: where they come from 6/7
– Theory has become very popular , especially among Black African scholars, but also among non -scholars
– In Gabon, common belief that the Fang, as well as their language, are not Bantu Birth of a new, glorifying myth , cunningly exploited by the French colonisers , and subsequently adopted by the Fang!
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
10 Fang: where they come from 7/7
– Sometimes , strong ideological dimension : Cheikh Anta Diop (1979, 1981, 1993) and Th éophile Obenga (1985, 1993) School of thought “White Egyptologists falsify ancient History! ”
– Similar claims for Basa á (A43a) and Mboshi (C25) languages
– Theory in its strongest version claims that all Black African languages and cultures descend from the ancient Egyptian civilisation
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Evidence from linguistics 1/5
Fang: Bantu A75 (A70: FANG -BULU cluster)
Gabon: Northern , southern and intermediate dialects (Medjo Mv é, 1997) – Admixture to some extent
Impact on surrounding languages – Dominant language assimilating several other , related and less related , languages (cf. Shiwa , A83 dialect spoken by Makina ) – Currently spoken by nearly 30% of the Gabonese population!
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
11 Evidence from linguistics 2/5
Fang looks very different from the neighbouring Bantu languages in Gabon – Some peculiar phonological features 8V + 3 diphtongs (vs. 7V/5V elsewhere ) Phonemic nasalised vowels Labiovelars ([ kp ], [ gb ]) Predominantly closed syllables (open syllables elsewhere ) Palatal nasals in word -final position
Fang of Bitam (northern Gabon)
Proverb (P. Medjo Mvé): Kábân dàdzí évóm étsìní. ‘A sheep ruminates where it is tied up.’
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Evidence from linguistics 3/5
– Homburger (1941, 1951): semi -Bantu … (between Bantu and Sudanic ) – But … according to Guthrie (1948, 1967 -71), Hombert et al. (1989), Medjo Mv é (1997) and Mba -Nkoghe (2001) :
Absolutely no evidence of a non -Bantu substratum All the traits of a regular Bantu language – Lexicon can be directly and straightforwardly related to Proto -Bantu reconstructions, through regular sound correspondences ( vowels, consonants, tones ) – Regular Bantu noun class system – Regular Bantu verb system
– Fang is a foolproof Bantu language , undoubtedly
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
12 Map (TC Schadeberg) showing the current distribution of the some 500 Bantu languages
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Fang (A75)
Consensus dendrogram for languages of Gabon. Alewijnse et al. (2007)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
13 NW
CW
Network of 95 Bantu and Bantoid languages (R. Gray, p.c.; Neighbor-Net Me- thod). NW: north-western Bantu; CW: central-western within western Bantu
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Evidence from linguistics 4/5
How some of the unusual phonological features origi - nated : – Loss of final vowel in many words
– Umlaut of V 1 preceding loss of final vowel – Emergence of mid and complex tone on remaining syllables by left -spreading , preceding loss of final vowel – Phonemic nasalised vowels : loss of intervocalic or final ( velar ) nasal consonants
Areal phenomenon : Grassfields Bantu, other zone A languages
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
14 Evidence from linguistics 5/5
Alleged structural parallels (essentially, sound corres - pondences ) between ancient Egyptian and Black African languages such as Fang and Basa á have no scientific basis at all – Non systematic , randomly chosen , chance similarities – Typological similarities do not prove affiliation – Nowadays languages are being compared with ancient lan - guages , e.g. Mboshi (Bantu, C25) with ancient Egyptian – Core lexicon is poorly represented – Examples of ‘comparative series ’ (hereafter )
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Mboshi (C25) Copt Ancient Egyptian ‘snake’ ndzô adjo d.t
But Proto-Bantu: *-yókà
Mboshi (C25) Copt Ancient Egyptian ‘name’ dina ran rn
But Proto-Bantu: *-yínà (di- : noun prefix classe 5)
Mboshi (C25) Copt ‘palm tree’ i-bia ba , bai
But Proto-Bantu: *-bídà Mouguiama-Daouda (2005)
No regular correspondences! Chance similarities…
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
15 Evidence from genetics (mtDNA ) 1/3
MtDNA variation – Analysis team coordinated by L. Quintana -Murci (Institut Pas - teur , Paris)
– MtDNA : maternally -inherited , non -recombining
– 1404 samples (i.e. individuals ) from Gabon and Cameroon – 9 hunter -gathering ‘Pygmy ’ pops ( 421 individuals ), 20 Bantu - speaking farming pops ( 983 individuals )
– Fang: DNA from 66 individuals
(Data, analysis and slide by Lluis QM)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Evidence from genetics (mtDNA ) 2/3
– No evidence at all of a Semitic or Egyptian origin !
If Fang really descended from the ancient Egyptians , all Bantu - speaking groups of the area would be related to them !!!
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
16 Evidence from genetics (mtDNA ) 3/3
Principal Coordinates
KOT
GAL KEL SHA NGU TSO ORU
OBA
25% TEK Coord. 2 Coord. GIS PUN
DUM
NZE BEN MAK FAN-GB NDU
EWD
Coord. 1 35%
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Evidence from genetics (Y) 1/4
Y-chromosome variation – Analysis coordinated by J. Bertranpetit and D. Comas ( Barce - lona )
– Y-chromosome: paternally -inherited , non -recombining
– 900 samples from Gabon and Cameroon – 3 hunter -gathering (‘Pygmy ’) populations, 20 Bantu -speaking farming populations
– 18 STR markers (3 reactions ) and ~40 SNP markers
(Data, analysis , slides by David Comas)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
17 Evidence from genetics (Y) 2/4
– First ( rather expected ) result :
Fang are basically ‘Bantu ’!
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Y-chromosome in Central Africa: haplogroups
2.50 E
2.00 Eviya Bakola 1.50 G B
1.00 Galoa Bekwil Benga BakaC Punu Makina 0.50 Eshira E2 Shake E3b1 Kele 0.00 Ndumu E3a Nzebi Obamba-0.50 0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00 Duma B2b Teke -0.50 Fang R1bTsogo Kota Orungu BakaG -1.00 Okande A
-1.50
-2.00 E1 Pygmy -2.50 Y-chromosome haplogroup Bantu
Correspondence analysis: haplogroup composition First two dimension plot (75.6% genetic variance)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
18 Evidence from genetics (Y) 3/4
– But … Fang attest a non -African haplogroup (R1b*)!! Haplogroup = particular lineage
– However … they are not the only ones !!!
Punu , Teke, Ndumu , Obamba ! (In particular !)
– All Bantu -speaking pops of farming villagers – Pops that have different oral traditions Especially Fang vs. others – Pops that are not directly related , linguistically Especially Fang vs. others – Pops that are geographically quite remote Fang vs. others
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Peopling of Gabon by Punu, Ndumu, Teke and Fang acc. to oral traditions
M i
n
Fang l a a j
n o
d r
, W
b
o e
t s
h t
e ?
r
) n
E
x
p
a
n
s
i
o
n
R
o
u
t
e
(
c
o
Ndumu-Obamba- s
t
a
Teke l ,
Punu GABON
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
19 Evidence from genetics (Y) 4/4
– Distribution, origin and age of this haplogroup ?
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Y-chromosome in Central Africa: haplogroups Ngumba Obamba Ngumba Obamba Okande Okande Orungu Orungu Ndumu Makina Ndumu Makina Bakola Bakola Bekwil BakaG Bekwil Benga BakaG BakaC Benga BakaC Tsogo Shake Eshira Duma Tsogo Shake Eshira Duma Galoa Nzebi Galoa Nzebi Eviya Eviya Punu Fang Punu Teke Fang Teke Kota Kota Kele Kele %
A 2 3 4 2 9 B 2 4 2 21 2 4 14 3 33 7 4 7 9 8 17 2 9 B2b 2 3 4 2 5 2 7 27 64 60 E 12 20 2 3 5 2 2 5 12 20 E1 2 5 E2 2 10 17 2 2 6 4 2 11 10 3 9 8 5 12 4 E3a 84 80 88 81 58 80 85 84 75 63 84 75 80 74 72 81 85 71 89 100 55 12 20 E3b1 2 G 2 R1b 2 2 19 6 11 4 11 12 2 10 5 3 Total 50 5 48 58 24 64 53 43 36 24 57 47 20 58 43 48 60 42 47 8 22 33 5
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
20 Y-chromosome in Central Africa: haplogroup R1 Haplogroup R1b* (40 % ) • • • • • •
Haplogroup R1b* (Zalloua, personal communication)
Chad: 20-35 % North Africa: 7 % Middle East: 10 %
Modified from Cruciani et al. 2002 Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Y-chromosome in Central Africa: haplogroup R1b*
Haplogroup R1b*
Bantu Bantu with 13.2 repeat Age: ~13,000 ± 3,000 years
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
21 Y-chromosome in Central Africa: haplogroup R1b*
Haplogroup R1b including Chad samples (only 12 STRs)
Bantu
Age: ~12,700 ± 2,200 years Bantu with 13.2 repeat Chad
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Y-chromosomeHaplogroup R1 in Central Africa: haplogroup R1b* Partial back migration and subsequent contacts
~16,000 years ago
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
22 Possible scenario(s) 1/12
Scenario(s) Type(s) of movement – Population on the move – Expansion, migration Impact on perception of social status Impact on perception of lan - guage
Fang warrior (19th century drawing)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Possible scenario(s) 2/12
Contacts between Bantu -speaking farmers and other groups (Nilo -Saharans ?) before and during southward - bound migrations of the first – Initial contacts: northern Cameroon ?, Chad ?, Central -African Republic (CAR)? Farther south ? – More than one region , possibly – Over a considerable stretch of time (2 -3 centuries for Fang; older for the other Bantu -speaking groups)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
23 Possible scenario(s) 3/12
Incorporation: partial integration through contact with pops already in place ( substratum ) and/or encounters of various types (!)
– Archaeological evidence : hunter -collecting settlements prior to arrival of Bantu villagers (the ‘Basques ’ of sub -Saharan Africa !) Carriers of R1(b)?? Possible, though not very likely …
– Motivation and modes of incorporation? Evidence (Y -chromosome) only concerns male individuals – What about females ? Voluntary basis? Forced integration ? Time depths ?
– Not all Fang were originally Fang -speakers: traces??
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Current distribution of Nilo-Saharan languages
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
24 The limited extension of the equatorial forest between 20,000 and 11,000 14 C years BP, making a Nilo-Saharan expansion possible
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Possible scenario(s) 4/12
Several Bantu -speaking pops have thus become , with others , the ‘carriers ’ of a much older ‘back -into -Africa ’ migrated genetic marker, Fang in particular
– Migration within migration ( through admixture ) – Complex event
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
25 Possible scenario(s ) 5/12
Linguistic evidence : Fang migration clearly was part of western Bantu expansion – Fang became the most southern zone A language Linguistic and cultural evidence for Fang homeland before movement : forest environment or at fringe of forest – Thorough knowledge of the forest ’s ecosystem Flora, fauna Hunting the elephant (i.a.)
Possible homeland(s) ( Mvog Etanga ): – Adamawa highlands (north -central Cameroon )? – Upper -Sangha (western Central -African Republic )? – Both ?
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Possible scenario(s) 6/12
Not a rush! – Large -scale movement , with various rates of velocity over time (some accelerations ) – On the whole , a slow progression Moving up, with partial expansion by rapid migration (groups)
No direct descent from the Upper -Nile region ! "Out -of - Egypt theory " is untenable ! – Serious problem of time depth ! Much older genetic substratum
Not a carefully planned , aggressive conquest ! – On the whole , a non -oriented , non -planned , non -linear process
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
26 Possible scenario(s) 7/12
No hordes of nomads : authentic villagers – Misperception based on final stage of expansion ( which concerned only a part of Fang population!!!) – Probably experienced tradesmen already in pre -colonial times (ivory , ironwork , etc.)!
Wave -like in space , in time ( sometimes ‘as the flea jumps ’) – Southern linguistic features in some northern dialects (Gabon) strongly suggest (minor ) back migrations – Some split -offs may have miscarried – Some groups stayed , others moved on – Not a sudden , massive invasion of Gabon
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Primary and secondary dispersal areas
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
27 Possible scenario(s) 8/12
Triggered and/or encouraged by a great variety of fac - tors that evolved over time
Repellers , conductors , attractors – Populations invading northern Cameroon and triggering popu - lation movements (cf. dominos): Muslim invasions and slave trade (the figure of the ‘Crocodile ’ in Fang oral tradition?), times of uncertainty E.g. Fulani expansion: hight of centralized empire during 19th century AD – Usman dan Fodio – Sokoto empire and jihad ( northern Nigeria)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Fulani (Fulbe) people
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
28 Possible scenario(s) 9/12
– European trade and goods : efficient attractor during second half of 19th century in Gabon (the French: strategic , political choice !). Answer to misery among Fang, especially during final stage of expansion Search for women (exogamy ) and extremely high cost of dowry – Fang dowry system is the most expensive of all in Gabon (Mayer, 2002) Possibly , decrease of elephant population (Cadet, 2005)
– Also repellers in Gabon: fear of ( ongoing ) slave trade , strong social bonds ( within lineages )
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Possible scenario(s) 10/12
The way the Fang were perceived and described by the Europeans during the 19th century in Gabon, i.e. as newcomers , very much determined the way the local people talk about them and themselves , mixing myth and reality – Strengthened Fang ’s feelings of superiority – Created representations on both sides that still last Useful stereotypes Myth adopted by the Fang – Induced a new struggle for power Large impact on populations and languages (Makina !)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
29 Possible scenario(s) 11/12
Impact on perception of Fang language – Extensive change: Fang no longer recognised as Bantu ( drastic change in metalinguistic judgments ) – (Adopted ) myth (shared cultural representations ) only reinforced this biased perception Linguistic and cultural identity claimed by the community – Make others adopt the same representation
How belief systems may bias perception!
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Possible scenario(s) 12/12
Possible explanation for perceived phenotypic traits in Fang?? – Why Fang and not the other pops such as Punu ?
‘R1b -free ’ pops: Myene (B10), Tsogo (B30) and Kele (B20) groups – No real contact with R1b -carrying pops More ancient ? ( Suggested by linguistic evidence !) Other migrations paths ? ( Coastal ??, more western?) – Limited number of Kele and Pygmy individuals : gene flow
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
30 Further investigation 1/2
Further explore origin and distribution of the non - African haplogroup – Chad , Cameroon and Central African Republic (e.g. Upper - Sangha area in CAR) – Farther down south Examen North -South , decreasing gradient – Two Congos (other Bantu -speaking populations) – Angola (idem) – Fang: all lineages or only some of them ? Linguistic research – Proto -Fang Vocabulary (core , cultural) – Reconstructions – Loans
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Further investigation 2/2
Sorting out time depths
Fang: Stable ethnic unity ? Or result of ( recent ) convergence? – Cultural variation Artefacts ( funeral statuettes, traditional knives , traditional shield ) and style differences within Fang ( Perrois , i.a.) Variations in oral tradition – Problems with genealogies within ‘Fang ’: absence common ancestors , incompatibilities Lineages as most relevant units ? ( Instead of current subgroups : Betsi , Ntumu , Okak , Mvai , Make , Nzaman ) ( Laburthe -Tolra , 1981) What can population genetics tell us?
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
31 Acknowledgements
To European Science Foundation To CNRS To the organisers (CLCG) To the audience
Fang blacksmiths in 1856 (Du Chaillu, 1863:168)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
References (1)
Alexandre , P. (1965). Proto -histoire du groupe beti -bulu -fang : essai de synth èse provisoire , Cahiers d’é tudes africaines , vol V., n ° 20. 503 -560. Bowdich , T. -E. (1819). Voyage dans le pays d’Aschantie ou Relation de l’ambassade envoy ée dans ce royaume par les Anglais , Paris, Gide, 1819, 527 p., traduction de l’é dition originale , Londres , John Murray, 1819; Carte de 1821, publi ée dans Mittheilungen aus Justus Perthes ’ Geographischer Anstalt über Wichtige Neue Erforschungen auf Dem Gesammtgebiete der Geographie von Dr A. Petermann 1862, Gotha Justus Perthes , Tafel 8, Die Gab ün Länder . Cadet, X. (2005). Histoire des Fang, peuple gabonais . PhD thesis in History. Lille 3, July 2005. Supervisor Jean Martin. CRHEN -O. Diop , C. A. (1979; 1955). Nations n ègres et culture. De l ’antiquit é nègre égyptienne aux probl èmes culturels de l ’Afrique Noire d ’aujourd ’hui . Paris, Pr ésence africaine. Diop , C. A. (1981). Civilisation ou barbarie ? Anthropologie sans com - plaisance . Paris, Pr ésence africaine.
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
32 References (2)
Diop , C. A. (1993; 1977). Ant ériorit é des civilisations nègres : mythe ou vérit é historique ? Paris/Dakar, Pr ésence africaine . Du Chaillu , P. (1863). Voyages et aventures en Afrique équatoriale . Paris, Michel Levy. Guthrie , M. (1948). The Classification of the Bantu Languages . London, Oxford University Press for the International African Institute . Guthrie, M. (1967 -71). Comparative Bantu . Farnborough, Gregg International Publishers. Hombert , J. -M., Medjo Mv é, P. & Ngu éma , R. (1989). Les Fang sont -ils Bantu ? Pholia , 4, LAPHOLIA, CRLS, Universit é Lumi ère -Lyon 2. 133 -47. Laburthe -Tolra P. (1981). Les seigneurs de la forêt , Paris, Publication de la Sorbonne. Mayer, R. (2002). Histoire de la famille gabonaise . Libreville, Editions du LUTO. Mba -Nkoghe , J. (2001). Description linguistique du fang du Gabon (parler atsi ) : phonologie, morphologie, syntaxe, lexique . PhD thesis . Medjo Mv é, P. (1997). Essai sur la phonologie panchronique des parlers fang du Gabon et ses implications historiques . PhD Thesis . Universit é Lumi ère -Lyon 2.
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
References (3) Obenga , T. (1985). Les Bantu. Langues. Peuples. Civilisations . Paris, Pr ésence africaine. Obenga , T. (1993). Origine commune de l ’é gyptien ancien, du copte et des langues n égro -africaines modernes. Introduction à la linguistique historique africaine . Paris, L ’Harmattan. Perrois L. (1972). La statuaire fang. Gabon . Mémoire de l’O.R.S.T.O.M ., n ° 59, Paris, ORSTOM. Perrois , L. (2006). Fang . T2 Visions d’Afrique . Paris, 5 Continents. Trilles, R. P. (1912a). Chez les Fang ou quinze ann ées de s éjour au Congo fran çais . Paris, Soci été Augustin -Descl ée de Brouwer. Trilles, R. P. (1912b). Le tot émisme chez les Fang. Anthropos -Bibliothek , vol. I, n ° 4, Munster . Trilles , R. P. (1931). Mille lieues dans l’inconnu . En pleine forêt équatoriale, chez les Fang . Paris, Descl ée de Brouwer. Wilson, J. (1843). Mr. Wilson ’s description of the country near the mouth of the Gaboon . The Missionary Herald . vol. XXXIX. June 1843, n ° 6. 229 -240.
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
33 Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Primitive homeland
‘Mvog Etanga ’
Overall convergence of Fang oral traditions – Limited time depth (reliability )
Wider context in keeping with the migration ( Beti , Bulu )
Role of war : one of the factors
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
34 Primitive homeland
Cultural evidence : artefacts, lifestyle , etc. – Elephant skin -covered shield (80x60 cm) ( ngu ), sword (fa ), axe (ôvôn ), kind of knife (onzil ); anthropomorphic statuettes and masks – Internal (original) developments ? External influences?
Extent of acquaintance with current environment
Take clans as basic units of investigation, instead of the current (linguistically -based ) subgroups (Betsi , Ntumu , Okak , Mvai , Make , Nzaman ) ( Laburthe -Tolra )
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Primitive homeland
Not all Fang were originally Fang -speakers
Probably , Fang not directly pushed themselves – Beti as intermediates – Domino effect
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
35 Migrations of Fang groups since the 17th and 18th centuries, according to oral traditions
(Modified from Perrois 2006)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
Map of explorations by Du Chaillu (drawn by the author, 1863)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
36 Map of explorations by R. de Lannoy de Bessy (1879-1886)
Linguistics colloquium , Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, November 30th 2007
37