Mama for story
Editors: Ian Fowler and David Zeitlyn
Introduction
The genesis of an idea is often difficult to elicit unambiguously. Much like the foundation of an African chiefdom it may become imbued with a foundation myth. Certainly, many associated with E.M. Chilver have given thought to ways in which her very significant contributions to Cameroon studies might be satisfactorily acknowledged. In the autumn of 1990 the Grassfields Working Group held a session in Oxford organised by E.M. Chilver. Led by Professors Miriam Goheen and Eugenia Shanklin a number of us, notably Shirley Ardener, Claude Tardits, Charles-Henry Pradelles de la Tour, Michael Rowlands and Jean-Pierre Warnier, took this occasion to conspire and Zeitlyn and Fowler were informally appointed to co-ordinate the project. Two of the institutions with which E.M. Chilver was particularly involved, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford and Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, London, gave generous support to help cover the costs of preparing these publications. The editors, on behalf of the contributors, are pleased to be able to acknowledge our gratitude to them.
In order to thematise what we initially envisaged as a single volume we requested that papers should focus on the convergence of ethnography and history in the field of Cameroonian studies. The extensive and overwhelmingly positive response to our call presented us with the 'problem' of a wealth of riches that could not easily be produced as a single volume. This we have resolved by dividing the papers into three separate sets, each representing a different aspect of Mrs Chilver's interests. One set focuses on contemporary views of the state, its emergence through partition and reunification, the developing role of the chieftaincy, and key issues of gender and accumulation as they have developed in the modern state; another set of papers combine historical and anthropological analyses; and, finally, there are ethnographic accounts of topics such as witchcraft, divination and religion in the Grassfields region of Cameroon.
As part of this project we are making available here a photograph of the Fon of Nso', Fon Sëm III (Mbinglo), Sally Chilver and Phyllis Kaberry. The photograph was taken in 1958.
A set of three collections that have been inspired by the work of Mrs E.M. Chilver, known to many as Sally Chilver 'Mama for Story'.
The project is being published in the following forms:
1) Half of Paideuma (the journal of the Frobenius Institute) for 1995 is devoted to a collection entitled
PERSPECTIVES ON THE STATE:
FROM POLITICAL HISTORY TO ETHNOGRAPHY IN CAMEROON.
ESSAYS FOR SALLY CHILVER
This was published in June 1995 and can be ordered from Franz Steiner Verlag, Postfach 10 10 61, D-70009 Stuttgrat, Germany. It costs DM80 plus postage.
2) A volume with the title African Crossroads
published by Berghahn, Oxford
3) Special Issue of JASO to be published later in 1996.
Perspectives on the State:
From Political History to Ethnography in Cameroon.
Essays for Sally Chilver
Paideuma 1995
With the kind permission of the Editor of Paideuma the full text of this issue of Paideuma is now (December 1999) available online
-
Editors' Introduction
- Ian Fowler and David Zeitlyn
-
The Road To The Unitary State Of Cameroon 1959-1972
- Bongfen Chem-Langhëë
-
Reunification And Political Opportunism In The Making Of Cameroon's Independence
- Martin Z. Njeuma
-
Indirect Rule In Colonial And Post-Colonial Cameroon
- Nantang Ben Jua
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Chieftaincy In The Modern State: An Institution At The Crossroads Of Democratic Change
- Cyprian F. Fisiy
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Bafut Under Colonial Administration 1900-1949
- Mathias L. Niba
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Gender And Accumulation In Nso'
- Mitzi Goheen
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Structures Of Control And Power And The Implications For Social Change In A Western Grassfields Chiefdom
- J.A. Mope Simo
African Crossroads: Intersections between History and Ethnography in Cameroon
Editors: Ian Fowler and David Zeitlyn
ISBN 1-57181-859-6 hardback
ISBN 1-57181-926-6 paperback
Published in June 1996
By Berghahn Books, Oxford
3 Newtec Place
Magdelen Road
Oxford OX4 1RE, UK
Contact them by Email.
Ordering Information:
ISBN 1-57181-859-6 hardback
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Orders for the UK and Europe from |
ISBN 1-57181-926-6 paperback
ca. $18.50 / £11.95 |
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PL6 7PZ, UK |
Post and packing:
Europe £1.50 for first book, £1 for each additonal book |
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Please send US orders to:
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FAX 703 - 689- 0660
With the kind permission of Berghahn Books the full text of the Preface, Forward and Introductory Essay have been made available online
- Preface
- Shirley Ardener
- Introduction
- Ian Fowler and David Zeitlyn
- The person, Ethnicity and the Problem of 'Identity' in West Africa
- Richard Fardon
- Mythic Transformation and Historical Continuity: the Duala of Cameroon and German Colonialism, 1884-1914
- Ralph A. Austen
- Catholicism and Nso' Traditional Beliefs
- Joseph Lukong Banadzem
- Political Relations on the Eastern Marches of Adamawa in the Late 19th Century: A Problem of Interpretation
- Philip Burnham
- Nso' Military Organization and Warfare in the 19th and 20th Centuries
- Verkijika G. Fanso and B. Chem-Langhëë
- Political dress: German-style Military Attire and Colonial Politics in Bamum
- Christraud M. Geary
- Imperialisms at the Century's end: Moghamo relations with Bali-Nyonga and Germany 1889-1908.
- Robert O'Neil
- 'Pursue to Attain': a Royal Religion
- Claude Tardits
- Rebellion, Defection and the Position of Male Cadets: a Neglected Category
- Jean-Pierre Warnier
Published reviews of African Crossroads
A special issue of the Journal of the Anthropological Society of Oxford (JASO)
Voume 26 No 1 July 1996.
This is available for 8.50 Sterling or 17 US dollars (including P and P) from:
JASO, ISCA, 51 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX1 3PP. Note they do not take credit cards.
With the kind permission of the editors of JASO the full text of the Introduction to Jaso is available online
- Introduction
- Ian Fowler and David Zeitlyn
- Accidental Collisions
- Sally Chilver
- Based on a conversation between Sally Chilver, Mitzi Goheen and Eugenia Shanklin, transcribed and edited by Mitzi Goheen and Eugenia Shanklin
- Wuli Witchcraft (Mfumte of Western Cameroon)
- Viviane Baeke
- Yamba Spider Divination
- Hermann Gufler
- Kefuh Myin
- A Therapeutic Medicine in Oku (Cameroon Grassfields)
- Hans-Joachim Koloss
- History Of The Mambila Chiefdom Of Mbor (Sonkolong)
- Jean Hurault
- The Initiation of the Dugi Among the Péré
- Charles-Henry Pradelles de Latour
- Eldridge Mohammadou on the origin of the Tikar
- David Zeitlyn
- A Letter from Sally Chilver to V.G. Fanso
- In November 1992, Sally Chilver wrote to Dr V.G. Fanso of Yaoundé University discussing Eldridge Mohammadou's theories summarized above.
- Bibliography of Sally Chilver
- This bibliography includes Sally Chilver's mature work on Cameroon as well as some of the early work published under her maiden name, Sally Graves.
David Zeitlyn
Ian Fowler
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Jan- August 1996 Last modified May 1999
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