The
Bete carvers are well known for the Nyaba (face mask see image to the
right), which goes back to the time of the Gla society. This type of
mask is mainly used during funeral processions, to instill fear and or
detect sorcerers that can bring harm to the community.
Typical of these masks are the
protruding forehead, large mouth, narrow eyes and hornlike protuberances
to protect the face.
The Bete tribe also carved elegant
statues, which have mainly been influenced by the Guro,
Yaure and the Senufo people of the
region.
The Bete tribe lives in the
southwestern part of Côte d'Ivoire, between the Sassandra and Badama Rivers, close to the Guro
and Akan tribes.
Religion.
- They maintain a harmonious
relationship between nature and the ancestors.
- The vast majorities follow their
traditional African religion and believe in the God Lago however;
they do not worship this God.
- They believe in the spirit world to
guide and protect them through daily life. These spirits they
believe are found in nature, namely rivers, rocks, forests etc.
- Sacrifices of worldly possessions
are made to the spirits to appease them especially during troubling
times.
Farming.
- They
are mainly into agriculture (subsistence farming) they only grow
what is needed by the tribe.
- They
live under ancestor authority.
- They
also have links to a small market economy and cultivate cocoa and
coffee to generate income.
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