Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Africa 1. Bamum writing

From page 12, Learn World Calligraphy, by Margaret Shepherd.  The African chapter includes history, master alphabets, guidelines, and design ideas.  

The symbols in this phonetic syllabary were created in Cameroon over a century ago by a panel of artists and thinkers.  Inspired by dream that came to King Njoya, this unique and sophisticated alphabet for the Bamum language became a symbol of national pride.  Accordingly, French colonial policies sought to suppress it.  

Recently a group of academics, historians, and scribes have been reviving its use.  

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