Abumbi II, the 11th fon, or king, of Bafut, Cameroon, has close to 100 wives. They weren't all his to start with. According to local tradition, when a fon dies, his successor inherits all his wives and then marries his own queens. He inherited 72 of the women from his late father. He has also taken on over 500 children from all of his wives.
"The queens have a great role to play in the fondom," notes Prince Nickson, also of Bafut, noting that it is up to these women behind the man to shape him in his kingly role.
"Behind every successful man must be a very successful, staunch woman," says Abumbi's third wife, Queen Constance.
"Our tradition has it that when you are king, the elderly wives remain to hand down the tradition to the younger wives, and also to teach the king the tradition because the king had been a prince, not a king."
Despite the fact that polygamy is legal in Cameroon, the data shows that there are far fewer polygamous marriages across the African continent. The practice is being challenged by changing values, the spread of the Christian faith, the growing appeal of the western way of life but also the rising costs of having large families. It is against this backdrop that Cameroon's traditional rulers must walk the fine line between two often conflicting cultures.
"During colonialism other values came in, of governance, different from the traditional values we had and therefore there is this constant conflict between the traditional values and modern western values," admits Fon Abumbi II, who has ruled Bafut, the largest fondom in the region, for 47 years.
Some of the king's wives |
"I understand that we might be quick to judge the lifestyle of the kings, but just like in the United Kingdom, African kingdoms and kings are bound to a rich culture and history. (Practices) like inheritance of all your father's wives is nothing but a moral obligation."
On meeting the queens of Fon Ndofua Zofia II of Babungo -- one of Cameroon's youngest traditional rulers -- Methu CNN correspondent said:
"All his young wives, forced on him by tradition, spoke fluent English in a French-speaking region and were great marketers."
It is this seeming contradiction that makes life in the fondom fascinating and confusing. Are they stuck in the past or keeping pace with the present? Fon Zofoa III doesn't think you have to choose. He may have "inherited" 72 wives and more than 500 children after his father's death, but he considers himself a very modern king.
His palace |
"To run a kingdom nowadays in this era, you must be educated because things are moving very fast. Like they used to say, education is light, ignorance is darkness."
Source: CNN
Nice one
ReplyDeleteI see hiv prevalence
DeleteMore power to his d**k. The king should be given a local government like what's obtainable in the Northern part of Nigeria
DeleteWhat??? Women abuse.
DeleteThey r definitely trapped, another Mary Slessor pls.
Won Ku inawo
DeleteSomebody tell me, what good has he done to d world? Keep marrying many wives and keep gettin stupid, keep causing over population to d world. Stupid ass culture. I dont knw wat good, having more dan one wife do. Having two wives alone is problem, having almost 100? Nonsese!
DeleteAo he dey take satisfy dem 4 bed?
DeleteWEREY NI ELEYI OOO
ReplyDeleteHaaa na my country ppl u dey call werey
DeleteTin ba ra e mu lolzzzzzz
Good radiance.......
ReplyDelete72 INHERITED FROM HIS FATHER???JEEZ....HW DOES HE MANAGE DS???TOMJERRYSWIT
ReplyDeleteJeez...sure he can't even recognise sum of dem.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to him and his pple of Israel
ReplyDeleteSo nw wha sense does he fink hz mkin
ReplyDeleteRubbish
ReplyDelete100 wives, Solomon certainly didn't have that much!!!
ReplyDeleteDo you read your bible?
DeleteSolomon had 1000(700wives and 300 concubines) read 1kings11:3
DeleteTell him, olodo
DeleteAkuku n'egwu!..
ReplyDeleteIf I was forced into this circus, I'd get me a real husband somewhere else and be proud of it.
Hmmmmm what a tradition
ReplyDeleteNawa o.
ReplyDeleteI was lookin out for a picture of him with all the 100 wives
DeleteTo start with the palace looks small to me + how will he manage such a large family??? Linda take note!
ReplyDeleteOkiie, notice to all LIBERs. Didn't want to do dis before but I gex I just have to do it as a disclaimer. One idiot on dis blog stole my identity, my name & signage. So please any negative comments on dis blog is not coming from me but from the thief cos I would neva say anything bad about someone or wish anyone evil. So I have gone back to using my old pix & my email address is (julie3er@gmail.com). Linda take note!
Good for him. I intend to marry 101 *shines teeth*
DeleteYour comment will be visible after approval
Correct man
DeleteSuch archaic tradition. WTH?
Delete#TeamBlessed#
Wait a sec... Is it his Dick he uses to screw dem all or a Stick???
ReplyDelete* * * Linda's 1st Daughter * * *
Hajahahajahahahahaha no he borrows
DeleteNo his toes.
Delete#He Try!
ReplyDeleteHOME TRUTH
ReplyDelete1) boko haram is killing people every day since nce 29th may 2015
2). Buhari is now inviting nearby countries to come and help in the fight against boko haram, the same moves that Liar Muhammad, APC and Buhari criticized GEJ for doing, hmmmmmm
3) Our new president has not announce his cabinet after weeks of coming into office, which shows he was not ready.
3). He promise to publicly declare his asset till now we have not seen any of such declaration.
4). The man is busy traveling from post to post, wondering when he will sit down and start working.
5). Our football team has been loosing out in almost all the tournament.
7). We have witness a whole number of tankers explosion I don't know if APC is bad omen, or God is repaying those tanker drivers who succumbed to APC and went on the heart breaking strike few days to GEJ handing over..
They have not started paying 5000 yet as a they promise to pay graduates, Dollars have not equals 1 naira yet,
They have not stabilize the world oil price yet,
My younger one have not started eating lunch yet,
The economy has not changeyet but am still watching them.
8). Last week we were mocked at as our president created a new country in Europe and call it ''west Germany'' and called the president of the country Michelle . The same thing they mocked Mama Peace of doing.
9)Less I forget, last week APC failed the acid test and were exposed for the whole world to see that they can never pass through what PDP pass through and still exist, they have been exchanging blows since Saraki and Dagora emerged as leaders of the Parliament against their illegal anointed candidate.
As I am sending this now I can't tell how hard they will attack me for this peace of truth. Me? I weep for my dear country.
We don enter one-chance now Buhari accept that old age go slow do. Nawa o
The hate is real, he should change the mess of over 16 years in one month. Blocked skull
DeleteNa only u enter 1 chance idiotic bunkum u think with ur anus onye Ara like u, biko si eba puo osiso pmb is the president go n drink acid or hug transformer
DeleteReno Omokri is that u? Pls let it go already and cut PMB some slack. He's barely been there a month.
Delete#TeamBlessed#
Oga u don't expect him to perform miracle. Dis things takes time so be literate and patience everything ll take place in due time......I hate it when some Nigerians want to see Buhari fails ...i really like jona then but he was clueless & too soft 4 d office now let pray Buhari excel so our country can move on .
DeleteHOME TRUTH
ReplyDelete1) boko haram is killing people every day since nce 29th may 2015
2). Buhari is now inviting nearby countries to come and help in the fight against boko haram, the same moves that Liar Muhammad, APC and Buhari criticized GEJ for doing, hmmmmmm
3) Our new president has not announce his cabinet after weeks of coming into office, which shows he was not ready.
3). He promise to publicly declare his asset till now we have not seen any of such declaration.
4). The man is busy traveling from post to post, wondering when he will sit down and start working.
5). Our football team has been loosing out in almost all the tournament.
7). We have witness a whole number of tankers explosion I don't know if APC is bad omen, or God is repaying those tanker drivers who succumbed to APC and went on the heart breaking strike few days to GEJ handing over..
They have not started paying 5000 yet as a they promise to pay graduates, Dollars have not equals 1 naira yet,
They have not stabilize the world oil price yet,
My younger one have not started eating lunch yet,
The economy has not changeyet but am still watching them.
8). Last week we were mocked at as our president created a new country in Europe and call it ''west Germany'' and called the president of the country Michelle . The same thing they mocked Mama Peace of doing.
9)Less I forget, last week APC failed the acid test and were exposed for the whole world to see that they can never pass through what PDP pass through and still exist, they have been exchanging blows since Saraki and Dagora emerged as leaders of the Parliament against their illegal anointed candidate.
As I am sending this now I can't tell how hard they will attack me for this peace of truth. Me? I weep for my dear country.
We don enter one-chance now Buhari accept that old age go slow do. Nawa o
Nigeria has the president with the thickest skull in Africa. He thinks Western Germany is a country with an imaginary president named Michelle.
ReplyDeleteIlliteracy and old age syndrome
Nigeria has the president with the thickest skull in Africa. He thinks Western Germany is a country with an imaginary president named Michelle.
ReplyDeleteIlliteracy and old age syndrome
Nigeria has the president with the thickest skull in Africa. He thinks Western Germany is a country with an imaginary president named Michelle.
ReplyDeleteIlliteracy and old age syndrome
Shut up
DeleteHis grandson will inherit like 200 wives from his father and then marry like 50 wives, increasing of wives #stupid tradition and country
ReplyDeleteI
K
P
OIKPONWA
N
W
A
Shut your fliiiiithy trap! That's our president & somebody's dad/husband you are insulting. Perhaps old enough to be your father.
DeleteWawu! He even inherited his father's wives. Ewww!
ReplyDelete~BONARIO~says so via NOKIA LUMIA
Wouldn't have believed if I read or heard from some other person? Another Solomon in our time!? Too bad. Gen 2:18-25
ReplyDeleteOde man. That is what the black man is good at..women matter...mtcheeeew.
ReplyDeleteThen when he dies another person inherits the wives?!
ReplyDeleteNonsense
Mmmmmmmmh! Dat means he will also marry and inherit his own mother, grand mother and great grand mother nd oda. Na wa ohhh for d tradition
ReplyDeleteI love d palace #natureatitspeak#
ReplyDeleteAfrica will always be backward! Look at them looking like animals in the wilderness.! I so much love the western. Culture.
ReplyDeleteNo be small thing oooo
ReplyDeleteHis male maids would defo be fucking some of his wife's
ReplyDeleteChai am sori for Cameroon anyway they better pass South Africa way dey woman no dey wear cloth at all. Africa Change ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ReplyDeleteWhile the white man is busy inventing new things that will make the world better the black man is busy counting how many women they fucked in a week, month and year. They are also busy dancing away their future. Also busy looting their nations so they can go invest in the white man's land. SMH.
ReplyDeleteLike seriously? 100?
ReplyDeleteHmm interesting
ReplyDelete~make I go take one bottle of beer~
Anuman!! Bia naraka. Idiot! u dey inherit ur papa wives and he will still sleep with them, what a useless tradition
ReplyDeleteHis own cup of headache. The more the merrier. Ewu
ReplyDeleteSounds Funny...100 wives ?
ReplyDeletea.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said..
ReplyDelete.
This is just insane and no doubt about that i swear....
.
.
***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***
Next story please!!!
ReplyDeletePls visit www.naijagraphy.com
Smh.....Are we using the same calender??...This is 2015 for crying out loud..
ReplyDeletewhat happens if he doesn't have any sons? or say for? example sake he doesn't have any kid
ReplyDeleteDis one na everyday tidy
ReplyDeleteWhat a tradition in this age and time Tufiakwa
ReplyDelete100 wives for one man
ReplyDelete500 children & counting for the same man
How is that even possible...
me likey,,,,(i lick my tongue
ReplyDeleteall join ...Africa my father land....
ReplyDeleteWow
ReplyDeleteNa wa oooo
ReplyDeletefake info, Fon is in benin not cameroon.
ReplyDeletefake info, Fon is in Benin not Cameroon .
ReplyDeleteThis tradition sweet die#making sense
ReplyDeleteRide on king
ReplyDeleteIf he inherited his father's wife..that means he will inherit his own mother as wife also..Ride on king
ReplyDeleteIt will come 2 a time when every 1 in that Kingdom will b the processor to the thrown.....
ReplyDeleteIf he inherited his father's wife..that means he will inherit his own mother as wife also..Ride on king
ReplyDeleteDis is backwardness to u abi?
ReplyDeleteBcos u don't knw wat goes on at buckingham palace.
I wonder if he will also inherit his own mother from his father and have babies by her too. Just wondering!!!
ReplyDeleteWelldone to him....
ReplyDeleteNa waa oo, dat means his siblings r nw his kids cos dey r d children of his wife( his mother) funny indeed
ReplyDelete@doubleo
If it's their tradition and they are happy with it, that's their own cup of ogogoro.
ReplyDeleteKing mehn take care so you don't die of heart related issue (if you know what I mean)
"Don't Mess with Free Will"
Please Linda how many penis does he have?
ReplyDeleteSee family
ReplyDeleteOshey! 2nd King Solomon
ReplyDeleteIs this dudr okay?
ReplyDeleteWELL, DATS HIS CHOISE
ReplyDeleteLinda nothing special there...
ReplyDeleteIn the West and the North West of Cameroon it is custom that every king inherits all of his father's wives therefore, most kings have over 100 wives.
In some villages like the Bamoun, The sultan is given 20 virgins when he is crowned and must sleep with all of them within 30 days. The first to get pregnant becomes his queen.it does not matter if he had a wife and children before he took the throne.
In other villages of the area, once a king is picked he must sleep with all of his father's widows to assert that they are now his wives except his mother. This custom does not only apply to royal families but all the nobility of the western part of the country although it is not as mandatory for them to comply as it is for the royal heirs...
In the north it is even worse... the wives are close to the thousands...
Linda im Cameroonian note this. These wives include his mother and grandmothsers and adopted people he takes care of. Most of them do not even live in the palace
ReplyDeleteThe culture should be abolished with immediate effect
ReplyDeleteThe King does not need to have sexual intercourse with the ones he inherited from his dad. He is to look after their welfare. But if he is interested his culture is not frowning at it that is what it implies. This happens in some culture in Nigeria as well. However, to meet the financial obligations of such a large family will make him an egunje and very selfish traditional ruler that will make him unpopular among his subjects.
ReplyDelete