Teke

The Teke, or Bateke, people are found in the Congo Republics and Gabon areas of Africa. They are well known as traders. The name Teke means “to buy.” The Teke live along the banks of the Congo River, where they have an established commercial reputation.

It is in the area of energetic African art in the form of small figurines and masks that the Teke are most significant in a religious way. The Teke are generally known for their sculptured ancestral figures, called butti and nkir, which serve in the use of a wide range of supernatural forces sent from the ancestral realm. They can be made in the form of shells, boxes, or small figures created out of stone or wood. Neither the butti nor the nkir are worshipped, but rather they are used to represent the energy, vitality, and power of the ancestors when they are remembered and honored by those who are living. Each figure has its own specific purpose not related directly to its appearance. The nkir refer to spirits that are known; they are called bankir. In contrast, the butti represent the bap fu, the spirits that are the anonymous Dead.

The function of the masks among the Teke is like that in other African communities. They represent the communion between the community of the living and the ancestral world. The ritual of wearing a mask and dancing among the Teke is a genuine expression of the most relevant part of the traditional religion of the Teke.

In the African world, masks are prominent in religious practices. For example, the Teke create masks to honor their great ancestral men and women and encourage them to use their special powers to maintain stability and harmony [Page 651]among the people. The Teke engage in the regular use of festivals and rites to honor the ancestors who were hunters, farmers, or fishermen, although the Teke are now principally traders in the riverine areas of the Congo and Gabon. Yet the complexity of their powerful artistry as represented in the diverse butti and nkir gives the Teke a prominent position in the history of traditional African values.

Although the butti and nkir are creative, they are no more powerful than the Teke masks. In the African world, it is well known that, for many centuries, the Teke and other people used masks as a way of expressing thoughts about the natural world, social organization, and the spiritual realm. Masks are traditionally used in village religious celebrations and worn during ceremonial dances. They often represent animal gods usually found in stories, and the dances associated with the masks would help to interpret a myth, set down folklore, or act out an African legend. The art of making masks and wearing them at traditional gatherings is still common in many areas of Africa. In many parts of Africa, masks are still used today to display the spirit beings, departed ancestors, and sometimes the invisible powers of the ancestors.

For centuries, African people have employed masks to venerate the ancestors and bring honor to the living and the Dead. In cultural displays of respect to ancestors, the trained African dancers use these ceremonies with masks to express their connections to those who laid the foundations of the society. These complex ceremonial events, which often use masks, demonstrate the social, religious, artistic, ancestral, and moral values because each performer uses masks to engage and enthrall the audience with the wide variety of traditions present in the African world. Masks have always been used to demonstrate the complex African village. It is impossible to explore African life and custom historically and not have a basic understanding of the use of the mask. The mask has and will continue to have large ancestral meanings and implications for the African world.

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