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. The Baule belong to the Akan peoples who
inhabit Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. Three hundred years ago the Baule people
migrated westward from Ghana when the Asante rose to power. The tale of how they
broke away from the Asante has been preserved in their oral traditions. During
the Asante rise to power the Baule queen, Aura Poku, was in direct competition
with the current Asante king. When the Asante prevailed, the queen led her
people away to the land they now occupy. The male descendant of Aura Poku still
lives in the palace she established and is honored by the Baule as their nominal
king. The Baule create art in several media,
including wooden sculpture, gold and brass casting similar to their Asante
ancestors, and mask and figure carving, which have been greatly influenced by
their Senufo and Guro neighbors. Religion
includes both ancestor worship and a heirarchy of nature gods. Nature spirits
and spirit spouses are often represented in sculpture. Their creator god is
Alouroua, who is never physically represented. |
