Tete Efik Dictionary Blog

Old Calabar in the 19th century was a melting pot of cultures, with migrants from various ethnicities such as the Igbo, the Ibibio, and the Hausa calling it home. The Efik people, who were native to the area, had names for the different ethnicities and races they encountered, including the generic term “Mbakara” for white people. Among these names was “Tibari,” which was the Efik name for the Fulani. This name is now extinct, but early missionaries like Rev. Hope Waddell recorded its use in the Efik vocabulary in the 1860s. According to Waddell, the Tibari were a “Moorish tribe” known for being slave hunters and referred to as “white men” because of their clothing, horses, and straight hair. Image Caption: Fulani People Rev. Hugh Goldie also mentioned the Tibara, speculating that they were “most likely the felatas,” a subgroup of the Fulani. The true origin of the name Tibari remains a mystery, but it is possible that it may have come from Tibati, a settlement in present-day southweste...

Image caption: Figure of a Pygymy Dance Leader The mysterious Amamaisim have long been the subject of fascination for the people of the lower Cross River region. These ancient pygmies, with their distinctive tails, are described in the various folktales and literature of the area as being intelligent and skilled in farming, hunting, and trading. It is said that they used the bow and arrow as their hunting equipment, and were known to have existed in a number of lower Cross River communities, including the Efik, Eniong, Eki, Ibibio, and Oron. According to legend, the Amamaisim were first sighted in Akpabuyo by the Efik, though there is no evidence to suggest that they were encountered in other areas such as Ikpa ene, Ndodoghi, Uruan, or the Calabar coast. In the 1930s, colonial anthropologist Jeffreys recorded accounts of Amamaisim sightings from the Efik and the Eniong, and attempts were made in the 1970s to document these stories. Many Ibibio communities also claim that these pygmies ...