[Charchar2]

Username: Charchar2
Name: Tanishe (african name meaning "one who is born on Monday." it may sound girly, but it's a boy's name <3)
Which African tribe did he come from?: The Himba. I chose the Himba tribe because, from what I've read about them, they struggle for the basics of life, constantly on alert and taking care of themselves, and yet take joy in the simple pleasures of life as well.
What African custom/tradition does he always follow?: Tanishe is the fire-keeper for his family. This role is passed down through the generations, and is the job of tending the ancestral family fire, a very important role. The fire is used on occasion to contact the Himba peoples' deity, Mukuru. Although he sometimes feels very pressured by the huge responsibility, he is honored by it and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. <3

EDIT: messed with spelling ^w^

[.Survivor.]

Username: Serenaded By Angels
Name: Suah
Suah is a boy's name. The name comes from Liberia, West Africa and it belongs to the dialect of Gio. The name "Suah" means "A new era, a new beginning"
Which African tribe did he come from?: the Gio (or Dan) tribe of Liberia. He comes from this tribe because they train their young boys for war at an early age. they train them on how to defend themselves and also how to farm the land.
What African custom/tradition does he always follow?:he follows in the tradition of training young boys at an early age for battle. Like his namesake, he wants to see in a new era of this world an of his people.

*Edit: Fixed the font size like you asked.

[HP Fan]

Mfalme

“Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.”
~Albus Dumbledore

Username:
HP Fan
Name:
Mfalme
It means 'King' in Swahili
Wonder why... : P
Which African tribe did he come from?:
The Maasai.

*cough*
The Maasai, famous as herders and warriors, once dominated the plains of East Africa. Now however they are confined to a fraction of their former range.

Why? Mfalme is King-Cheetah based, but he is friendly and loves to help herd. Sadly, he has not as much room, but he still enjoys his tribe.

What African custom/tradition does he always follow?:

The Maasai rely on meat, milk and blood from cattle for protein and for calories. People also drink blood on special occasions.

He heards sheep, not cows : P

Words are in this color, it's the closest I could find that looked like his gorgeous eyes.

[ChristainAnimalLover]

Username: ChristainAnimalLover
Name: (African name would be awesome!) Chijindum - Western African, Igbo (Means "God holds my life" in Igbo.)
(From here)
Which African tribe did he come from?: (And why if you want to gain points!) Chijindum came from Bakongo - The Bakongo people (aka. the Kongo) dwell along the Atlantic coast of Africa from Pointe-Noire, Congo (Brazzaville) to Luanda, Angola.
Location: The Bakongo people (aka. the Kongo) dwell along the Atlantic coast of Africa from Pointe-Noire, Congo (Brazzaville) to Luanda, Angola. In the east, their territory is limited by the Kwango River and in the northeast by Malebo (Stanley) Pool, in the Congo River. The Bakongo thus live in Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Kinshasa), and Angola.

The Kongo peoples migrated into their current location during the 13th century from the northeast under the leadership of Wene. In 1482 the Portuguese arrived on the coast, and the Bakongo began diplomatic relations which included sending Bakongo nobles to visit the royal assemblage in Portugal in 1485. Bakongo leaders were targeted for conversion by Christian missionaries, and often divisions between followers of Christianity and followers of the traditional religions resulted. In 1526 the Portuguese were expelled, but the Bakongo peoples were then invaded by the Jagas in 1568, and the Bakongo were forced to look to the Portuguese for help. The Kongo kingdom never regained its former power. In the ensuing years the Bakongo alternatively fought for and against the Portuguese, eventually being colonized in 1885. The Bakongo political party Abako played an important part in national independence in 1960.
(Information kindly provided by Emuseum - Written by: Takanori Shimodate
From here
Number of words: 215)
What African custom/tradition does he always follow?: (And why/how/etc if you want to gain points!) Chijindum makes Arican Tribal masks. Dance is an integral part of the African culture. and it utilizes symbolic gestures, masks, costumes, body painting and props to communicate. The dance movements can be simple or complex with intricate actions including fast rotation, ripples of the body and contraction and release. Dance is used to express emotion, whether joyful or sorrowful and it is not limited to just the dancers. Often spectators will be encouraged to join in.

The African masks that are used in dances have religious, ceremonial and functional origins. The artist who carves the mask will ceremonially purify himself and offer prayers to his ancestors for guidance before he begins the actual carving of the mask.

The African mask represents a spirit and it is believed that the spirit possesses the dancer as they wear the mask. The chosen dancer goes into a trance-like state in order to receive guidance and wisdom from the ancestors. The dancer will utter and moan the messages received and a wise man, who accompanies the dancer will translate the message.

Dancers wearing traditional African masks
(Found here
Number of words: 177)

[Alaska.]

Username:Alaska.
Name: Mazvimbakupa (Common name among the Shona people (He's usually just called 'Maz'))
Which African tribe did he come from?: He is from the Shona people. There are around 14,000,000 Shona people. The Shona are not so much a tribe as a name given to the South East and West of Africa. They are located in Zimbabwe. The Shona people carve totem poles, and each animal carved into the totem pole has a special meaning. The totem pole carved for each person is very important, especially at burial ceremonies. A person with a different totem pole than the deceased person cannot carry out the burial ceremony.
What African custom/tradition does he always follow?: He carves totem poles as is the tradition of the Shona people. It is a very important part of the Shona people's lives and feels that he should respect that.

[flyteck]

Username:
flyteck

Name:

Ushindi (Ews-hin-dee) - Means "Victory" in Swahili - Goes by Ushi (Oosh-ee)

*shakes right hand* Hello, I'm Ushindi, but you can call me Ushi. *insert other greetings here*
My name? That's easy. My egg was amongst many others, left in a heavily graded hut in the middle of my village. There was a war with another village going on, and it had been going on for years. But that day we won. And amongst the singing, laughter, and joy of our victory, I hatched. My mother, being sentimental and all, decided on the name of Ushindi.

Which African tribe did he come from?:

Ushindi was born and raised in a small tribe in Tanzania, which is on the east coast of Africa. Their he hunted for game animals and gathered Nanasi (Pineapple) and Mabahora (Passion Fruit) mainly, although they also cultivated small crops of Ndizi Kawaida (Bananas), and gathered some of Eastern Africa's other fruits. Their buildings, known as Inkajijik, are made from timber poles fixed into the ground and interwoven with smaller branches, which are then plastered with a mix of mud, sticks, grass, and ash.

My home tribe. I still miss it sometimes, but I wouldn't trade my life now for the world. It was a hard life; we never simply had something. We needed to earn it. If you didn't pull your weight, you were out. Mind you that's not why I left. My mother told me one day that I needed to leave; to seek a better life. That I was smart, that I could make my way in the newer world. I left with a heavy heart, but I don't regret it.

What African custom/tradition does he always follow?:

Ushindi is true to his homeland, from his head to his tail. He follows several customs from his home, but his favourite and most noticeable is greetings. In African Culture, greetings are very important. Ushi will spend several minutes greeting other JBDs, which can sometimes make them feel awkward. He is also extra polite to older JBDs (Old, or even simply older than him) since elders are held highly in his culture. He also never uses his left hand, since it is considered rude. Don't be surprised if he slaps your left hand away when you go to grab something with it, he sees it as very rude.

Greetings are very important, it's true. Not giving a proper greeting.. well, let's not go there. And don't get me started on left hands. If I were to meet a left handed JBD... Umm, we might have trouble getting along. I can't use my left hand to do squat, which is a good thing considering I'd never want to. (scroll down)










HEY. DON'T SCROLL DOWN HERE WITH YOUR LEFT HAND. It's not that hard :<

Gosh I love this guy <3

[miike]

Question, must it be based upon a true tribe?

Username:

Miike

Name:

Kalifa Faraji

Goes by either name, prefers Faraji

"I don't know the meaning of my name, I do know that it is the name of my ancestors and it has been handed down to me. I like my name, yes, but it is a bit of a mouthful."

Which African tribe did he come from?:

He descends from a long line of thieves, and liars. They were originally called the Gidse, which translates to "guides." Decades ago the name wore off, as dragons became more independent. But it is believed they were once the Gidse because a very infamous criminal dragon had led a thousand inmates across the African plains to freedom.

"Snaaks! These stories are merely legends, my family is just a bunch of crooks. Not anything to have faith in. I have left that shameful group for their own greed. And their symbol, it disgusts me, red blood wiped mercilessly under their eyes, delicately formed into triangles with small orbs in the middle. Speaking of it burns my tongue. Can't one escape his family and leave it at that?"

What African custom/tradition does he always follow?:

It is a common occurrence for Faraji to participate in a ritual created from the most respected dragons of his tribe. Before he abandoned them, he learned the skills of bracelet making, shell stringing, and leather braiding. All of these activities are extremely tedious and hard to accomplish with paws. But he has mastered the three tasks, and now does them whenever he is nervous, or in the time of Vrede. Sixty days a year, the tribe spends everyday making peace with those around them, and creates friendships with personalized jewelry. Whether the materials were stolen or not. Faraji now carries on this tradition, finding it is the only time he likes being surrounded by his people.

"Vrede is my favorite season, just between Spring and Summer when I can tolerate the Gidse. My shell necklace was a gift from my late mother, the colorful charms by my mentor. The earrings I have made a hobby out of, I make them year round and sell them in the market on occasion. My mother hated this, working for money, and didn't understand the humble joy I got from not being the same as her."

[ravemn]

Username:

Raven Howl

Name:

Rudo, meaning love in African

Which African tribe did he come from?:

Ijaw, because it is located in mostly in the forrest regions of Africa. Rudo prefers the forrest than being out in the open it makes him feel more safe than being out in the open from lions and such.

What African tradition does he always follow?:
Storytelling, he likes to tell the young Beans the storys about his ansestors, life lessons, and African folk tales.

[swag;]

Username:
|breathe|

Name: (African name would be awesome!)
Safari which means journey in Swahili { su- far - ee }

Which African tribe did he come from?: (And why if you want to gain points!)
Safari came from the Kongo Tribe of Africa. His ancestors were one of the leaders of the tribe, the Nagazi's. During the thirteenth century the tribe migrated to the northeast under the leadership of the Nagazi’s. It was a long and inconceivable journey, not many survived. Through generation each of the Nagazi's has named their off spring with a sentimental name that matched how they came to their new home. Safari, the newest member of the Nagazi's, leader of the Kongo tribe was named after the long and incredible journey.

What African custom/tradition does he always follow?: (And why/how/etc if you want to gain points!)
If/when Safari is stuck in a hardship, it is part of his culture to go to Nzambi; the supreme god for all in the Kongo Kingdom. Safari is to then ask for help from the great god.

[Ardra]

Username:
Ardra
Name:
Tafari (From Eastern African, Amharic; Means 'He who Inspires Awe')
Which African tribe did he come from?:
He comes from the Maasai Tribe.
He was born near one of their temporary villages, and has followed them every time they move. Tafari was welcomed by the nomadic Maasai, for they saw a kindred spirit in the nomadic little 'bean. He goes through some of the same rights that the young boys go through, which include tests of courage and endurance. He is usually paired up with a little boy from the tribe to watch over the cattle, but also studies medicine in his spare time. The beads around his neck symbolize him as a member of the tribe, for they also symbolize the beads the Maasai sell to the tourists which is most of their income.
What African custom/tradition does he always follow?:
Tafari follows the medical tradition of using spirituality when healing a fellow member of his tribe. He very much believes that spirituality has a large part of the healing process, which is a very ancient way of viewing things. To heal someone, or something, he uses anything from charms and incantations to chanting spells during the healing process. Sometimes he even goes so far as to do what is known as a healing dance for those who are in very poor health, or are mortally wounded.