People / group

Bobo people

The Bobo are a Mande-speaking people of western Burkina Faso and neighbouring Mali, living mainly around Bobo-Dioulasso, the city that bears their name. Farmers organised in largely autonomous villages, they are known for masks associated with Do, a spirit of renewal, used in initiation and funeral rites. In the 19th century many came under the Kingdom of Gwiriko, ruled from Sya.

Bobo people
Image: Ferdinand Reus from Arnhem, Holland · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Kingdom of Gwiriko

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Bobo people. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/bobo-people
MLA
“Bobo people.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/bobo-people. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Bobo people.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/bobo-people.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Bobo people’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/bobo-people (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻