Their origins are said to be similar with those of the Bamun and Tikar people. A division during migratory movements caused the two sets of groups to settle in different areas. Later, the Islamisation of most of the Bamun territory further separated them.
A yearly festival held in Fumban Bamun territory is considered by many to symbolize the recognition of their common heritage.
Their language is Bafia. A Bafia father will give his child a personal name to which his own name patronyme is appended. For instance, a father named "Keman a Ndiomo" may call his son "Bitegni a Keman".
The "a" in the middle stands for "son of". The traditional dance of the Bafia is seen to convey a sense of heightened excitement and joy through posture and facial expressions. Dances are traditionally held after successful harvests, although they may also be performed during engagements, weddings, and other official events.
The earliest recorded religious tradition amongst the Bafia was that everything in the world developed from an egg. Both feminine sexual forces, represented by a cave or hollow tree, and masculine sexual forces, represented by a snake or vine, were involved. There was no afterlife, God, nor sin. The turtle is respected as a traditional totem animal.
