Traditional Society & Culture in Africa

Global History I: Spiconardi

Stateless Societies

Family organization is central to African society

Many families are organized into groups called lineages (clans)

Lineages people, both living and dead, who are descended from a common ancestor

Lineages took the place of rulers in many African societies

Stateless Societies

Stateless societies cultural groups in which authority is shared by lineages of equal power instead of being exercised by a central government; no one executive ruler

Community rule over individual rule

Usually the community Usually the community that made the decisions that made the decisions consisted of male family consisted of male family

headsheads

Stateless Societies

PositivesPositives NegativesNegatives

Turn to your partner and Turn to your partner and create a list of the positive create a list of the positive and negative attributes of a and negative attributes of a

stateless society.stateless society.

Traditional Societies: Family Descent

Patrilineal trace ancestors through fathers

Matrilineal trace ancestors through mothers

20% of African societies are matrilineal today

Traditional Societies: Age-Set System

Age-Set System a cohort of young people within a region who are born during a certain period Pass through life stages/rites of passage together At each life stage the age group inherits different

responsibilities Boys and girls are generally separated

Traditional Societies: Griots

Griot keeper of history via oral tradition in West Africa Poet, praise singer, & musician told tales of births, deaths, marriages, battles, hunts, and

hundreds of other folklores via song

Traditional Societies: Griots

Father of the poor peopleHusband of beautiful ladiesAt whose absence the city is not interestingAt whose absence the people are not happy…

Be our motherBe our fatherProvide us with clothingBe the salt we need for our gravyBe the oil we need for our porridge…

You are our eyesYou are our mirrorYou are our hands and legsThat we use to walk.

Traditional Societies: Griots

My master has requested that I ask you the exact meaning of your name Da. Is it Da Guinea hemp? Is it Da clay pot? Is it Da the syphilis? Is it Da the mouth? Is it Da the door? Is it Da do you sleep there? If you are a pot, Kaarta Tiema will break you. If you are Guinea worms he will harvest you in order to give you to his fishermen who will make nets of you. If you are syphilis, he will treat you with a red hot iron. If you are a mouth, he will rip you open to your ears. If you are a door, he will close you for good and you will never serve for any pathway. If you are sleeping there, he will stand you up like a house at the top of a hill. That's what my master put in my mouth with the order to spit right into your face.

Religion

Animism the belief that spirits are present in natural objects Many Africans believed the

spirits of their departed ancestors were present on Earth

Ancestral spirits would be called upon for help in times of need/trouble

What animals is portrayed by the apparel in the photo?

African Animism

Religion

Islam Spreads throughout North Africa Enters West Africa during the age of the

trade empires West African Islam

Many maintained traditional aspects of animistic religion

Women were not veiled & interacted with men in public

Mosques designed in traditional architecture

Assessment

1.1. In what sense were the early societies of Sub-In what sense were the early societies of Sub-Saharan Africa stateless?Saharan Africa stateless?1.1. They lacked centralized government and tax They lacked centralized government and tax

systemssystems2.2. They did not have an agriculturally-based They did not have an agriculturally-based

economy economy 3.3. There were no cities or large villages where There were no cities or large villages where

the majority of the population lived.the majority of the population lived.4.4. Provincial governors owned the majority of Provincial governors owned the majority of

the land in their respective territoriesthe land in their respective territories

Assessment

1.1. The Islamization of sub-Saharan Africa was The Islamization of sub-Saharan Africa was similar to the spreading of Buddhism to Japan in similar to the spreading of Buddhism to Japan in that boththat both1.1. led to the creation of a rigid class hierarchyled to the creation of a rigid class hierarchy2.2. involved blending with native cultural and involved blending with native cultural and

religious practicesreligious practices3.3. were a result of extensive missionary workwere a result of extensive missionary work4.4. led to tensions between aristocrats and led to tensions between aristocrats and

peasantspeasants