African Society and Culture Chapter 7, Section 3 African Society and Culture

Ideas, Beliefs, and Values The BIG Idea Ideas, Beliefs, and Values African society was centered on village and family life, with distinct religious beliefs and a rich culture. African societies were based on extended family units, with most people living in rural villages. Most Africans shared common traditional religious beliefs and customs, especially the honoring of their ancestors. Through unique musical forms and storytelling, Africa’s rich cultural heritage was passed from one generation to the next—influencing world culture today.

Aspects of African Society African towns began as fortified walled villages and gradually grew into larger communities. These towns were the centers of government and trade.

King and Subject In African society the gulf between the king and his subjects was not great. Rulers would often hold meetings to allow people to voice their complaints.

Family Lineage As most Africans lived in small villages, few ever went to the meetings with the Kings. Their sense of identity was determined by their membership in an extended family and a lineage group. Lineage groups served as the basic building blocks of African society.

Lineage Group Lineage groups: In many African societies, extended families are very important. Lineage groups are comprised of people who share a common ancestry. Lineage groups play an important role in the governing of decentralized societies. Members were expected to support and care for one another.

The Role of Women Women were usually subordinate to men. In some communities women were valued for their ability to increase the size of the lineage group or were merchants. African societies were matrilineal, meaning the lineage was based on the mother rather than the father. The Role of Women Women were often permitted to inherit property and a husband was expected to move into his wife’s house.

Community and Education In typical African villages, a process existed for educating young people. In the Congo for example— Boys and girls were raised by their mothers until the age of 6 learning language, their family history, and the songs that gave meaning to their lives. At age 6 girls went the “house of women,” and boys went to the “house of the men.”

Community and Education Fathers taught sons how to hunt and fish, grow plants and clear fields. Fathers prepared their sons to survive in the natural world. Mothers taught daughters how to take care of the home and work in the fields. Daughters were taught how to be good wives and mothers. Marriage and motherhood would be their entry into the adult female community.

Community and Education Finally, young people reached a point where they were expected to fully enter the adult community. The transition occurred at puberty and was marked by an initiation ceremony. First they were isolated from the community, then they symbolically died and were reborn.

To most African communities, facing the knife is akin to being a “real man”. Male circumcision is an important rite of passage that moves the young man that undergoes it a notch higher towards marriage and earns him a respectable position in society. This picture is of boys in the Yao tribe in Malawi dressed for the traditional circumcision ceremony.

Slavery Slavery had been practiced in Africa since Ancient times. Berber groups regularly raided farming villages south of the Sahara for captives. Slaves included people captured in war, debtors, and criminals. They were not all seen as inferior, some were trusted servants. Slavery

Religious Beliefs Generally varied from place to place, but had some common ideas. Common ideas: Single creator god who was merciful and could be pacified by proper behavior Uncommon ideas: Creator god joined by lesser gods, Creator god had once lived on Earth

Key Religious Characteristics Communication with gods through diviners (people who believe they have the power to foretell events, usually by working with supernatural forces). The importance of ancestors. Rituals were dedicated to them because they were believed to be closer to the gods. Belief in an afterlife. Human life occurred in two stages, on Earth and then in the afterlife. Many diviners were employed by the kings. Communication and rituals was done to ensure bountiful harvests or protect the king and his subjects. Ancestors had the power to influence, for good or for evil, the lives of their descendants. Ancestral souls would continue to live on in the afterlife for as long as the lineage group continued to perform rituals in their names.

The Islamic Influence Islamic influence likely began as a result of trade merchants from Muslim territories. Islam swept across northern Africa in the wake of the Arab conquest. South of the Sahara the process was slower. The process was slowest in East Africa, where Christianity continued to gain followers. In some ways, the beliefs of Islam were in conflict with traditional African beliefs and customs. Islam’s rejection of spirit worship ran counter to the beliefs of many African and was often ignored in practice. Likewise, Islam’s insistence on distinct roles for men and women was contrary to the relatively informal relationships in many African societies. As elsewhere , in Africa, imported ideas were combined with native beliefs to create a unique brand of Africanized Islam.

African Culture Art was a means of serving religion. A work of art was meant to express religious conviction. Wood-carvers throughout Africa made remarkable masks and statues to represent the gods, spirits or ancestral spirits.

The earliest art forms in Africa were rock paintings The earliest art forms in Africa were rock paintings. The most famous examples are in the Tassili Mountains in the Central Sahara. Tassili Mountains

African Culture African music and dance served religious and social purposes. African dance was a way to communicate with the spirits and pass historical stories to young people Storytelling was used in the absence of written language. Storytellers were known as griots. Much of what we know about Ancient Africa came from the oral traditions of the griot.

Griot

Historians Genealogists Heralds Advisors Entertainers Teachers Griots (and their) Many Roles Most griots learned the craft from their griot parents. Traditionally griots were men, however there have been female griots. Griots spend years memorizing the long complex historical stories. Historians Genealogists Heralds Advisors Entertainers Teachers Historians—memorized and recited the history of a people. Genealogists—intertwined in the history was information about the genealogy of the people, vital information in a culture where kinship is fundamental. Heralds—intermediates between kings and the people and between kings and foreign rulers. Advisors—their wisdom and wealth of knowledge proved invaluable in helping rulers learn from the past and uphold traditions. Entertainers—compelling stories kept the audience spellbound as they learned. Teachers—preserved and protected the essence of cultural traditions for the next generation.