Chapter 4 Enduring Traditions

Families and Villages The family is the cornerstone of traditional African society Arranged marriage is were the parents decide whom their children will marry In many African societies marriages may include the giving of money, goods, cattle, or services by the husbands to his new wife’s family, this is called a bridewealth

Families and Villages Traditional African families have several generations of relatives living together. Among Muslims, a man my have several wives That custom is more common in West Africa and East Africa Many Africans are moving to the cities. The crowded living conditions in cities do not make it easy for extended families to stay together

Families and Villages In African societies, every person belongs not only to a family but also to a much larger lineage group Lineage is the term for tracing descent from a single ancestor Patrilineal is tracing lineage through the fathers family Matrilineal is tracing lineage through the mothers family

Families and Villages Individuals depend on their relatives for help Each family member has a duty to look after one another When parents die, their children give them a proper funeral and burial

Families and Villages Villagers play an important part in each other’s daily lives The age grade system is young people are divided into groupings of boys and girls of about the same age. Every age grade has responsibilities.

Families and Villages Elder are respected older leaders who make laws for the village Rule by Elder is the most common system of governing in rural Africa The Elders pass on the beliefs and customs of their culture

Families and Villages Village councils led by chiefs and elders encourage villagers to solve problems cooperatively European colonists challenged the authority of village leaders. Modern African nations have claimed control over the villages, yet villagers still look to village elders for leadership

Traditional Ways of Life Farming is the main way that many people make a living Subsistence farmers are who produce enough food for their own needs Shifting agriculture is when they clear and then burn trees and brush from fields near their village. The ash fertilize the soil and in three to four year it will loose its fertility and the land is abandoned

Traditional Ways of Life The work roles of African farmers vary by ethnic group and time of year Muslim customs prevent women from working outside Sub-Saharan women do much of the farming Farmers in different parts of Africa grow crops suited to their environment Crops vary by climate and vegetation zone

Traditional Ways of Life Herding-raising animals and protecting them while they graze-has been an important way of live in Africa In places with little rainfall people would raise sheep, goats, and camels In places with more rainfall people raise cattle In some societies, livestock form a key part of social life

Religious Foundations Africa has never had a single religion Because of the continent’s many ethnic groups and great size, there are hundreds of different religious beliefs Traditional African religions do share some beliefs Most believe in a supreme being who created the world

Religious Foundations Other lesser spirits listen to and pass on the concerns of humans to the supreme being From one ethnic group to another, the lesser gods or spirits that surround the supreme being vary in number and in their roles Ancestors hold a special place in African religions

Religious Foundations Followers of African religions believe that when a person dies, he or she becomes a spirit with powers greater than the living The two major religions are Christianity and Islam Both of these have many follower is Africa Christianity first came to Africa through Egypt

Religious Foundations Through the rest of Africa, the earliest efforts to spread Christianity began when European missionaries followed European explores into the interior of Africa Islam was founded in the seventh century in Arabia by the prophet Muhammad This new faith spread fast into North Africa South of the Sahara, Islam spread slowly because of Muslim traders

Religious Foundations Islam did not require Africans to reject all traditional religious practices They often ignored practices that did not fit local customs