Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0078/00781.txt

Text File | 1991-06-24 | 23KB | 391 lines

$Unique_ID{COW00781}
$Pretitle{359}
$Title{Chad
Chapter 6B.   Literary and Musical Traditions}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Margarita Dobert}
$Affiliation{HQ, Department of the Army}
$Subject{fort-lamy
country
chad
facilities
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research}
$Date{1972}
$Log{}
Country:     Chad
Book:        Chad, A Country Study
Author:      Margarita Dobert
Affiliation: HQ, Department of the Army
Date:        1972

Chapter 6B.   Literary and Musical Traditions

     Until the 1920s the ability of the arabized peoples to read and write was
limited to a very few. French administrative policy increased the number of
Arabic readers, but the relative proportion remained small (see ch. 5). The
Kotoko, a small Muslim group in the Sahel, developed a written script adapted
from the Arabic language, but until the arrival of the French most of the
other peoples of Chad possessed no written language. The circumstances of low
literacy and the absence of scripts resulted in a general lack of written
literary traditions.

     A thorough study of Chadian oral literary traditions had not been
completed by 1971, but available information indicated the existence of a
diverse body of stories and incantations varying in form, content, length,
function, and formality. In many cases they are either sung or accompanied by
rhythmic patterns. Some forms describe the origins of early peoples; some are
associated with clan rituals or work. A number are performed solely for
pleasure.

     Among the Teda, a Toubou group, long historical narratives are set to
music. Socialization of the young is aided by the singing of clan
prohibitions. Special names and attributes are given to various instruments,
and the ability to play well raises the musician's position in society. Among
the Kotoko certain songs are sung exclusively by women. Instrumental music
rather than choruses or chants is used by the Kotoko and the Massa in exorcism
rites and war. Among some groups special dances are performed by young men or
unmarried girls.

     Although flutes are found among some nomadic peoples, percussion
instruments dominate traditional music. Drums, the most popular instruments,
vary in size and construction. Among some peoples certain drums are reserved
for special purposes, such as preparation for war and initiation rites.
According to traditional belief, drum construction frequently involves a
sacrifice to the spirit of the tree from which the drum is to be made, and
there are special rites for felling the tree and for carving and decorating
the drum. Strict observance of these rites is supervised by a local chief or a
special priest. Upon completion, the drum is frequently kept in a special hut.

     A unique Chadian musical instrument is the xylophone of the Sara, which
is made by fastening gourds covered with animal membranes to a framework of
sticks. As is often the case with drums, women are not allowed to play the
xylophone. The instrument is frequently used to accompany dances and chants.
It is also played as a solo instrument on different occasions among the
various clans, including the death of a clan member, initiation rites, and the
felling of a tree to be used for a boat or drum or for individual pleasure.

THE VISUAL ARTS AND CRAFTS

     The northern areas of Chad provide some of the finest examples of rock
engraving and painting ever created by prehistoric man. Sometimes rich in
color and depicting various scenes related to hunting, herding, and daily
life, these works have been studied by archaeologists and discussed in a
variety of academic journals (see ch. 3).

     Although decorative geometric patterns are displayed in the crafts of the
peoples in modern times, painting as a medium of expression in the Western
sense has never had any indigenous development. Experimentation in
contemporary media, techniques, and styles has been limited since World War
II.

     Neither the techniques nor the scale of wood sculpture has reached the
heights obtained in other African countries. Small primitive wooden statuettes
are still carved among peoples in the regions once occupied by the ancient
kingdoms of Kanem, Ouaddai, and Baguirmi. The Sara carve funerary posts that
have one or several human figures at the top. Members of some ethnic groups
still carve wooden food containers and serving pieces.

     Historically, metalwork-one of the more developed traditional art forms
in the country-included objects in gold, silver, brass, copper, bronze, and
various white metals. It was sometimes the exclusive privilege of a particular
people to work with metal. The techniques used included hammering soft metals,
forging harder metals, and-particularly in the case of bronze-casting by using
the so-called lost-wax process.

     Archaeological diggings-particularly in sites of the Sao culture dating
from the tenth to sixteenth centuries-have produced bowls and other vessels,
but the vast majority of the objects unearthed were originally used for
personal adornment or for ritual purposes. Included were breastplates;
necklaces of metal beads, usually round but sometimes shaped like seashells;
pendants shaped like animals; clasps for necklaces; collars of more perishable
materials; bracelets; and a variety of amulets.

     In contemporary times fabrication of such items has almost completely
disappeared, and the people are turning to imported items, such as plastic
bracelets, for personal adornment. Small silver camels are still worn as hair
ornaments, however, by some women of the Toubou groups. The major examples of
metalwork are the casting of small brass animals for limited tourist sales and
the forging of hunting and throwing knives of tempered steel.

     Traditional pottery includes works in terra cotta and limited development
of early glazes. Large urns-sometimes over six-feet high-are still used in
rural areas for the storage of grains, and small urns for water storage and
household purposes are also made by traditional methods. Ceramic beads were
produced by hand for a variety of purposes; early rock painting show their use
in the construction of headdresses, versions of which are still worn among the
Zaghawa and other groups.

     Particularly among the nomadic peoples, leather-the most accessible craft
material-traditionally served a variety of purposes. Either plain or
decorated, it was used to make cords, sacks, pouches, containers for liquids,
sandals, and clothing. Among the sultanates the production of fabrics was
sufficiently widespread to allow the use of this commodity for the payment of
tribute. Although fabrics are still produced on a family basis by some
peoples, the amounts are marginal. Basket weaving remains a well-established
tradition of continuing importance. Among some groups basketwork is produced
by both men and women. Among the Sara, Massa, and Toubouri, however, it
remains a male occupation. Some groups incorporate geometric patterns and
color variations in their works.

     The most enduring of all the traditional arts is the decoration of
calabashes or gourd ware. Gourds are left whole or cut into desired shapes and
then dried. They are fashioned into a variety of objects, including bowls for
drinking, containers for storing grain or medicines, and bottle-like water and
milk containers. Among the Massa and some other groups, they are used as
fishing floats.

     When used as containers for special gifts or to commemorate a special
event, the gourds-in their most refined forms-are decorated by the use of a
red-hot tool set in a wooden handle. Lines that contrast with the natural
color of the gourd are burned into the surface. Such work is generally done by
women. Some particular designs, including linear scrolls and geometric
patterns, are identified with certain family groups whose members can
interpret the varied meanings and generic names. Members of the clan to which
the family belongs may recognize the designs and their names, but they do not
always know their meanings. Such work is sti