Multimedia Mania/abacus-multimedia-mania.iso/dp/0030/00305.txt

Text File | 1993-07-27 | 7KB | 130 lines

$Unique_ID{bob00305}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Cote d'Ivoire
Chapter 5B.   The Life Cycle}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{T.D. Roberts, Donald M. Bouton, Irving Kaplan, Barbara Lent, Charles Townsend, Neda A. Walpole}
$Affiliation{HQ, Department of the Army}
$Subject{ceremonies
circumcision
akan
excision
gifts
initiation
agni
celebration
child
death
see
tables
}
$Date{1973}
$Log{See Table 1.*0030501.tab
}
Title:       Cote d'Ivoire
Book:        Area Handbook for Ivory Coast
Author:      T.D. Roberts, Donald M. Bouton, Irving Kaplan, Barbara Lent, Charles Townsend, Neda A. Walpole
Affiliation: HQ, Department of the Army
Date:        1973

Chapter 5B.   The Life Cycle

     People traditionally mark the great moments of the life cycle with some
kind of celebration or recognition, some social ceremony aimed at reasserting
social solidarity. In addition to marriage, these moments are usually birth,
the attainment of physical maturity marked by initiation, and death.

Southeast Groups

     The Agni carefully examine all babies born to them. Traditionally, a
number of categories of babies, such as monsters or the tenth son, were not
permitted to survive. It is doubtful that this practice continues extensively.
For 14 days the mother and child remain isolated in a room, although the
mother may receive visitors. The end of this period, following certain
rituals, when the mother and child emerge and rejoin the village, is the cause
of great celebration. All the Akan peoples have a similar custom. Among the
Akan of Ghana, this celebration has received the English name of
"out-dooring".

     The choice of a name among the Akan is greatly circumscribed by custom.
Family names are a modern innovation. Each child has a karanda (a name of the
day of the week). There is a set of names for each sex, and they are quite
similar in the various Akan languages (see table 1.

     The Agni names are one day off, the name for Sunday being used for
Saturday, etc. The Agni system is also used by the Nzima and the Akan of
Ghana. The child also has another name, one that will usually indicate the
order of his birth and his sex. For example, among the Agni, Nguessan means
the third child provided he is of same sex as the first two. Twins have
special names. Children may, in certain circumstances, also be named after
relatives.

[See Table 1.: The Baoule System of Naming Children]

     Initiation is not an important ritual among the Akan as it is among many
other African peoples, since the Akan consider the custom of circumcision and
excision degrading. Funeral celebrations, however, are quite elaborate.
It is forbidden to leave the village during the celebration, and those living
elsewhere must return. Much drinking and dancing accompany the ceremonies.
Only the women may cry. The funeral of a chief requires a special ritual, and
the death is kept secret several days. Formerly, this was to allow time to
round up victims who would be sacrificed to accompany him to the other world.
This custom is dying out. Normally, the Agni provide a second funeral
celebration for persons of consequence. This is  a commemorative service, held
anywhere from six months to five years after death. The exact date is
determined by the length of time required for the family to collect enough
money to hold a ceremony reflecting the prestige of the dead person, man or
woman. These ceremonies can be quite expensive. Today in the towns such
commemorative services are advertised by wall posters.

Southwest Groups

     Among the southwest forest tribes, initiations are more important than
birth ceremonies. These peoples seem to have clung to initiation ceremonies
in the face of the generally disintegrating effects of modernization. The
various initiation systems have sometimes inserted themselves within the
framework of political parties who, in turn, use the customary ceremonies,
The Dan (Yacouba), the Ouobe and the Guere still place a great emphasis
on both circumcision and excision, which take place between the ages of 14 and
18. The latter is particularly ancient, whereas circumcision seems newer,
perhaps having spread from the north. Today, some of the educated elite
compromise by having circumcision done in the hospital. Much of the spiritual
content of these ceremonies is today ignored, and the ceremony is reduced to
the actual act. Often the ceremonies and the timing have been adapted for the
economic calendar of a cash-crop economy. Their basic theme, however, remains
unchanged.

     Among the Bete, the Dida and perhaps among other southwest peoples, death
is not regarded as natural. Thus an indemnity must be paid. Who pays whom
depends on the status of the deceased and the locality of the death. The
recipients of the gifts come to the funeral complaining that the givers have
allowed their relative to die. Gifts are a symbol of reconciliation, of
pardon. Those who receive must at first refuse the gifts and only consent to
accept them if the givers excuse themselves in the most humble manner. The
givers give no more than is required of them, although occasionally someone
wishes to be ostentatious and to show off his generosity. When a man dies, all
of his daughters and the other lineage woman of the same generation-whom he
also calls daughters-return to his home and should be accompanied by their
spouses bearing gifts. If a spouse cannot afford the gifts, he normally waits
until after the harvest of coffee, and then comes with his gifts to bring back
his wife, who has stayed at her dead father's home.

Northern Groups

     In the savanna regions, circumcision and excision generally form the
basis of initiation ceremonies. Excision spreads with Islam-despite the fact
that in theory it is forbidden-because the Peul and Malinke, who propagate
Islam, practice it. Both circumcision and excision have thus spread, for
example, to the Koulango. Circumcision among the Moslems is normally, but not
always, performed 7 days after birth. The alternative times of 7 years of
age or adolescence are rare. It is performed either by a family member or by
a sort of professional caste. The Senoufo, with poro societies, place special
emphasis on initiation. Circumcision is not yet general, despite Islamic
contact. It is practiced within families somewhere between the ages of 3 and
15, but it is not required for entry into the poro. Excision, however, is
widespread, and the nonexcised woman is teased. Nevertheless, one can be
married and enter poro (except its highest degree) without excision. The poro
ceremony itself is an induction into adult mores, thus serving as a
traditional educational system.