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The Spiritual and Social Role of Women in Traditional Sudanese Society

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2024

Geneviève Calame-Griaule
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Extract

“God the Creator, Amma,” says a Dogon fable, “asked a hyena to bring him the best thing in the world. The hyena brought him a woman. Amma then asked him to go in search of the worst thing in the world. The hyena returned once again with a woman. When Amma wanted to know the reasons for this choice, the hyena replied ‘All the good and all the evil in the world come from woman.’ “ Amma agreed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Diogenes , Volume 10 , Issue 37 , March 1962 , pp. 75 - 87
Copyright
Copyright © 1962 Fédération Internationale des Sociétés de Philosophie / International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP)

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References

1 G. Balandier, Sociologie actuelle de l'Afrique noire, P.U.F., 1955, p. 148.

2 Cf. G. Dieterlen, "Classification des végétaux chez les Dogon," Journal de la Société des africanistes, vol. XXII, 1952, p. 153, and G. Calame-Griaule, "Notes sur l'habitation du plateau central nigérien," Bulletin de l'Institut français d'Afrique noire, vol. XVII B No. 3-4. July 1955, p. 478.

3 Cf. M. Griaule, "L'image du monde au Soudan," Journal de la Société des africanistes, vol. XIX, 1949, and G. Calame-Griaule, "Culture et humanisme chez les Dogon," in Aspects de la culture noire, Recherches et débats du Centre catho lique des intellectuels français, issue No. 24, September 1958.

4 For example, in Dogon, one says i nana for "(the woman) has given birth" or "(the tree) has given forth fruit"; to indicate the swollen ear of millet, the expression yu bere ay is employed "the millet is growing fat," equivalent to "being pregnant"; den in Bambara, bi in Peul, signify "child" and "fruit," etc.

5 With regard to the role of fish, cf. M. Griaule, "Rôle du silure Olarias senegalensis dans la procréation au Soudan français," Afrikanistische Studien, Berlin, 1955.

6 With regard to Sudanese myth, see especially M. Griaule, Dieu d'eau, Pa ris, 1948; G. Dieterlen, Essai sur la religion Bambara, P.U.F., 1951; "Parenté et mariage chez les Dogon", Africa, April 1956; "Mythe et organisation sociale au Soudan français," I, Journal de la Société des africanistes, vol XXV, 1955, and II, vol. XXIX, 1959. A complete account of Dogon myth may be found in M. Griaule and G. Dieterlen: Le Renard pâle (in preparation).

7 G. Dieterlen, "Les rites symboliques du mariage chez les Bambara", Zaïre, October 1954, p. 816.

8 Ibid., pp. 828, 829, 830, 832, 836.

9 With regard to the cuisine, cf. G. Dieterlen and G. Calame-Griaule, "L'alimentation dogon," Cahiers d'études africaines, Ecole Pratique des Hautes-Etudes (6th section). As for the distinction between cultivated, pure lands, and untilled, impure lands, cf. M. Griaule, Dieu d'eau, loc. cit., p. 94.

10 Regarding the equivalents of menstrual and sacrificial blood, cf. M. Griaule, Dieu d'eau, loc cit., p. 182, and G. Calame-Griaule, "Note complémentaire sur le symbolisme du tambour kunyu", Notes africaines, October 1956, No. 72.

11 For the reasons of this interdiction, cf. G. Calame-Griaule and B. Calame; "Introduction à l'étude de la musique africaine," La Revue musicale, Carnet critique, No. 238, Richard-Masse 1957, pp. 18-19.

12 Cf. M. Griaule, "Jeux dogon," Travaux et mémoires de l'Institut d'ethno logie de l'Université de Paris, (Vol. XXXII, 1938), pp. 265-269.

13 These bent sticks which men and boys wear suspended from their shoulders, serve in various ways: gathering fruit, light arms, etc…

14 Cf. p. 78, note 6.

15 Cf. M. Griaule, Dieu d'eau, loc cit., p. 29.

16 These details, only partly published thus far, will be more fully set forth in Le Renard pâle, by M. Griaule and G. Dieterlen.

17 The earth, furthermore is equally ambivalent; cf. the contrast mentioned above between tilled and untilled lands.

18 Among the Dogon, the prepus is supposed to become symbolically trans formed after the operation, into a lizard called nay (Hemithéconyx caudicinctus): cf. M. Griaule, "Réflexions sur les symboles soudanais," Cahiers internationaux de sociologie, vol. XIII, 1952, p. 10; now, nay is precisely the name of the sun, and also designates the number four, a female symbol.

19 The "big house" of a joint family.

20 G. Dieterlen, "Parenté et mariage chez les Dogon," loc cit., p. 157.

21 Ibid., p. 141.

22 With regard to this cf. G. Calame-Griaule and B. Calame, "Introduction à l'étude de la musique africaine," loc. cit.

23 Regarding the cosmic significance of spinning, cf. M. Griaule, Dieu d'eau, loc. cit., pp. 87-88.

24 Here we are not dealing with the division of work between the sexes. On this question, see, among others; for the Dogon, D. Pauline, Organisation sociale des Dogon (Paris, Domat-Montchrestien, 1940) pp. 173-180; for the Bambara, V. Pâques, Les Bambara (P.U.F. 1954), pp. 64-68, etc.

25 M. Griaule, "Masque dogon," Travaux et mémoires de l'Institut d'ethno logie de l'Université de Paris, vol. XXXIII, 1938, p. 267.

26 Cf. G. Dieterlen, "Les Ames des Dogon", Travaux et mémoires de l'Insti tut d'ethnologie de l'Université de Paris, vol. XL, 1941, p. 241 ff.

27 G. Dieterlen, "Mythe et organisation sociale en Afrique occidentale", II, loc. cit., p. 126.

28 G. Dieterlen, "Mythe et organisation sociale au Soudan Français," loc. cit., p. 68.

29 This symbolism is very general; thus, among the Dogon, the bridge of the "male" harp-lute is cut to a point, while that of the "female" is rounded. (Cf. G. Calame-Griaule and B. Calame, "Introduction à l'étude de la musique africaine," photo No. 4).

30 The musical instrument referred to in our preceding note also has a rounded "womblike" female-shaped soundbox." (Ibid. p. 13).

31 Sudanese hoes, as well as axes and other digging tools, are characteristic in this respect: the "male" type has an iron head which is pushed into the wooden handle, while in the "female" type the wood is inserted into a section rounded like a vice.

32 G. Dieterlen, Norme et latéralité chez les populations soudanaises. Institut d'études des Relations humaines, Flammarion.

33 For reference to the myth, cf. p. 78, note 6.

34 Letter from Madame Dieterlen.