Of Hunters, Goats and Earth-Shrines: Settlement Histories and the Politics of Oral Tradition in Northern Ghana

2000 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 193-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carola Lentz
Keyword(s):  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Primary Concern ◽  
Settlement History ◽  
Agricultural Society ◽  
Political Interests ◽  
Core Elements ◽  
History Of ◽  
Working Out

The present paper deals with the settlement history of a West African agricultural society, that of the Dagara in present-day northwestern Ghana and southern Burkina Faso. In it, I shall be particularly interested in the appropriation of space, which is ritually legitimized through the acquisition of earth-shrines, and in the conflict-ridden relationships between the in-migrating Dagara and the Sisala, who were already settled in their new habitat. My primary concern, however, is not to examine the Dagara's expansion strategies or the history of interethnic conflicts as such, but their working out in disputed oral traditions. Using the example of the controversial settlement history of Nandom (see map 1), I wish to show how Africans, both today and in the colonial past, have used oral traditions in order to conduct politics. I shall discuss the methodological implications that this mutual constitution of oral traditions and political interests has for the reconstruction of settlement history and examine the possibilities of a thorough criticism of sources to detect core elements of the historical settlement process and appropriation of space as well as the presentday confrontations with history.Oral traditions have played an important role in research into African history and societies. This is because in many places it was European missionaries and colonial masters who first introduced literacy and writing, and because we have only a few written sources—sometimes none at all—for the period up to the end of the nineteenth century.

The Amazons of Dahomey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agbenyega Adedze
Keyword(s):  
Oral Tradition ◽  
West African ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Historical Evidence ◽  
The West ◽  
West African Coast ◽  
African Coast ◽  
History Of ◽  
French Colonial ◽  
Female Fighters

The Amazons in general come from Greek legend and myth without any palpable historical evidence. However, there is no doubt about the historical female fighters of the erstwhile Kingdom of Dahomey (Danhome or Danxome) in West Africa, which survived until their defeat by the French colonial forces in 1893. The history of the historical Amazons of the Kingdom of Dahomey stems from vast amounts of oral tradition collected and analyzed over the years, as well as written accounts by Europeans who happened to have visited the kingdom or lived on the West African coast since Dahomey’s foundation in the 17th century to its demise in the late 19th century. These sources have been reviewed and debated by several scholars (including Amélie Degbelo, Stanley B. Alpern, Melville J. Herskovits, Hélène d’Almeida-Topor, Boniface Obichere, Edna G. Bay, Robin Law, Susan Preston Blier, Auguste Le Herisse, etc.), who may or may not agree on the narrative of the founding of the kingdom or the genesis of female fighters in the Dahomean army. Nonetheless, all scholars agree that the female forces traditionally called Ahosi/Mino did exist and fought valiantly in many of Dahomey’s battles against their neighbors (Oyo, Ouemenou, Ouidah, etc.) and France. The history of the Ahosi/Mino is intricately linked to the origins and political and social development of the Kingdom of Dahomey. Ahosi/Mino are still celebrated in the oral traditions of the Fon.

scholarly journals The Representation of Status in Mande: Did the Mali Empire Still Exist in the Nineteenth Century?

1996 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 87-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Jansen
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Organizational Structure ◽  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Conventional Wisdom ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Methodological Errors ◽  
Widespread Acceptance ◽  
History Of ◽  
Source Of Information

For the reconstruction of the history of the aftermath of the Mali empire, that is, the period 1500-1800, oral traditions are the only source of information. The history of this period has been reconstructed by Person and Niane. Their work has gained widespread acceptance. In this paper I will argue that these scholars made significant methodological errors—in particular, in interpreting chronology in genealogies, and their reading of stories about invasions and the seizure of power by younger brothers.My reading of the oral tradition raises questions about the nature of both sixteenth- and nineteenth-century Mande (that is the triangle Bamako-Kita-Kankan (see map), the region where the ‘Malinke’ live), and the medieval Mali empire, because I think that Mande royal genealogies have wrongly been considered to represent claims to the imperial throne of the Mali empire. In contrast, my reading of oral tradition suggests in retrospect that the organizational structure of the Mali empire may have been segmentary, and not centralized, ranking between segments under discussion, each group thereby creating a hierarchical image.The conventional wisdom seems to be that the Mali empire collapsed/disintegrated in the period from 1500 and 1800. As Person put it:Dans le triangle malinké, on ne trouvera plus au XIX siècle que des kafu, ces petites unités étatiques qui forment les cellules politiques fondamentales du monde mandingue. Certains d'entre eux savaient faire reconnaître leur hégémonie à leurs voisins, mais aucune structure politique permante n'existait à un niveau supérieur. Beaucoup d'entre eux, dont les plus puissants et les plus peuplés, seront alors commandées par des lignées Kééta qui se réclament avec quelque vraisemblance des empereurs du Mali médiéval.

Segeju and Daisũ: A Case Study of Evidence from Oral Tradition and Comparative Linguistics

1982 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 175-208
Author(s):  
Derek Nurse
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Comparative Linguistics ◽  
Tana River ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Northeast Africa

The history of “the” Segeju has been the subject of lengthy published debate. The discussion has been based almost entirely on interpretation of oral traditions as recounted by Segeju informants to various scholars. A newcomer with a linguistic bias is struck by certain aspects of much of this debate:a] the linguistic implausibility apparently involved. Baker, for example, recording fairly literally what he was told, started the history of “the” Segeju in the Middle East: this would presumably involve a community speaking Arabic or Persian. There follows reference to “segeju” travels and sojourns in mainland northeast Africa: linguistic affiliation unknown. This period terminates with their arrival at Shungwaya, in southern Somalia: linguistic affiliation unstated. Later “they” are found on the Upper Tana River: Kamba is mentioned. Finally “they” settle in their present location on the northern Tanzanian coast, where today the language affiliations of people referring to themselves as “Segeju” are various (see below).

scholarly journals For Oral Tradition (But Not Against Braudel)

1978 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 351-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Vansina
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
World War ◽  
History Writing ◽  
The Past ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Waves ◽  
Fernand Braudel

One wonders what Fernand Braudel and the school of the Annales have done to become a kind of Trojan Horse for the wholesale condemnation of the historical value of oral tradition. Yet they are the banner raised by W.G. Clarence-Smith in a recent article in his journal to preach jihad against its historical value. Clarence-Smith claims that the historiographical revolution effected by Annales has resulted in the definitive exclusion of oral traditions from the halls of Clio. Oral traditions are at best ambiguous “signs” about the past and are very much of the present. They lack absolute chronology and they are selective, so away with them. If they be worthy of attention at all, let anthropologists and sociologists be concerned, save in a few rare instances where a historian wants to check on some European printed source. And even then, caveat emptor. Significantly, the article is not just the expression of the views of one person; rather it is symptomatic of much of the criticism which has been leveled at oral tradition, mostly by fasionable anthropologists. And it brings this criticism to its logical conclusion.But first a word about Braudel, the Annales, and oral tradition in general. The Annales School was founded by Lucien Febvre and Marc Bloch before World War II. Fernand Braudel is its most distinguished exponent. His major theoretical pronouncements can be found in his Ecrits sur l'histoire, a collection of articles reprinted and published in 1969. This and his two major historical works should be read by those who want to know more about his views and ways of dealing with history. The basic tenets that members of the Annales School hold is that the history of events is but the spray of past developments; other time depths tell us more about the waves of the past. There is the time of the conjoncture, the trend, and the even longer time periods -- sometimes many centuries long -- the longue durée or long term. Successful history writing does not liminate the study of events, but analyzes them against the movement of these longer and deeper-running trends.

scholarly journals ORAL TRADITION OF SANSANA BANDAR OF DAYAK NGAJU IN KAPUAS WATERSHED CENTRAL KALIMANTAN/TRADISI LISAN SANSANA BANDAR DAYAK NGAJU DI DAS KAPUAS KALIMANTAN TENGAH

Aksara ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-246
Author(s):  
Titik Wijanarti ◽  
Bani Sudardi ◽  
Mahendra Wijaya ◽  
Sri Kusumo Habsari
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Ethnic Group ◽  
Cultural History ◽  
Text Analysis ◽  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Central Kalimantan ◽  
Library Research ◽  
History Of ◽  
Research Interviews

Abstract Sansana Bandar is one of the oral traditions of the Dayak Ngaju people of Central Kalimantan in the form of a story about Bandar. This study aims to examine the narrative of the Bandar by contextualizing all aspects of the story to the socio-cultural history of the Dayak ethnic group. This study used an ethno- graphic approach. Data collection techniques used were library research, interviews, staging, recording, and transcription. The data obtained were then analyzed semiotics. The results show that Sansana Bandar is still maintained by the Dayak Ngaju community in the Kapuas Regency. The purpose of staging Sansana Bandar is so that one’s ideals can be achieved. Sansana Bandar staging requires requirements and is carried out from afternoon to morning. Sansana Bandar’s text analysis shows the in uence of cultures outside the island of Kalimantan in the life of the Ngaju Dayak community. Keywords: oral tradition, Sansana Bandar, Dayak Ngaju, Kapuas wastershed, Central Kalimantan Abstrak Sansana Bandar adalah salah satu tradisi lisan masyarakat Dayak Ngaju Kalimantan Tengah yaitu berupa cerita tentang seorang tokoh bernama Bandar. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis narasicerita Bandar melalui seluruh aspek cerita yang dikaitkan dengan konteks social historis dan social budaya suku Dayak Ngaju. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan pendekatan etnogra . Teknik pengambilan data yang dilakukan adalah penelusuran pustaka, wawancara, pementasan, perekaman, dan transkripsi. Data yang diperoleh kemudian dianalisis secara semiotik. Hasil penelitian menunjuk- kan bahwa Sansana Bandar masih dipertahankan oleh masyarakat Dayak Ngaju di wilayah Kabupaten Kapuas. Tujuan pementasan Sansana Bandar bagi tuan rumah adalah supaya cita-cita berhajat dapat tercapai. Sansana Bandar dipentaskan memerlukan persyaratan dan dilakukan pada waktu sore sampai pagi hari. Analisis teks cerita Sansana Bandar menunjukkan adanya pengaruh kebudayaan luar pulau Kalimantan dalam kehidupan masyarakat Dayak Ngaju. Kata kunci: tradisi lisan, Sansana Bandar, Dayak Ngaju, DAS Kapuas, Kalimantan Tengah 

scholarly journals Cultural Preservation: Rediscovering the Endangered Oral Tradition of Maluku (A Case Study on Kapata of Central Maluku)

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fathu Rahman ◽  
Prihe Slamatin Letlora
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Folk Song ◽  
Cultural Preservation ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Way

Language and culture are two aspects which interchange each other where the language is a medium to get information about the culture. As the product of language and culture, oral tradition plays a vital role in Maluku not only as the most powerful and sacred chant that regulate the life of people but also as the folk song that contains history, advice, and prayer. Kapata nowadays is assumed as the endangered oral traditions in Maluku. To rediscover the endangered oral traditions, descriptive qualitative research by using interview and library study in gaining the supporting information was implemented. Furthermore, this research was aimed (1) to figure out the history of Kapata and the way to preserve it (2) to map out the categories of Kapata and its function in social life, and (3) to elaborate the meaning of language expression conveyed in Kapata. Through this research, it is hoped that Kapata can be preserved by implementing it in formal education, art performance and framing in an advanced documentation so that all generations of Maluku are able to not only to recognize and make use it in social life as the way to preserve the Kapata as an endangered oral tradition.

Studying the History of Those Who Would Rather Forget: Oral History and the Experience of Slavery

1989 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 209-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin A. Klein
Keyword(s):  
Collective Memory ◽  
Oral History ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Spanish Civil War ◽  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Individual Experience ◽  
Different Types ◽  
History Of

Research on oral history tends to be concerned with two very different types of sources. I would refer to them as oral traditions and oral data. Oral traditions are formally preserved, not always as narratives, but in some fixed form. They can, for example, be passed on as songs, as drum names, or as proverbs. They are part of the collective memory of the group and get passed on from generation to generation. They serve a legitimating function and must of necessity be analyzed in terms of who and what they legitimate. There is also a large body of data at any time which individuals hold in memory, data about individual experience, data that consist essentially of things that people have seen and experienced. It is not preserved in any formal way because it is not deliberately structured for legitimation or communication. Popular writers in western countries have tapped this rather rich treasure trove in recent years to write about the Depression, two World Wars, and the Spanish Civil War among other things. Oral tradition is limited in what it passes on, and once the transition from generation to generation is made, the amount of data is forever circumscribed.Oral data are largely concerned with people describing things they experienced. They are valid primarily during the lifetime of those being interrogated. They are absolutely essential for the reconstruction of the history of peoples without history, those low down in any social order who have little to legitimate.

Sudanese Historiography and Oral Tradition

1985 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 117-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullahi Ali Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Historical Research ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
History Writing ◽  
Historical Criticism ◽  
Southern Sudan ◽  
History Of ◽  
Historical Writings ◽  
The One ◽  
The University

One of the most curious aspects of Sudanese historiography is that it has almost completely ignored the ongoing attempts to apply the methods of historical criticism to oral tradition in reconstructing the African past. Though an awareness of these attempts on the part of Sudanese historians is not lacking, it has not gone beyond vague indications, casual remarks, and limited use of oral data. This paper investigates the apathy of Sudanese historiography with respect to oral traditions, drawing on articles on the writing of history in the Sudan, as well as on historical writings that have actually made use of oral traditions.Sudanese historiography here means writings by Sudanese on history-writing in the Sudan; general histories of the Sudan; and local histories of the Northern Sudan. The history of the Southern Sudan is excluded because the contribution of oral tradition in reconstructing the history of this region has been markedly different. I also distinguish between traditional (biographers, genealogists, etc.) and amateur historians on the one hand and modern historians on the other. The modern historians, with whom this article will deal exclusively, are graduates of the Department of History in the University of Khartoum (or a similar university by extension), which was established in the late 1940s,and who have been exposed to the Western critical spirit and modern techniques of historical research and writing.2 Unlike the modern historians, traditional and amateur historians have always made use of both oral traditions and written sources.

Some Reflections on the Oral Traditions of the Galinhas Country, Sierra Leone

1985 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 151-165
Author(s):  
Adam Jones
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Tape Recorder ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
African History ◽  
Oral Literature ◽  
Main Interest ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of ◽  
Different Parts

Whenever historians of Africa write: “According to tradition…”, they evade the crucial question of what kind of oral tradition they are referring to. The assumption that oral tradition is something more or less of the same nature throughout Africa, or indeed the world, still permeates many studies on African history; and even those who have themselves collected oral material seldom pause to consider how significant this material is or how it compares with that available in other areas.The majority of studies of oral tradition have been written by people who worked with fairly formal traditions; and those who, after reading such studies, go and work in societies where such traditions do not exist are often distressed and disappointed. There is therefore still a need for localized studies of oral tradition in different parts of Africa. As far as Sierra Leone is concerned, no work specifically devoted to the nature of oral tradition has been published, despite several valuable publications on the oral literature of the Limba and Mende. The notes that follow are intended to give a rough picture of the kind of oral material I obtained in a predominantly Mende-speaking area of Sierra Leone in 1977-78 (supplemented by a smaller number of interviews conducted in 1973-75, 1980, and 1984). My main interest was in the eighteenth and nineteenth century history of what I have called the Galinhas country, the southernmost corner of Sierra Leone.I conducted nearly all of my interviews through interpreters and did not use a tape recorder more than a very few times. This was partly because the amount of baggage I could carry on foot was limited, but also because I soon found that some informants were disturbed by the tape recorder, and because it was difficult to catch on tape the contributions of all the bystanders.

scholarly journals S. W. D. K. GANDAH (1927–2001): INTELLECTUAL AND HISTORIAN FROM NORTHERN GHANA

Africa ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carola Lentz
Keyword(s):  
Oral Tradition ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Colonial Rule ◽  
Historical Account ◽  
Western Education ◽  
History Of ◽  
Village Life ◽  
The Way

ABSTRACTS. W. D. K. Gandah was the son of an influential chief and witnessed first-hand the way the conflicts, pressures and transformations of colonial rule played out on the ground in northern Ghana. Belonging to the first generation of educated northerners, he put his literary and intellectual attainments to original use throughout his life. In addition to an autobiography (The Silent Rebel), he wrote a fascinating history of his father (Gandah-yir), extracts from which are published here. In this introduction I discuss the author's development as a writer and local historian. I analyse his ambivalent perspective on Chief Gandah's life, as loyal son, but also critic of many aspects of village life – a perspective typical of a first generation of indigenous intellectuals who embodied both a traditional upbringing and new values instilled through Western education. I look at Kumbonoh's reflections on the task that he has set himself for his Gandah-yir manuscript, namely reconciling oral tradition, local memories, and written history in an attempt to produce a historical account not only for his immediate family and the wider Dagara community, but for a broader readership.

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