West Africa Flashcards
granary
a storehouse or room in a barn for threshed grain or animal feed. Ancient or primitive granaries are most often made of pottery.
toguna
built with a very low roof, with the express purpose of forcing visitors to sit rather than stand. This helps with avoiding violence when discussions get heated. They are used by the village elders to discuss problems of the community, but can also serve as a place for customary law.
to offer protection from the sun and heat
Ginna
In each village in Dogon Country, Mali exists a large family dwelling, called a ginna, that is reserved for the spiritual leader of the community. The building has a raised living area reached by a ladder carved from a tree trunk
Lebe
According to Dogon tradition, Lebe was the first ancestor to die
Lebe is the reincarnation of the first Dogon ancestor who, resurrected in the form of a snake, guided the Dogons from the Mandé to the cliff of Bandiagara where they are found today.
Awa society
masked society of circumsised men
Dogon women and children are not permitted to attend the rituals.
dama rituals, representing various characters, animals, objects, and abstract concepts, but kanaga is one of the most popular
