This blog is for students of Civilizations of Africa at American University in Washington, DC and the ABTI-American University of Nigeria in Yola. You can use the blog for class assignments, to comment on things we've discussed in class and interact with other students.
I feel as though this section of the myth was meant to teach a lesson. It was intended to be a sort of parable to teach values to its audience. The lessons at hand, in one sense, seem to follow along with The Ten Commandments: Do not covet thy neighbor’s wife. This is because Kelimabe suspects his brother Kelikelimabe, of raping his wife. However, this never actually happened. Kelimabe’s wife lies to avenge Kelikelimabe because he would not have sex with her. Kelimabe believes his wife and becomes so angry that he castrates his brother and runs away.
Another lesson the story teaches at the same time as commenting on its societal value is the structure of this particular African society. It shows family values and the importance of trust in the family. Had Kelimabe trusted his brother, he would have believed that he had not raped his wife. Therefore, he would have never punished his loyal brother but his wife instead. Clearly it is shown that families should support each other and be loyal and faithful to one another.
This myth also says something about jealousy. Jealousy first came into play when Kelimabe’s wife saw how handsome Kelikelimabe was. She lost faith to her husband and lusted after his brother. She was jealous of what she didn’t have. Then, when Kelimabe thought that his brother raped his wife, he was jealous and angered by another person coveting his wife. He then acted irrationally because of this anger and jealousy which all turned out to be for naught as the dispute was based on a lie.
Our modern society definitely lacks such myths today because there are no longer cherished stories that put emphasis on the family and family ties. Especially in the United States, so much importance is placed on the individual and completely ignores community-type values. This story is a good representation of how we should not treat our siblings.
In the introduction to the myths of the Songhay Hunters, the people of this region who are fishers and hunters are said to have a special connection with the natural world that allows them to prosper in their trade. They possess secret knowledge and magic that is used to work with nature to obtain what they need within the limits of certain boundaries established between man and those spirits and magical entities of nature. The story of Musa Nyame is an example of the relationship between a population of men and the surrounding forces of nature, and how man must behave according to this relationship.
Musa Nyame was destined to be the leader of the Gow because his mother became pregnant with him when she fell asleep under a tree full of spirits. Because of his connection with that tree and the spirit world, Musa had an advantage over the other men in his community. Musa went to his spirit father who taught him “all the secrets of the bush and of hunting and magic” (p 22). He had access to this special knowledge of the natural world so readily available to him, where the other hunters all had to use what was passed down from previous generations of men. To be a leader in this society, one had to truly understand the ways of the natural world and of the magic associated with man’s interaction with nature.
Once Musa learned all he could from his father he went back to his people and agreed to be ruler on the condition that no cooked food would be taken out into the bush. I interpreted this as creating a set boundary between where man could and could not go and what they could do in nature, outside the rule of man. Man could not bring cooked food out to the bush and disrupt the spirits and magical beings with unnatural human ingenuity (as opposed to fresh, uncooked, foods). Once this rule was broken, the people were attacked by a magical beast called the hira.
Despite many of the other hunters being defeated, Musa “could not be bothered to hunt a hira” (p22). Musa showed no signs of caring about what happened to the people of the village because they had not honored the agreement that they made, and so Musa let nature’s beast run rampant. Musa showed little connection with his fellow man until the women he was courting was in danger of being killed by the hira. Only then does Musa act, and as Meynsata points out to the people of the village, “Musa killed the hira, or it would have killed me.”
On one level, this myth can be connected with the Christian religion. Musa was born of a mortal mother and a spiritual, mystical being for a father. This unity places him above others are gives him authority to say what is best for the people of his community. When they don’t listen or disobey the rules they were punished by a beast of that same mystical realm they were supposed to respect. Musa is not like Christ though, in the sense that he was very indifferent to others’ problems and complaints. He only acted when what he wanted was threatened.
Overall, I believe that this myth stresses the importance of nature and the spiritual world and how one of man’s highest priorities, especially in Gow society, was to respect the natural world and spirits. If you don’t place value in what is offered to you by nature, then nature in turn places no value in you. Without the cooperation of nature, man’s magic and knowledge would be useless.
This story illustrates the importance of family, that no matter what family is always the most important aspect of life. Even if you have troubles with them, they will always come looking for you. It shows that family will always get a person through the hard times.
This story also helps show that people can overcome tragedy. Ask any male, and they will tell that having your member removed, is one of the worst fates possible. Kelikelimabe wanted to remain wifeless and when he was forced to marry he wanted to give up and drown himself in the river. But with magic his member was repaired and he was happy. It teaches the lesson not to give up during hard times because better times will be ahead.
These myths, entertain but also teach important lessons. They teach morals and ethics, and strengths and weakness that humans have. This myth particular teaches the importance of never giving up, and never giving up on a person. It emphasis the importance of family in African culture, and the forgiving nature of people.
Although Jenna did not believe such myths exist in modern society, I strongly disagree. If you watch any sitcom, they do the exact same thing, they entertain and have a moral message. If you watch a show such as Fresh Prince of Bel Air, it will tell a story that people enjoy watching, its funny and entertaining. But most episodes also convey a message about society. There are episodes that explore family relations, coming of age problems, and jealousy issues. The only difference between myths and media, is that its changed from verbal to visual. In fact there are many more television shows with lessons now then there were myths.
I like how this tale is able recount a story and teach a lesson. I really enjoy how it incorporates magic with real situations. It's a great way to pass on a history and provide entertainment for the people of the village.
Within the society we see this fable playing the role of a value setter, it helps to conform the norm and values system for this group of people. It teaches the people what behaviors and customs will be accepted by their peers and family members. The story describes how the entire region is situated by telling how the interaction between Fara Makan and Fono plays out. It's important to understand what the area is like where these stories take place. This is necessary to imagine the story happening. I think that it's important to be able to do this in order to get the true message of the tale. It will put you right in action as the story unravels. You want to be able to see the characters transform throughout the chase that occurs in the story. This is what will make it's mark on your memory.
When a deep impression is made on you, you simply take more from the story. You can see the true message, the lesson that is to be learned. In this story I see that as the idea that you can never outrun your problems. In the story the good guy-bad guy relationship doesn't exist, so it's hard to see what action merited a bad action taken against the person, but there is something else that can be seen. It is that when there is a problem, such as between Fono and Fara Makan, steps should be taken to resolve the problem, you shouldn't simply go into battle over it. You should take the approach to working with your adversaries to resolves issues rather than avoiding them.
In her post, Jenna mentioned the lessons found in the myth "Kelimabe and Klikelimabe." These morals to be learned about jealousy and “coveting they neighbor’s wife” are both introduced into the myth with the wrong doing preformed by a woman- Kelimabe’s wife. Throughout all the myths of the "Songhay Hunters of the Niger River" men, as the hunters, play a role as the leaders of their societies defending their communities from predators. In contrast women are portrayed as subordinate in several instances. Using "Kelimabe and Kelikelimabe" the women's subordinate role in society can be seen through their inability to be trusted, their depiction as obstacles to the men and their need to be tamed.
Kelimabe’s wife is the reason that Kelimabe and his brother begin their long lasting feud. It is because Kelimabe’s wife lusts after Kelikelimabe and in return lies to Kelimabe that the two brothers are faced with conflict in the first place. Kelimabe’s wife could not uphold her faithfulness to her husband because of her shallowness. The lies that Kelimabe’s wife tells him send the message that women are not to be trusted.
It is on his search to reconcile with his brother that his future wife stops Kelikelimabe. She insists upon her father forcing Kelikelimabe to marry her. Even when he finally does marry her Kelikelimabe’s wife will still not allow him to go search for his brother until they have their son. Through these instances Kelikelimabe’s wife can be seen as a distraction and obstacle for Kelikelimabe’s journey to find his brother.
When Kelikelimabe finally does find his brother Kelimabe’s new spirit wife is yet another obstacle. The myth gives his new wife an animalistic portrayal. The spirit wife threatens to kill an old man who is talking to Kelimabe because she feared he would take her husband away. To stop the spirit wife’s violence Musa Nyame is forced to put a chain around her. The chain can be seen to depict that she is an animal being put on leash. This action can be seen say this woman must be tamed to be controlled.
In reading this from my point of view, as a female living in a culture today where men and women are for the most part thought of as equal. The portrayal of women in this myth would particularly stand out to me. Perhaps during the time that this myth was written this societal structure between men and women would women would not even have been given thought because women were accepted as playing the subordinate role in society. It was surprising to me that women were portrayed so blatantly as being lesser members of society, but examining what I already know about women’s roles in history it becomes less surprising.
The myth of Fono and Fana Makan reveals the structure of Songhay society. First it shows that women should always obey their fathers or they will be punished. The myth shows that the heads of the household of family life were the father or patriarch. Although Nana Miriam is now married and techincally is no longer in Fana Makan's household, she went against her father's wishes by marrying Fono in the first place. The myth shows that the patriarch should be obeyed.
Also, the story represents Fana Makan as superior then the other characters. He attempts to heed the warning that the marriage would end in misfortune. He foretells future action in the story. This seems like he would be the one who would end up being punished because he does not listen to his own warning. But in the end, he is the one who gets the best of Fono who has stolen his magical powers. Fana Maken, even though he isn't very wise, is still the character that overcomes the others. Yet another example of how the patriarch of the family is the one who holds the most power.
This story also shows how dispensable women were to a family. Fana Makan does not hesitate to kill his own daughter, but he does hesitate to let her marry a man, who could bring about his own misfortune. Daughters may not have been as valuable as sons were to a community and therefore, the myth shows that if a woman disobeys her patriarch, she will not be shown mercy.
This one myth reveals much about the Songhay society through subtle character traits and actions. The structure of society is often upheld by legends.
I appreciate Alycia's highlighting of the importance of magic in a tribal society, how it serves as a placeholder for power or status, and signifies intimate knowledge of nature, etc. That said, I can't help but feel that magic, at least in these stories, serves as a justification for dominance and hierarchy. Much like kings used to claim divine ordinance as the basis of their rule, it seems to me that, for instance, Musa uses magic as a mechanism of popular control. The myth portrays punishment of a people by a supernatural being, the hira, for disobeying a rule arbitrarily established by their leader. Perhaps the reason Musa "could not be bothered" to take on the mythical creature until the latter part of the tale, is because it in fact did not exist. He and his wife simply tell the villagers later that they went out into the bush to do battle. Again, the fantastic claims serve only to reinforce tribal authority.
The role of women
In the story of Kelimabe and Kelikelimabe, rashness, violence, anger, and jealousy all play a part, but it is indeed true that Kelimabe's wife is the source of the conflict - her execution at the end of the story serves as the ultimate resolution. In the story of Fono and Fana Makan, the latter kills his daughter for her betrayal without hesitation. In the aforementioned story of Musa Nyame and the Hira, Meynsata's nakedness is superfluous and almost pornographic. Patriarchal values play an obvious part in the manufacture of these myths, but the relationship between men and women may not be as typical as it would appear at face value. When Musa and Meynsata return to the village, after we witness their teamwork and mutual aid in defeating the hira, Meynsata claims that the heroics were Musa's alone. It seems to me, at least, that she is denying her ego for the sake of her lover's dignity, when in fact, her bravery outshone his apathy. While great violence is brought to bear on many of the women in these myths, theirs are not the only lives brutally disregarded at different points in the stories. The difference, too, should be noted between, as Tamara Sonn of William & Mary has delineated it, patriarchy and misogyny. While the latter is destructive and antifeminist, the former represents the steps men take to protect women, even if this protection is patronizing. For example, Kelikelimabe refuses the advances of his brother's wife not merely to protect his brother, but also to protect the sanctity of her marriage. When he is sought by the chief's daughter, he avoids marriage at all costs because he fears not being able to satisfy his future wife. Agreeing to marry at the threat of her life being taken, he resolves to commit suicide, it is clear, not on account of shame, but again, as a result of his feelings of being inadequate and unfair to his wife. The apparent respect for the institution of marriage and the right of the wife to pleasure occurs to me as the kind of patriarchy that seeks to benefit women. Likewise, Musa refuses to use weapons against Kelimabe's spirit wife. The male-female dynamic is complex here, and we should not hold the illusion that it is significantly more regressive than contemporary social arrangements; both, in fact, are revolting.
8 comments:
Kelimabe and Kelikelimabe
I feel as though this section of the myth was meant to teach a lesson. It was intended to be a sort of parable to teach values to its audience. The lessons at hand, in one sense, seem to follow along with The Ten Commandments: Do not covet thy neighbor’s wife. This is because Kelimabe suspects his brother Kelikelimabe, of raping his wife. However, this never actually happened. Kelimabe’s wife lies to avenge Kelikelimabe because he would not have sex with her. Kelimabe believes his wife and becomes so angry that he castrates his brother and runs away.
Another lesson the story teaches at the same time as commenting on its societal value is the structure of this particular African society. It shows family values and the importance of trust in the family. Had Kelimabe trusted his brother, he would have believed that he had not raped his wife. Therefore, he would have never punished his loyal brother but his wife instead. Clearly it is shown that families should support each other and be loyal and faithful to one another.
This myth also says something about jealousy. Jealousy first came into play when Kelimabe’s wife saw how handsome Kelikelimabe was. She lost faith to her husband and lusted after his brother. She was jealous of what she didn’t have. Then, when Kelimabe thought that his brother raped his wife, he was jealous and angered by another person coveting his wife. He then acted irrationally because of this anger and jealousy which all turned out to be for naught as the dispute was based on a lie.
Our modern society definitely lacks such myths today because there are no longer cherished stories that put emphasis on the family and family ties. Especially in the United States, so much importance is placed on the individual and completely ignores community-type values. This story is a good representation of how we should not treat our siblings.
--Jenna D’Angelo
Musa Nyame and the Hira
In the introduction to the myths of the Songhay Hunters, the people of this region who are fishers and hunters are said to have a special connection with the natural world that allows them to prosper in their trade. They possess secret knowledge and magic that is used to work with nature to obtain what they need within the limits of certain boundaries established between man and those spirits and magical entities of nature. The story of Musa Nyame is an example of the relationship between a population of men and the surrounding forces of nature, and how man must behave according to this relationship.
Musa Nyame was destined to be the leader of the Gow because his mother became pregnant with him when she fell asleep under a tree full of spirits. Because of his connection with that tree and the spirit world, Musa had an advantage over the other men in his community. Musa went to his spirit father who taught him “all the secrets of the bush and of hunting and magic” (p 22). He had access to this special knowledge of the natural world so readily available to him, where the other hunters all had to use what was passed down from previous generations of men. To be a leader in this society, one had to truly understand the ways of the natural world and of the magic associated with man’s interaction with nature.
Once Musa learned all he could from his father he went back to his people and agreed to be ruler on the condition that no cooked food would be taken out into the bush. I interpreted this as creating a set boundary between where man could and could not go and what they could do in nature, outside the rule of man. Man could not bring cooked food out to the bush and disrupt the spirits and magical beings with unnatural human ingenuity (as opposed to fresh, uncooked, foods). Once this rule was broken, the people were attacked by a magical beast called the hira.
Despite many of the other hunters being defeated, Musa “could not be bothered to hunt a hira” (p22). Musa showed no signs of caring about what happened to the people of the village because they had not honored the agreement that they made, and so Musa let nature’s beast run rampant. Musa showed little connection with his fellow man until the women he was courting was in danger of being killed by the hira. Only then does Musa act, and as Meynsata points out to the people of the village, “Musa killed the hira, or it would have killed me.”
On one level, this myth can be connected with the Christian religion. Musa was born of a mortal mother and a spiritual, mystical being for a father. This unity places him above others are gives him authority to say what is best for the people of his community. When they don’t listen or disobey the rules they were punished by a beast of that same mystical realm they were supposed to respect. Musa is not like Christ though, in the sense that he was very indifferent to others’ problems and complaints. He only acted when what he wanted was threatened.
Overall, I believe that this myth stresses the importance of nature and the spiritual world and how one of man’s highest priorities, especially in Gow society, was to respect the natural world and spirits. If you don’t place value in what is offered to you by nature, then nature in turn places no value in you. Without the cooperation of nature, man’s magic and knowledge would be useless.
Kelimabe and Kelikelimabe
This story illustrates the importance of family, that no matter what family is always the most important aspect of life. Even if you have troubles with them, they will always come looking for you. It shows that family will always get a person through the hard times.
This story also helps show that people can overcome tragedy. Ask any male, and they will tell that having your member removed, is one of the worst fates possible. Kelikelimabe wanted to remain wifeless and when he was forced to marry he wanted to give up and drown himself in the river. But with magic his member was repaired and he was happy. It teaches the lesson not to give up during hard times because better times will be ahead.
These myths, entertain but also teach important lessons. They teach morals and ethics, and strengths and weakness that humans have. This myth particular teaches the importance of never giving up, and never giving up on a person. It emphasis the importance of family in African culture, and the forgiving nature of people.
Although Jenna did not believe such myths exist in modern society, I strongly disagree. If you watch any sitcom, they do the exact same thing, they entertain and have a moral message. If you watch a show such as Fresh Prince of Bel Air, it will tell a story that people enjoy watching, its funny and entertaining. But most episodes also convey a message about society. There are episodes that explore family relations, coming of age problems, and jealousy issues. The only difference between myths and media, is that its changed from verbal to visual. In fact there are many more television shows with lessons now then there were myths.
Fara Makan and Fono
I like how this tale is able recount a story and teach a lesson. I really enjoy how it incorporates magic with real situations. It's a great way to pass on a history and provide entertainment for the people of the village.
Within the society we see this fable playing the role of a value setter, it helps to conform the norm and values system for this group of people. It teaches the people what behaviors and customs will be accepted by their peers and family members. The story describes how the entire region is situated by telling how the interaction between Fara Makan and Fono plays out. It's important to understand what the area is like where these stories take place. This is necessary to imagine the story happening. I think that it's important to be able to do this in order to get the true message of the tale. It will put you right in action as the story unravels. You want to be able to see the characters transform throughout the chase that occurs in the story. This is what will make it's mark on your memory.
When a deep impression is made on you, you simply take more from the story. You can see the true message, the lesson that is to be learned. In this story I see that as the idea that you can never outrun your problems. In the story the good guy-bad guy relationship doesn't exist, so it's hard to see what action merited a bad action taken against the person, but there is something else that can be seen. It is that when there is a problem, such as between Fono and Fara Makan, steps should be taken to resolve the problem, you shouldn't simply go into battle over it. You should take the approach to working with your adversaries to resolves issues rather than avoiding them.
In her post, Jenna mentioned the lessons found in the myth "Kelimabe and Klikelimabe." These morals to be learned about jealousy and “coveting they neighbor’s wife” are both introduced into the myth with the wrong doing preformed by a woman- Kelimabe’s wife. Throughout all the myths of the "Songhay Hunters of the Niger River" men, as the hunters, play a role as the leaders of their societies defending their communities from predators. In contrast women are portrayed as subordinate in several instances. Using "Kelimabe and Kelikelimabe" the women's subordinate role in society can be seen through their inability to be trusted, their depiction as obstacles to the men and their need to be tamed.
Kelimabe’s wife is the reason that Kelimabe and his brother begin their long lasting feud. It is because Kelimabe’s wife lusts after Kelikelimabe and in return lies to Kelimabe that the two brothers are faced with conflict in the first place. Kelimabe’s wife could not uphold her faithfulness to her husband because of her shallowness. The lies that Kelimabe’s wife tells him send the message that women are not to be trusted.
It is on his search to reconcile with his brother that his future wife stops Kelikelimabe. She insists upon her father forcing Kelikelimabe to marry her. Even when he finally does marry her Kelikelimabe’s wife will still not allow him to go search for his brother until they have their son. Through these instances Kelikelimabe’s wife can be seen as a distraction and obstacle for Kelikelimabe’s journey to find his brother.
When Kelikelimabe finally does find his brother Kelimabe’s new spirit wife is yet another obstacle. The myth gives his new wife an animalistic portrayal. The spirit wife threatens to kill an old man who is talking to Kelimabe because she feared he would take her husband away. To stop the spirit wife’s violence Musa Nyame is forced to put a chain around her. The chain can be seen to depict that she is an animal being put on leash. This action can be seen say this woman must be tamed to be controlled.
In reading this from my point of view, as a female living in a culture today where men and women are for the most part thought of as equal. The portrayal of women in this myth would particularly stand out to me. Perhaps during the time that this myth was written this societal structure between men and women would women would not even have been given thought because women were accepted as playing the subordinate role in society. It was surprising to me that women were portrayed so blatantly as being lesser members of society, but examining what I already know about women’s roles in history it becomes less surprising.
The myth of Fono and Fana Makan reveals the structure of Songhay society. First it shows that women should always obey their fathers or they will be punished. The myth shows that the heads of the household of family life were the father or patriarch. Although Nana Miriam is now married and techincally is no longer in Fana Makan's household, she went against her father's wishes by marrying Fono in the first place. The myth shows that the patriarch should be obeyed.
Also, the story represents Fana Makan as superior then the other characters. He attempts to heed the warning that the marriage would end in misfortune. He foretells future action in the story. This seems like he would be the one who would end up being punished because he does not listen to his own warning. But in the end, he is the one who gets the best of Fono who has stolen his magical powers. Fana Maken, even though he isn't very wise, is still the character that overcomes the others. Yet another example of how the patriarch of the family is the one who holds the most power.
This story also shows how dispensable women were to a family. Fana Makan does not hesitate to kill his own daughter, but he does hesitate to let her marry a man, who could bring about his own misfortune. Daughters may not have been as valuable as sons were to a community and therefore, the myth shows that if a woman disobeys her patriarch, she will not be shown mercy.
This one myth reveals much about the Songhay society through subtle character traits and actions. The structure of society is often upheld by legends.
The role of magic
I appreciate Alycia's highlighting of the importance of magic in a tribal society, how it serves as a placeholder for power or status, and signifies intimate knowledge of nature, etc. That said, I can't help but feel that magic, at least in these stories, serves as a justification for dominance and hierarchy. Much like kings used to claim divine ordinance as the basis of their rule, it seems to me that, for instance, Musa uses magic as a mechanism of popular control. The myth portrays punishment of a people by a supernatural being, the hira, for disobeying a rule arbitrarily established by their leader. Perhaps the reason Musa "could not be bothered" to take on the mythical creature until the latter part of the tale, is because it in fact did not exist. He and his wife simply tell the villagers later that they went out into the bush to do battle. Again, the fantastic claims serve only to reinforce tribal authority.
The role of women
In the story of Kelimabe and Kelikelimabe, rashness, violence, anger, and jealousy all play a part, but it is indeed true that Kelimabe's wife is the source of the conflict - her execution at the end of the story serves as the ultimate resolution. In the story of Fono and Fana Makan, the latter kills his daughter for her betrayal without hesitation. In the aforementioned story of Musa Nyame and the Hira, Meynsata's nakedness is superfluous and almost pornographic. Patriarchal values play an obvious part in the manufacture of these myths, but the relationship between men and women may not be as typical as it would appear at face value. When Musa and Meynsata return to the village, after we witness their teamwork and mutual aid in defeating the hira, Meynsata claims that the heroics were Musa's alone. It seems to me, at least, that she is denying her ego for the sake of her lover's dignity, when in fact, her bravery outshone his apathy. While great violence is brought to bear on many of the women in these myths, theirs are not the only lives brutally disregarded at different points in the stories. The difference, too, should be noted between, as Tamara Sonn of William & Mary has delineated it, patriarchy and misogyny. While the latter is destructive and antifeminist, the former represents the steps men take to protect women, even if this protection is patronizing. For example, Kelikelimabe refuses the advances of his brother's wife not merely to protect his brother, but also to protect the sanctity of her marriage. When he is sought by the chief's daughter, he avoids marriage at all costs because he fears not being able to satisfy his future wife. Agreeing to marry at the threat of her life being taken, he resolves to commit suicide, it is clear, not on account of shame, but again, as a result of his feelings of being inadequate and unfair to his wife. The apparent respect for the institution of marriage and the right of the wife to pleasure occurs to me as the kind of patriarchy that seeks to benefit women. Likewise, Musa refuses to use weapons against Kelimabe's spirit wife. The male-female dynamic is complex here, and we should not hold the illusion that it is significantly more regressive than contemporary social arrangements; both, in fact, are revolting.
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