Transcript Historical and Artistic Traditions of West Africa

WARM UP QUESTION
• Which list of Niger River regions is in order
from MOST rainfall to LEAST?
• A. Sahel, savannah, rainforest, Sahara
• B. Sahel, rainforest, savannah, Sahara
• C. rain forest, Sahel, savannah, Sahara
• D. rain forest, savannah, Sahel, Sahara
Historical and Artistic
Traditions of West Africa
None of the early African empires we’ve
studied developed a written language. How
do you think people pass down traditions and
history if they can’t write it down??
Oral History
When people lack a written
language they use spoken words
to record their history.
Does your family have some
stories that they tell again and
again??
Griots
• Griots were West African
storytellers
• They were highly respected
• Their job was to remember
and pass on their people’s
history
• They had to remember
hundreds of names and
events
Proverbs
• Griots passed on more than stories, they
also recited proverbs
• Proverbs are short sayings of wisdom
or truth
West African Proverbs
“It takes a village to raise
a child.”
“Talking doesn't fill the
basket in the farm.”
“Rats don't dance in the
cat's doorway.”
Epics
• Epics are long poems about kingdoms
and heroes
• The Sundiata is an epic about Mali’s king
Sundiata
– The epic tells how Sundiata’s family was killed
by a conqueror when he was a boy, but
Sundiata was spared because he looked
weak. As a grown man, Sundiata overthrew
the conquering king.
Histories
• Much of what we know
about West Africa comes
from the writings of
Muslim travelers and
scholars
– One writer was Ibn
Battutah- he described the
political and cultural lives of
West Africans
– Europeans learned about
Africa from another
traveler/writer named Leo
Africanus
Ibn Battutah’s travels
Sculpture
• West Africa was famous for its statues made of
wood, brass, clay, ivory, stone
• Sculptures of people were often used for
ancestor worship
• African artists were deeply respected
Pablo Picasso was influenced by African art
Bronze sculpture, Mali, 1500s
Masks & Clothing
• Carved masks of animals
used for dance rituals
• Africans wove special cloth
called Kente that was used
for special occasions
• Kente cloth is a handwoven, brightly colored
fabric
Antelope mask, West Africa
Music & Dance
• Music and dance were forms of
entertainment and helped people honor
their history
• Dancing used for celebration at
weddings, funerals
Review Questions
• African storytellers who memorize and
recite the names and histories of their
people are called
a. griots.
b. kente.
c. Dausi.
d. Battuta.
Review Questions
• How was music and dance incorporated
into the lives of the people of early West
Africa?
a. It played only a small role.
b. Children were taught that music and dance
were evil forms of entertainment.
c. It was entertainment and also a way to
celebrate their history and other important
events.
d. Only very important citizens were allowed to
play music or dance.
Review Questions
• In what way is the musical tradition of the
early West African empires present today?
a. in epics
b. in histories
c. in wedding and funeral dances
d. in the proverbs
Review Questions
• Which of the following best describes the
subject of a West African sculpture?
a.
b.
c.
d.
a favorite family pet
the sculptor’s grandfather
a cow or other animal used as food
an important tree or plant
Review Questions
• For special occasions, West African kings
and queens wore garments made of
a. cotton with gold thread.
b. finely woven silk.
c. kente.
d. highly polished ebony wood.
Review Questions
• Much of what we know about early
West Africa comes from the writing of travelers and
scholars from Muslim lands such as Spain and Arabia.
What is the BEST inference you can make from this
statement?
a. The people of West Africa were not interested in
keeping track of their histories.
b. The people of West Africa never traveled beyond the
borders of their empire.
c. The people of West Africa left no written histories of
their own.
d. Very few travelers ever visited early West Africa
empires.