Know Yourself B4 People Know You

[Baba Ahmed]

25 Oct 2005
An Excerpt from: Hassimi O. Maiga, La Contribution Socio-Culturelle Du Peuple Songhoy en Afrique. (The Socio-cultural Contribution of the Songhoy People in Africa from Angiquity to the Present Age). Bamako, Mali: Editions Jamana, 2003.

On the meaning of the word, "slave," the practice of "slavery" in Africa and the historical dichotomy between nobles and slaves in Songhay societies (Songhay-Zarma in Niger and Mali)

"Ni bon bay, za borey mana ni bay"
Know yourself before people know you. Songhoy proverb

"In Les societes Songhay-Zarma Niger-Mali French anthropologist Jean Pierre Olivier de Sardan (1984) distinguished three historical phases or episodes related to the evolution of nobles/slaves relationships in Songhay society.

I. Before the introduction of Islam and before any Songhay empire was in sight, an ancient system of 'soft captivity' existed that consisted of a very small number of prisoners of occasional wars who were detained and used as family dependents and who were later totally integrated within the family lineage.

II. With the introduction of Islam (in the 7th century), a new kind of slavery was adopted and developed which was the well known trans Saharan (Arab) slave trade.

III. The form of Songhay-Zarma slavery that existed on the eve of the era of (European) colonization (19th century) is the product of the two previous systems corresponding to two earlier historical phases. Therefore, the horso (in Songhoy-Senni or woloso in the Maninque languages), which means 'household slave,' belonged to Phase I and the Arab slave trade belonged to Phase II. In the 19th century there was no horso in the sense understood in Phase I. As a matter of face, the horso system of household slavery provides room for liberation and integration into the local patriarchal structures and the economy of the village (Olivier de Sardan, Paris: Editions Karthala, 1984, p.54).

It is during the Phase II, because of colonial intervention, that the dichotomy noble/slave became more intense in terms of social relationships. As a result, certain social values became more important and associated with one group, such as nobles (shame, word of honor) more than with the other group, that is, the enslaved (lies, betrayal).

What does it mean to be a noble man or noble woman in Songhay-Zarma society and what does it mean to be an enslaved person? The captive or slave (banaa{1} or ttaam) is the result of the hazards of wars, raids, armed robberies, exchanges between traders of different groups and later the sale of slaves to organized foreign traders (and their local representatives). Therefore, the slave is someone who does not have any root, the one who is lost and most importaintly, lost to his/her family, community and people as a whole. This loss is the origin of the slave's condition and that is why he or she is considered as a stranger.

E. benveniste (1969) has stated that the common denominator between Indo-european slavery and slavery in the sahel of Africa is tthat they both consider the slave as a stranger (with no family connections or identity). As a matter of fact, neither the slave nor the sgtranger has a root (or can be identified with a 'home' where they live). That is why the word 'slave' and 'stranger' mean the same thing (come from the same root) in the Indo-european languages of today (E. Benveniste, Le Vocabulaire des Institutions Indo-europeeannes. Paris, Edictions de Minuit, Volume I, pp. 321-324, ett, 1969):

Greek: ...........................doulos; zenos
Latin: ...........................servus, capitvus
Today in French/English: esclaves, slaves.

As far as the noble person is concerned, the noble person possesses a heritage. That is, he or she belongs to a lineage. The one criteria of being a noble person is to be able to cite one's grandparents up to the 7th generation. Because the fact of filiation is central and because marriage maintains and perpetuates the family lineage, marriage is the core value within Songhay societies.

In a word, as Boubou Hama (1973) has explained, that the 'slave' has no heritage (tuubu); and this heritage is not just material but is chiefly:

• The knowledge transmitted by parents

• the technical know how, social know how and magical know how

• The mode of behavior, the systems of values and the genealogy.

Therefore, the noble person possesses a heritage and it is precisely about this socio-economic and cultural heritage that Boubou Hama has said conclusively that:
[list]'Man should not forget his heritage, what he received from his ancestors and that belongs to him as a result....If someone has no family that preceded him, and therefore, he ends up by following someone else, he will be called 'slave.' Nobility consists of guarding the warehouse of the ancestors. That's why I wrote this book in order to reconstruct in an enduring way the heritage of our ancestors so that it may not be destroyed....My intention was to showcase to you what made the beauty of the ancient times and what is making the quality of our present age, the breeze of existence that is so refreshing for us at noon. I rode simultaneously the horse to the past and to the present times in order to open up the eyes of our children yet to be born and to improve their nobility.' (Boubou Hama, Biirimey (Education Africaine), Multigr, Niamey, Niger, Volume, pp. 244-245, 1973)
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1. Banaa in Songhay-Senni means: Ba naa si a se. The contraction Banaa literally means: a person who does 'not even' ba have ' mother' [i(naa). [/i]The verb ka bar means to sell or to exchange. Thus, Barnaa means: the one whose mother has been sold or exchanged. The verb ka taama means to put your foot on something; taami means shoes. Thus, taam means: the person you have under your feet."

[M.Panther]

Do you know were I can get this book,I cannot seem to find it.Also, do you have any reccommendations for other books on the subject?

[Baba Ahmed]

Which book?

[M.Panther]

Hassimi O. Maiga, La Contribution Socio-Culturelle Du Peuple Songhoy en Afrique. (The Socio-cultural Contribution of the Songhoy People in Africa from Angiquity to the Present Age)

The one printed above,sorry for not clarifying.I cannot seem to find it anywhere.

[Im The Truth]

two thumbs up for the knowledge Baba.

[Baba Ahmed]

Originally Posted by M.Panther

The one printed above,sorry for not clarifying.I cannot seem to find it anywhere.

I spoke with Dr. Maiga about this. He has copies. Its a small booklet and expensive, $20 plus S&H. That's English translation. I didn't ask about French language version. Soon as I get your contact info and the buck, it'll either be picked up by, or mailed to, me. Then on to you. That's what he told me. Ordinarily he does not sell books. My wife got her's while a student in his and his wife's class on Songhai language and culture, a coupla yrs ago. U can contact me quicker via email: swampseedslamb@gmail.com I don't visit here as often as before. This site is packed with folk with more to offer than I have. There're other sites Im try'n to spread whatever that will encourage our people to BE AFRIKAN in Amerikkka and elsewhere.

Peace!

[Baba Ahmed]

Originally Posted by Im The Truth

two thumbs up for the knowledge Baba.

Oh my yungun brutha, its very refreshing to "hear" from u! Pass on warm greetings to Chaos. Still in here spit'n old school stuff, bruhMan. Thanks for the thumbs up; I ain't too old to appreciate encouragements.

Take special care of y'all
Baba