Cultural Legacy of Africa. Early Peoples/Government First hunter-gatherers Settled Farming communities- Slash and burn agriculture Villages develop: power.

Cultural Legacy of Africa

Early Peoples/Government• First hunter-gatherers

• Settled Farming communities- Slash and burn agriculture

• Villages develop: power shared; no

• central authority

Family• Some families patrilineal: inheritance

passed through father’s side

• Some matrilineal: inheritance traced through mother’s side

• Belonged to a lineage: group of household who claimed a common ancestor. Several lineages formed a clan

Religion• Polytheistic• Used rituals and

ceremonies to influence nature and sprits

• Spirits of ancestors could affect people on earth

• Islam moves into West African Kingdoms

African Written and Oral Tradition• Griots: Record keepers• Before West Africa had written histories griots

would memorize everything and recite to the people

• Very important in West African culture• Folktales: a story that is usually passed down

orally and becomes part of a community’s tradition

• Folktales pass along history and teach young people morals and values

• Famous folktale about the “trickster” hare-Brer rabbit

• Proverb: Popular sayings that use images from everyday life to express ideas or give advice

• Ex: “Every time an old man dies it is as if a library has burnt down”

• Written tradition: After Islam spread to West Africa written tradition became more important.

• West Africans used Arabic to

write

West African Music• Music: Communicates ideas, values, and

feelings. Celebrates historic events and important occasions

• Call and response: A leader sings a short phrase then the group repeats the phrase

• Enslaved Africans

brought call and

response to

America

Instruments• Balafon: Original Griot instrument.

Wooden bars laid across a frame

like a zylophone

Ngoni: Small stringed instrument

Made of hollowed out piece of

carved into the shape of a canoe

• Kora: Harplike instrument with 21 strings

• Made out of gourd that is cut in half and covered with cow skin

• Drums: Important part of West African culture

• Used during parties,

meetings, ceremonies,

and religious gatherings

• Made out of hollowed out

logs and covered with

animal skins

Dance• Dance very important

• Used for rituals, ceremonies, important events, celebrate success, educate children, seek help of spirits, and connect with ancestors

• Dance movements reflect the conditions people live in

Masks• Masks made of wood:

very detailed

• Very important for

ceremonies,

performances, and

sacred rites

• Used to summon

spirits of the gods and ancestors

• Inspired artists such as Picasso

West African Visual Art• Sculpture-used to call upon spirits and

honor leaders.

• Used ivory, wood, bronze

• Turned practical objects into things of beauty-storage containers, utensils, furniture, baskets

Textiles• Kente Cloth: most famous

• Sew together narrow strips of fabric

• Colors and design have symbolic meaning

• Seen today around the world especially in quilts