Sunday, December 11, 2011
Geerewol
The Geerewol is a festival that happens at the end of the rainy season in September. It is a marriage market for 2nd marriages. It is also a celebration of love and beauty. The men put on makeup and get dressed up for the women. The men perform a dance called the Yaki dance to attract women. The Yaki dance is a line dance. Beauty is defined as light skin, white teeth, white eyeballs,and tallness.The men roll their eyes and show off their teeth to emphasize the whiteness of their teeth and eyes. The men all wear the same thing so no one has the advantage. They stand on tip toes to look taller,but quite a few of these men are almost 7 feet tall.. The women are married,but they get to choose a male to go away with for a few nights with,and possible become their second husband. The celebration usually lasts a approximately one week. The men dance for long periods of time. This proves endurance,stamina,and interest in the young women.
Source : www.nationalgeographic.com
Source : www.nationalgeographic.com
Geerewol
Here is a video of one of the most interesting things about the Wodaabe.
Video coutesy of You Tube
Video coutesy of You Tube
Culture
The Wodaabe has 15 lineage groups. This is based on blood lines and who travels together during the dry season.
The lineage group determines who can marry whom.
Koobegal marriages are arranged during the partners childhood by the parents,cousins of the same lineage may marry.
Teegal marriages are second marriages by choice. It is also known as a love marriage. They may get a partner from a different lineage. These marriages quite often involve wife stealing as you saw in the video Wife Thief. The woman consents to this,but not with the consent of her husband. When the woman goes away with her husband any children she has with her 1st husband must be left with him.
The Wodaabe believe in bush spirits,who live in trees. They believe the spirits are sad about the way people have treated them. Some of the spirits are considered dangerous.
Source : www.culturalsurvival.org
The lineage group determines who can marry whom.
Koobegal marriages are arranged during the partners childhood by the parents,cousins of the same lineage may marry.
Teegal marriages are second marriages by choice. It is also known as a love marriage. They may get a partner from a different lineage. These marriages quite often involve wife stealing as you saw in the video Wife Thief. The woman consents to this,but not with the consent of her husband. When the woman goes away with her husband any children she has with her 1st husband must be left with him.
The Wodaabe believe in bush spirits,who live in trees. They believe the spirits are sad about the way people have treated them. Some of the spirits are considered dangerous.
Source : www.culturalsurvival.org
Interesting Facts
The seasons determine when the Wodaabe migrate.
July to September is the short rainy season.
September and October are hot and dry.
November to February is cold.
March to June is dry.
The Wodaabe main source of income is cattle herding.
Main food in their diet is milk from Cow's and cereal (millet).
Beef is eaten only for special occasions such as ceremonies.
Also use goats and sheep for meat and milk.
They use camels and donkeys for transportation
The only things in their living quarters are cows,goats, bed, decorated bowls.
The large wooden bed is the most important possession for each family.
Their camp can be set up in less than 1 hour and taken down in less than an hour.
They go to market weekly they meet friends and relatives. They exchange goats and leather for millet,rice,sugar and tea.
Source : www.culturalsurvival.org and Video by Werner Herzog Herdsmen of the Sun
July to September is the short rainy season.
September and October are hot and dry.
November to February is cold.
March to June is dry.
The Wodaabe main source of income is cattle herding.
Main food in their diet is milk from Cow's and cereal (millet).
Beef is eaten only for special occasions such as ceremonies.
Also use goats and sheep for meat and milk.
They use camels and donkeys for transportation
The only things in their living quarters are cows,goats, bed, decorated bowls.
The large wooden bed is the most important possession for each family.
Their camp can be set up in less than 1 hour and taken down in less than an hour.
They go to market weekly they meet friends and relatives. They exchange goats and leather for millet,rice,sugar and tea.
Source : www.culturalsurvival.org and Video by Werner Herzog Herdsmen of the Sun
Why I Chose the Wodaabe
I chose the Wodaabe because their culture is the opposite of our culture. Our culture the women are in beauty pageants and get dressed up and put on makeup for the men. Their culture is the opposite. The men get dressed up and made up for the women. The women judge the one they find most attractive. In their culture it is a way of life to steal wives,in our culture it may happen but it is not a good situation. The Wodaabe are a very interesting culture. I hope one day that I am bale to go to Africa and see this culture in person.
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