WOMEN IN AFRICA BETWEEN 12-16TH CENTURIESI. INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAA. GENERAL REMARKS1. EXISTED LARGE & POWERFUL AFRICAN EMPIRES2. HISTORY DOCUMENTED IN a. ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDSb. MYTHSc. CHRONICLESd. WORK OF ARABIAN & EUROPEAN WRITERS3. IRON-AGE CIVILIZATIONS4. FLOURISHING ARTISTIC LIFE5. ALL EXISTED SOUTH OF SAHARA LONG BEFORE WHITE CONTACT6. THIS PART OF AFRICA EXPERIENCED SIMULTANEOUSLY AN UPSWING INa. ECONOMICb. POLITICALc. CULTURAL LIFEd. OF MOST OF ITS TERRITORIES FROM(1) END OF 12TH C TO END OF 16TH CB. COMMON ERRONEOUS GENERIC DESCRIPTION OF WOMEN'S ROLE IN PRE-COLONIAL AFRICA1. WOMEN BUILT HUTS2. WORKED IN FIELDS3. POUNDED RICE & CORN4. DID COOKINGC. COMMON ERRONEOUS GENERIC DESCRIPTION OF MEN'S ROLE IN PRE-COLONIAL AFRICA1. ATTENDED COUNCIL MEETINGS2. SAT & DRANK BEER TOGETHER3. WAGED WARS4. WENT HUNTING & FISHING5. & GENERALLY LAZED AROUNDa. ALLOWING THEIR FEMALE STAFF TO SERVE THEM6. THIS SORT OF EXAGGERATED GENERALIZATION CAN'T BE UPHELD BY FACTS7. IN MANY TRIBES MENa. ALSO HELPED TO CULTIVATE FIELDS & LOOK AFTER ANIMALSb. SHEPHERDS-NOMADS LOOKING AFTER ANIMALS EXCLUSIVE PREROGATIVE OF MEN8. IBN BATTUTA C 14TH C. IN TIMBUKTU a. WOMEN TREATED WITH MORE RESPECT THAN MENb. MEN SHOW NO SIGNS OF JEALOUSc. NONE OF THEM CALCULATE THEIR DESCENT FROM THEIR FATHERd. BUT RATHER FROM THEIR MOTHER'S BROTHERe. HEIRS OF MAN (1) SONS OF HIS SISTER(2) NOT HIS OWN SONSD. INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN 1. ROLE & LIFE OF WOMEN VARIED GREATLY2. FROM REMNANTS OF MATRILINEAR SOCIETY TO SOCIAL OPPRESSION &EXPLOITATION3. SOME AREAS WOMEN HELD HIGHER STATUS THAN MEN4. AFRICAN WOMEN AMONG OTHER THINGSa. WORKERb. SOURCE OF ADDITIONAL MANPOWER IN FIELDS OF POLYGAMISTc. USED OCCASIONALLY AS EXCHANGE GOOD OR DOWRY GIFT5. BUT AFRICAN WOMAN ALSO ENJOYED CERTAIN PRIVILEGES6. CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRICAN WOMENa. LIVELYb. IRREPRESSIBLE SOURCE OF OPTIMISMc. NOTHING HAPPIER THAN GROUP OF WOMEN WHO HAD GATHERED TO(1) COLLECT WOOD(2) BRING IN HARVEST(3) GRIND, SORT & PREPARE MILLET7. WOMEN WEREa. PRIESTESSESb. SINGERS(1) SANG LULLABY OF PEOPLES AS THEY WENT ABOUT THEIR DAILY LIVES OF JOY & SADNESS8. CHANGED FROM MATRILINEARITY TO PATRILINEARITYa. BUT LONG DRAWN OUT PROCESSb. WELL DOCUMENTED BY HISTORY OF OLD KINGDOMSc. REMNANTS OF MATRILINEAR SOCIETY COULD UNTIL RECENTLY BE OBSERVED9. WHAT CHANGES IN SOCIETY DECREASED WOMEN'S STATUS?a. GROWTH IN POWER OF (1) ELDERS & HEADS OF BIG FAMILIES & CHIEFS & KINGS (2) OVER ORDINARY TRIBE MEMBERSb. DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY FEUDAL RELATIONSc. DEVELOPMENT OF TOWNSd. WOMEN FROM SOCIALLY PRIVILEGED STRATA MORE OR LESS CUT OFF FROM REST OF SOCIETY10. AFRICAN WOMEN'S POSITION COMPARED FAVORABLY IN MANY RESPECTS TO MEDIEVAL EUROPE WOMENII. WOMEN IN GENERAL IN AFRICAA. MARRIAGE & FAMILY1. APPEARS MOST TRIBES POLYGAMY REIGNED BUT NOT SURE2. MOST MARRIAGES ARRANGED OUTSIDE OF TRIBE3. APPEARS TO BE BRIDEPRICE FOR BRIDEa. MOST COMMON & WIDESPREAD(1) HUNTING BOOTY(2) WEAPONS4. APPEARS THAT WOMEN COULD BE ACTIVE PARTNER IN STARTING RELATIONSHIP5. IF THEY IN LOVE WITH MAN THEY SENT HIM DISH OF TASTY FOOD WITHPYTTO OR PALM WINE6. PREMARITAL RELATIONS MATTER OF MUTUAL CONSENT7. APPEARS THAT LOVE & MUTUAL AFFECTION DOMINATED DECISION TO GET MARRIEDB. WEDDING CUSTOMS1. GREAT VARIETY OF WEDDING CUSTOMS22. MEDICINE MAN OR MAGICIAN PRESENT AT WEDDING3. SECRET CEREMONIES & SACRIFICIAL RITES CARRIED OUTC. QUEENS, PRINCESSES, COURT LADIES1. IN MANY AFRICAN COUNTRIES INHABITANTS RETAINED MEMORIES OF FAMOUS a. FEMALE RULERS & WARRIORS, CO-REGENTS & QUEEN MOTHERS2. IN GHANA ACCORDING TO FOLK TALES MANY CO-REGENTS3. IN ONE OF ASHANTI STATES 18 QUEENS REPUTED TO HAVE REIGNED BETWEEN 1295 AND 1740D. WOMEN & RELIGION1. ORIGINALLY ANIMISM & ANCESTRY WORSHIP2. PLUS WHAT SCHOLARS CALL FETISHISMa. WORSHIP OF VARIOUS INANIMATE OBJECTS3. ANCESTORS REPRESENTED AS STATUES OR MASKSa. OFFERED PRAYERS & SACRIFICES4. THEN POLYTHEISTIC STATE RELIGIONS DEVELOPEDa. TOOK OVER MANY ASPECTS OF OLD TRIBAL BELIEFS5. FROM GHOSTS OF ANCESTORS DEVELOPED GODS6. WHO THEN TOOK ON SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS, PERSONAL NAMES & WIDER AREA OF ACTIVITY7. LIKE A SORT OF HEREDITARY ARISTOCRACYa. GODS LINKED BY CLOSE RELATIONS & DOMINATED BY LEADERS8. SOME AREAS KINGS & QUEENS ELEVATED INTO GODSa. WHO DECLARED THEIR ANCESTORS GODS ALSO9. KINGS & QUEENS PROTECTED FROM EXCESSIVE CONTACT WITH FELLOW HUMANS BYa. VARIOUS TABOOS, LAWS & SUPERSTITIONS10. PRIESTESSES ACTIVE IN VARIOUS CENTRAL HOLY PLACES11. PEASANTS WOULD SET UP HOUSE OF ANCESTORS COMPARABLE TO TEMPLES IN OTHER PLACES IN WORLD12. IBO IN NIGERIA CONSTRUCTED SUCH TEMPLES TO HONOR a. EARTH GODDESS = ALAb. IN QUIET CORNERS OF WOODS AWAY FROM ANY SETTLEMENTSc. IN CENTER OF STRUCTURE - FIGURE OF GODDESS ALA WITH CHILD ON HER KNEEd. MOTIF OF MOTHER & CHILD WIDESPREAD IN AFRICAN ART13. IN MANY OTHER PLACES TOO RECOGNITION OF AFRICAN WOMAN AS CREATOR a. ONE OF ORIGINAL IDEAS OF TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS14. THESE PRIESTESSES ALSO OVERSAWa. DANCES & RITUALS & PROCESSIONS IN HONOR OF THE FETISHb. OTHER HUTS OR TEMPLES HOUSING THESE INANIMATE OBJECTS - LIKE (1) BONE, FEATHERS, HORNS, ANIMAL CLAWS, STONES, LIVINGOR STUFFED ANIMALS15. SO COMPARED TO WOMEN ALL OVER WORLD WOMEN WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN PRESERVING RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS & OTHER TRADITIONS16. ALSO EVIDENCE OF SECRET SOCIETIES OF WOMEN IN RELIGIOUS AREAS17. & SEEMS TO BE DESIRE FOR EMANCIPATION LIKE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES IN EUROPE3E. OTHER AREAS DEMONSTRATING WOMEN'S STATUS IN RELIGION1. PRIVILEGED POSITION OF WOMEN RESULTED IN VARIETY OF ARTISTIC SUBJECT2. THIS EQUESTRIAN FIGURE HUNTING FETISH SUPPOSED TO BRING LUCK TO HUNTERSa. FOUND ALONG IVORY COAST3. STYLIZED WOODEN DOLL WHICH ASHANTI (IN GHANA) CALL AKUABAa. WORN AS AMULETS OR AS STATUESb. SUPPOSED TO PROTECT AGAINST INFERTILITYc. ASSURE EASY CHILDBIRTHd. ENSURE CHILD WOULD BE HEALTHY &