Traditional Life-Cycle and Household among the Pastoral Somali E-Book

Axmed Artan Hanghe

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 171

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

The pastoral Somali people, with their rich heritage and unique way of life, offer a window into a world where the rhythms of nature and the bonds of community shape every aspect of life. From the birth of a child to the passage into adulthood, from marriage to the wisdom of old age, every stage of life is marked by deep-rooted traditions and practices. This book delves into these life-cycle events, uncovering the meanings, rituals, and customs that define the Somali pastoral experience. Beyond individual milestones, the household stands as the central unit of Somali pastoral society. It is within the walls of their homes that traditions are passed down, decisions are made, and the future of the community is shaped. This book explores the dynamics of these households, shedding light on the roles and relationships that bind them together. Throughout this exploration, we have been guided by a profound respect for the knowledge and insights of the Somali people themselves. Their stories, perspectives, and reflections are the heartbeat of this work, offering an authentic and nuanced understanding of a way of life that has endured through the ages.

Leseprobe

Table of Content

Preface

A Marriage among the Pastoral Somalis

1 Love, Beauty and Socio-Economic Interests

1.1 The Somali Perception of Feminine Beauty

1.2 The Somali Perception of Male Beauty

1.3 Sexuality

2 Before The Wedding

2.1 The Courtship

2.2 The Negotiation

2.3 The Betrothal Contract

2.4 The

Gabbaati

(

Sooryo

) Gifts

2.5 The

Ardaagal

2.6 The

Yarad

2.7 The

Heerin

3 The Wedding Ceremony

3.1 The Ancient Marriage Rites

3.1.1

Guntin

, the Knot

3.1.2

Dhagaxa Gabdhoxiro

, the Vowing Stone

3.1.3

Geedka

, the Tree

3.1.4

Caano

, the Milk

3.1.5

Guur-Xarrago

3.1.6 The

Xeedho

3.2 The Elopement,

Gacandhaaf

3.3 The Gift Bride,

Kusiiyey

3.3.1 The Dowry for a Gift Bride

3.4 The

Godob-Reeb

Bride

4 After the Wedding

4.1 The Honey Moon

4.2 The

Dhibaad

Gifts

4.3 The

Inan-Layaal

B Child Birth

5 The Continuation of the Family

5.1 The Firstborn

5.2 It’s a Boy

5.3

Sooballays

5.4 The

Walqal

5.5 Giving a Name to Newborn Child

5.6 The Yibir

5.6.1 The Legend of Anaasa

5.6.2 The Anaasa Song of Praise

5.6.3 The

Samaanyo

5.6.4 The

Makaranaa

5.7 The

Xuddunxir

6 Growing Up in a Pastoral Society

6.1 The

Gardaadin

6.2 Circumcision

6.3 The

Sahan

6.4 The Genealogy

6.5 Preparing a Daughter for Motherhood

7 The Traditional Code of Behaviour

8 The Formal Address Among the Family Members

C Death or Divorce Breaks the Home

9 The

Xigsiisan

10 The

Dumaal

11 Divorce

11.1 The

Meher

11.2 The

Guda

Period

D POLYGAMY AMONG THE PASTORALISTS

12 The Premises of Polygamy

13 The

Bah

14 Cooperation Among the Co-Wives

15

Guurti

, the Tribal Elders’Council

15.1

Caro

and

Caro-Celin

Usages

15.2 The Traditional

Xaal

16 The Extended Family

17 The

Dhaxal

E THE SOMALI HOUSEHOLD

18 The Construction of the Hut

19 The Layout of the Family Compound

20 Making the Food Containers

20.1 The

Haan

22.1.1 The

Qabo

22.1.2 The

Argeeg

20.2 The

Dhiil

20.3 The

Qumbe

21 Fabrication the Bedding

21.1 The

Kebed

21.2 The

Raar

21.3 The

Dermo

21.4 The Colour Pattern in the

Dermo

and the

Raar

Mats

21.5 The

Weylaalis

22 Some Special Terms for the Household Articles in the Somali Hut

23 Home-Making Work Songs

23.1 The

Kebed

Work-Songs

Song 1:From the Tallest Trees Comes the Fibre

Song 2:Her Hut Hollow-Side Remain

Song 3:The Ropes Straighten I Must

Song 4:Has the Patterns Gone Wrong

Song 5:Weaver’s Friends

Song 6:So Well the Hut it Fitted

Song 7:Camel’s Milk Offer Us

23.2 The

Raar

Work-Songs

Song 8:Grass of My Creation

23.3 The

Dermo

Work-Song

Song 9:Woe to You Women

23.4 The

Waylaalis

Work-Song

Song 10:A

Weylaalis

for a Holy Man

23.5 The

Haan

Work-Song

Song 11:Not a Gorgeous Gift

23.6 The

Qumbe

Work-Song

Song 12:A

Qumbe

Full of Ghee

D Love Songs

Song 1:

Kub Miyaan Ka Jabay

Song 2:

Hodan

Song 3:

Cashaaga Habeen

(Love for Women

)

Song 4:

Baasaar

Song 5:

Shaoni

Song 6:

Ninkii Caashaq Wado

(A Man in Love

)

Song 7:

Dhudi

Song 8:

Caban

Song 9:

Dirxillaaha Mareer

(The Rotten Fruit

)

Song 10 :

Binti

FURTHER READING

Preface

More than thirty years have passed since Iwas able to conduct research on the culture and language in Somalia. The texts and text fragments from which this book was created are just as old.

The basis for this is clearly the manuscript that my friend and Somali scholar Axmed Artan Hanghe gave me for publication. This manuscript is entitled "The Arranged Marriage Among the Pastoral Somali".

Axmed Artan Hanghe was very committed to the documentation of traditional Somali culture and he was involved in a project to preserve the Somali language on the one hand and to develop it for modern usage on the other. Unfortunately, the war in Somalia (1991) interrupted this work, our studies and took the lives of many friends, acquaintances and students. Axmed Artan Hanghe had to flee. He managed to reach a refugee camp in northern Kenya, together with his typewriter, because there was one thing he could not give up: writing, reporting and calling for peace between the Somali brothers. In his novel "The Sons of Somal", he describes his disbelief at what was happening and the insanity and brutality of this war.

This was to be his last work, as Axmed Artan Hanghe died in the refugee camp with its inhumane living conditions.

He had previously sent me his manuscript about the Somali marriage, which was actually still growing, with some notes and recordings of interviews we had conducted together. The work had become much more extensive in terms of content and included texts on various stages of life and life experiences of the Somali pastoral nomads.

Various circumstances meant that this collection of loose sheets, densely written on with an old mechanical typewriter and containing numerous corrections and annotations, remained unpublished until now. I kept meaning to start the project of sorting and digitising these texts, but the work took a lot of time and other projects seemed more urgent. Now, at last, the collection is available and has been given a new title appropriate to its content.

The finished manuscript in my hands also makes me think of what else Axmed Artan Hanghe, this devoted scholar of Somali culture, could have collected, written and taught if the war had not unleashed its exclusively destructive forces and set the Somali ethnic groups, who were actually fraternally united, against each other.

I remember Axmed Artan Hanghe as a peace-loving, compassionate person who, as much as he appreciated the traditional Somali culture, was capable of development, who was able to critically reflect on some aspects of Somali culture, and who did not give up hope that the pastoral culture of the Somali could make a contribution to cultural diversity, while also facing and adapting to modern ethical questions, precisely in order to be able to survive and be an inspiration to the people.

I know, that Axmed also wrote this manuscript in memory of his wife, who died far too early and whom he loved dearly. She is also remembered and thanked at this point. The scholar included his own love song about his wife at the end of the book.

We gratefully remember especially, Axmed Nuur Yuusuf (Somali National University), Aadan Buule (Gedo region), Aadan (Antoni) Cali Cabdi (Muqdisho), Cabdul Qaadir Xasan Caddaawe (Muqdisho), Diiriye Faarax (Xaaji Baal-Baal) of Ceerigaabo, Khaalid Cali Guul (Qardho), Maxamed Faarax Jiije (Laas-Canood) Maxamuud Maxamed Diirfye (Laas-Caanood), Xuseen Bayaxow (Gedo region), and the men and women of the pastoral groups who welcomed me, Jörg Berchem, as a guest, and the pastoralist youth who welcomed me like a brother.

Dear reader, you are now invited to embark on a journey through the vibrant tapestry of Somali pastoral culture, exploring the intricate patterns of life and society that have sustained generations. This work is not just an academic endeavour; it is a testament to the resilience, wisdom, and beauty of the Somali pastoral communities.

The pastoral Somali people, with their rich heritage and unique way of life, offer a window into a world where the rhythms of nature and the bonds of community shape every aspect of life. From the birth of a child to the passage into adulthood, from marriage to the wisdom of old age, every stage of life is marked by deep-rooted traditions and practices. This book delves into these life-cycle events, uncovering the meanings, rituals, and customs that define the Somali pastoral experience.

Beyond individual milestones, the household stands as the central unit of Somali pastoral society. It is within the walls of their homes that traditions are passed down, decisions are made, and the future of the community is shaped. This book explores the dynamics of these households, shedding light on the roles and relationships that bind them together.

Throughout this exploration, we have been guided by a profound respect for the knowledge and insights of the Somali people themselves. Their stories, perspectives, and reflections are the heartbeat of this work, offering an authentic and nuanced understanding of a way of life that has endured through the ages.

As reader, you are invited to immerse yourselves in the world of the pastoral Somali. May this book enrich your understanding and appreciation of a culture that, despite the challenges of the modern world, continues to thrive and inspire.

Dr. Jörg Berchem

December 2023

Illustration of the title page of the original manuscript

A. MARRIAGE AMONG THE PASTORAL SOMALIS

2 Before The Wedding

2.1 The Courtship

The courtship between the couple intending to marry happens in the form of abstract, riddles and parables which the boy puts to girl, to which she has to find the answers at the same time. For instance, the boy sings to the girl these riddle songs to which she has to reply also in song:

Boy:

Bal dayoo ka doono.

The stars above us are many.

Xiddigaha dusheennaa

Look at them and tell me

Middaan dooni ii sheeg?

the one I admire most?

Girl:

Xiddigaha dusheenna.

The stars above us I watched.

Taad dooni ka deyeyoo.

Among them I searched for

the one you admire most.

Taan mooddo weeyaan.

It is the one you fancy most.

Explanation: The stars here symbolize the many girls that are ready for marriage.

Boy:

Wax aan muuqan

What we could not see,

meelna kaa jirinoo,

muskeenna ku meersan.

yet around our fence exists

Maad garan?

Tell me quick?

Girl:

Wax aan muuqan

What we could not see

Meelna kaa jirinoo.

muskeenna ku meersan.

yet around our fence exists.

Waa mawd.

Death it is indeed.

Another criteria by which pastoral men select spouses is what is known as qaymi, the ability of a housewife to manage and thriftily utilize her domestic animals, as we have pointed out earlier. To illustrate this quality of a woman we shall record here the story of a certain young man searching for a suitable bride. He travelled widely in the land and one night while he was a guest of a nomadic family he overheard this conversation:

”The fat ram in the flock is to be slaughtered to feed our guest,” the father of the family said.

I suggest an ewe to be slaughtered for the guest, we should keep the ram for ourselves to be slaughtered in the coming lean year,” said the wife.

“I suggest a smaller ram be slaughtered for the guest instead, the fat ram would be needed to mount the ewes in the next mating season. The ewe should also be spared for it would be calving in the next breeding season, and would increase our flock,” said the daughter.

The parents agreed to her wise suggestion.

In the next morning the guest asked for the hand of the wise girl in marriage realizing her gaymi, the wise management of the family livestock, and her parents agreed to the young man's marriage proposal.

2.2 The Negotiation

Should the groom be satisfied that the girl he met is the right one for him to marry, he then requests his parents or guardians to officially approach the girl's parents, proposing to them an official marriage deal. He does this because the traditions forbid him to take such a direct action by himself, and also because he is still under the authority of his parents, so he is unable to decide for himself such important matters of his life such as marriage.

If, on the other hand, the boy's mother, who does most of the searching for a bride for him, fails to find a suitable bride in her own clan, she resorts to what is known as hiddo-raac, which means looking for a suitable girl from the other clans with whom the mother's clan intermarried in the past; even though they might be outside clans unrelated to hers. Through intermarriage the various Somali clans often established political and economic alliances, even between unrelated clans, at times of hostile adversaries. The clans who would agree to cooperate in sharing the water and pasture resources available in each other's traditional territories.

The groom's mother in her search for the right girl finds out the last case of a marriage deal made between her own and an outside clan; even if it took place in the distant past. The hiddo-raac method allows the intermarriage between two unrelated clans, because of their assumed noble status, as well as the desire to cooperate peacefully in their respective territories. Such a precedence in the clan traditions would be a sufficient reason for the given clans to continue intermarrying among themselves. On these lines the groom's mother continues her quest for a suitable bride for her son.