the meaning of masabo    welcome to west africa    quick notes about côte d'ivoire    about fana soro   
about the senoufo people    about traditional music    about traditional dance    about masks   
about the balafon    about the instruments    about oral traditions    about textiles and costumes   
school performance repertoire    masks - music & dance    learning activities    learning links   

The Senoufo live in small villages of circular huts in the northern savanna. Considered the oldest ethnic group in Côte d'Ivoire, they settled in this place around 1600. Famous for their woodcarving, masks, handpainted Korhogo fabrics, pottery, dance, and music, the Senoufo are predominantly an agricultural people, cultivating rice, yams, peanuts, and millet. The close relationship between the Senoufo farmer and his land can be seen in their religious observances. Each village has a mythical ancestor in the form of an animal. This animal or totem is special to the Senoufo and is a symbol of unity. The head of the family is the main authority figure who intercedes with the gods on behalf of his family to ensure good harvests. Aside from the lineage head, status distinctions are relatively few, although many people kept slaves from other societies until well into the 20th century. The Senoufo consider everyone in the village to be part of an extended family. Everyone in a village will eat and farm together. Food is stored collectively, and each family contributes to the village.

Korhogo, the capital of the Senoufo people, is over 500 km north of Abidjan and dates from the 13th century. The Senoufo have secret associations - the Poro cult for boys and the Sakrobundi cult for girls. These cults help prepare the children for adulthood. The goal is to preserve the group's folklore, teach tribal customs, and instill self-control through rigorous tests. The children's education is divided into three seven-year periods, ending with an initiation ceremony involving circumcision, isolation, and the instruction and use of masks. Each community has a sacred forest attached to the village where the training is done, and the uninitiated are not allowed to visit. However, they may watch the dance of the leopard men, a dance performed when boys return from a training session in the forest. Ceremonies and dances mark the passage from one stage to the next. When a man is 30 years old, he is finally considered an adult and an elder who can offer advice to his people.

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