|
Tribe Snapshots Diomande |
| Location: |
Côte d'Ivoire |
| Population: |
350,000 |
| Language: |
Diomande (Mande) |
| Neighboring
Peoples: |
Dan, We, Guro, Senufo |
| Types
of Art: |
Diomande art includes wooden sculpture and masks,
which are danced for initiation, education, and
entertainment. |
| History: |
Although there are few sources available on
Diomande culture, much has been written about
Dan peoples who live to the south of Diomande
territory and share many cultural and artistic
similarities. Oral traditions describe Diomande
society of the 19th century as lacking any central
governing power. Social cohesion was fostered
by a shared language and a preference for intermarriage.
Generally, each village had a headman who had
earned his position of advantage in the community
through hard work in the fields and luck as a
hunter. These headmen usually surrounded themselves
with young warriors for protection from invading
neighbors, and exchanged gifts with other chiefs
in order to heighten their own prestige. |
| Economy: |
Young people strive to make a name for themselves
by lavishly spending at community feasts to demonstrate
their wealth. Rice, yams, taro, manioc, maize,
and bananas are the primary crops grown. Although
farming and hunting have been largely replaced
by laboring in the diamond camps or working at
the rubber plantations, the establishment of a
hierarchical social order is still based on the
individual's ability to succeed. |
| Political
Systems: |
Diomande political systems consisted largely
of non-centralized, fragmentary political groups,
in which decisions are made on behalf of the community
by councils of elder men. Masking often served
as a means of social control, enforcing the rules
established by the elders. Diomande initiation
is not tied to Poro societies, as is the case
of their many neighbors, but masks do appear at
initiation. Performances also occur during funerals
and for purposes of entertainment. Although described
primarily as entertainment, such performances
also contain social and political commentary that
serve to demonstrate to the community the wisdom
of the elders. |
| Religion: |
The Diomande world view holds that everything
can be divided into two separate and clear categories.
The primary dichotomy is between village and bush,
in other words, things that have been controlled
by man and things that have not. Crossing over
the dividing line is dangerous business, and whenever
it is done, whether to clear new fields or simply
crossing the forest, the bush spirits must be
appeased. In order to take part in village life,
the bush spirits must take corporeal form. The
Diomande believe that all creatures have a spirit
soul (du), which is imparted onto humans and animals
from the creator god (Xra) through birth. One's
du is immortal and is passed on after death to
a new being. However, some du remain bodiless.
They inhabit the forests as bush spirits and must
establish a relationship with a person if they
wish to be manifested and honored. Often the spirit
will request the chosen person to dance the spirit,
utilizing a mask to illustrate the spirit's embodiment. |
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