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Among all cultures discussed,
marriage is very important. It is viewed as an investment. The main purpose of marriage is
to have children, which provide the family’s labor force and ensure the future of the
family's lineage. The average Bambara woman has eight children. All adults marry and even
elderly widows have suitors because they believe a wife increases a man’s prestige.
The future of the family depends on the ability of the present generation to bear
children; an individual’s sense of social and biological completeness lies in his or
her ability to become a parent. Children not only guarantee the well being of the
individual in life, they also provide a proper burial and ensure transition of the spirit
of the parent to the afterworld-- taking its place as an ancestor (Sieber & Walker
p.28).
On the whole, the figurative
carvings do not relate specifically to birth or infancy, but rather to the concept of
parenting. One senses the power of the ancestors everywhere and must be surrounded
with ancestors' symbols to ward off evil. The threat is the strongest in moments of
crisis, such as transitions from one stage of life to another-- the rites of passage--
protecting individual and community and bringing them safely through such periods
(Wassing, p. 96). The ancestral figure is carved with various coiffures, tattoo markings
and emblems, enabling the ancestor to recognize his figure and take abode. The head, the
center of intellectual powers is accentuation. The navel symbolizes the center of life and
a link between mother and child. Narrow slits of eyes open as the ancestor is still able
to see and act (Leuzinger p. 25)
The figure is the seat of
supernatural power. In order to persuade the spirit to stay inside, the sculpture must be
as beautiful as possible. At festivals the figure may be adorned with beads, anointed with
tukula (from trees) powder and sprinkled with chewed coca-nut. Dancers endeavor to
entertain it. To the ancestor, solicitations for fertility are addressed. The mother of
all things becomes the symbol of conjugal bliss and fertility in general (Leuzinger, p.
25). As with the Bamana, the mother and child figure is a link to their ancestors as well
as a way new generations are begun.
According to Kate Ezra (1986),
Bamana women with fertility and child bearing problems affiliate with Gwan, an
association that is concerned with such problems. Women who succeed in bearing children
make extra sacrifices to Gwan, dedicate their children to it, and name them after
the sculptures (Sieber & Walker 1987, p. 36). Sculptures depicting a seated female
figure clasping an infant to her torso are called Gwandusu, meaning
"extraordinary strength, ardent courage, intense passion and conviction as well as
the ability to accomplish great deeds" (Ezra in Sieber & Walker p. 36).
These Gwan sculptures--
occurring in groups of mother and child figure, a male father figure, and other male and
female figures-- are normally enshrined. They are considered extremely beautiful; they are
"things that can be looked at without limit (Ezra)," because they achieve the
Bamana standard for sculpture. They not only represent physical beauty but also
ideals of character and action.
The headdress, only worn by male
hunters or warriors, appears on the sculpture as a symbol of physical strength. The
maternity figure sits on a stool with her back erect and both feet on the ground to
distinguish her from less prominent attendants. Her broad shoulders indicate her external
physical power while her facial expression suggests her internal self-control. Beaded
bands indicate protective charms and a knife--while never used by women as a weapon-- may
be strapped to the arm to emphasize strength and power. The figures are brought out for
public ceremonies, freshly washed and oiled and adorned with loincloths, head ties and
beads all contributed by the women of the village (Sieber & Walker 1987, p. 36)
COMPARE
TO SENUFO ANCESTRAL FIGURES
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