WARM UP QUESTION• Which list of Niger River regions is in order

from MOST rainfall to LEAST?• A. Sahel, savannah, rainforest, Sahara• B. Sahel, rainforest, savannah, Sahara• C. rain forest, Sahel, savannah, Sahara• D. rain forest, savannah, Sahel, Sahara

Historical and Artistic Traditions of West Africa

None of the early African empires we’ve studied developed a written language. How

do you think people pass down traditions and history if they can’t write it down??

Oral History

When people lack a written language they use spoken words

to record their history.

Does your family have some stories that they tell again and

again??

Griots

• Griots were West African storytellers

• They were highly respected• Their job was to remember

and pass on their people’s history

• They had to remember hundreds of names and events

Proverbs

• Griots passed on more than stories, they also recited proverbs

• Proverbs are short sayings of wisdom or truth

West African Proverbs

“It takes a village to raise a child.”

“Talking doesn't fill the basket in the farm.”

“Rats don't dance in the cat's doorway.”

Epics

• Epics are long poems about kingdoms and heroes

• The Sundiata is an epic about Mali’s king Sundiata– The epic tells how Sundiata’s family was killed

by a conqueror when he was a boy, but Sundiata was spared because he looked weak. As a grown man, Sundiata overthrew the conquering king.

Histories• Much of what we know

about West Africa comes from the writings of Muslim travelers and scholars– One writer was Ibn

Battutah- he described the political and cultural lives of West Africans

– Europeans learned about Africa from another traveler/writer named Leo Africanus

Ibn Battutah’s travels

Sculpture• West Africa was famous for its statues made of

wood, brass, clay, ivory, stone• Sculptures of people were often used for

ancestor worship• African artists were deeply respected

Pablo Picasso was influenced by African art Bronze sculpture, Mali, 1500s

Masks & Clothing

• Carved masks of animals used for dance rituals

• Africans wove special cloth called Kente that was used for special occasions

• Kente cloth is a hand-woven, brightly colored fabric

Antelope mask, West Africa

Music & Dance• Music and dance were forms of

entertainment and helped people honor their history

• Dancing used for celebration at weddings, funerals

Review Questions

• African storytellers who memorize and recite the names and histories of their people are calleda. griots.b. kente.c. Dausi.d. Battuta.

Review Questions• How was music and dance incorporated

into the lives of the people of early West Africa?a. It played only a small role.b. Children were taught that music and dance were evil forms of entertainment.c. It was entertainment and also a way to celebrate their history and other important events.d. Only very important citizens were allowed to

play music or dance.

Review Questions

• In what way is the musical tradition of the early West African empires present today?a. in epicsb. in historiesc. in wedding and funeral dancesd. in the proverbs

Review Questions

• Which of the following best describes the subject of a West African sculpture?a. a favorite family petb. the sculptor’s grandfatherc. a cow or other animal used as foodd. an important tree or plant

Review Questions

• For special occasions, West African kings and queens wore garments made ofa. cotton with gold thread.b. finely woven silk.c. kente.d. highly polished ebony wood.

Review Questions• Much of what we know about early

West Africa comes from the writing of travelers and scholars from Muslim lands such as Spain and Arabia.

What is the BEST inference you can make from this statement?a. The people of West Africa were not interested in keeping track of their histories.b. The people of West Africa never traveled beyond the

borders of their empire.c. The people of West Africa left no written histories of

their own.d. Very few travelers ever visited early West Africa empires.