Sports

views updated

Sports

Social Life. In ancient Africa, climate, vegetation, and terrain determined the sorts of pastimes in which each ethnic group engaged. Sporting activities were generally associated with rituals and celebrations of important events in the lives of clan members or with ancestor worship. The birth of a child, the death of an elderly clan member, or a wedding ceremony was usually accompanied by elaborate sporting activity. In some cases, sporting events also preceded the waging of a war against a neighboring village.

Hunting. In the forest region of West Africa, hunting as a game or sporting activity was widespread. Sometimes different ethnic groups in neighboring villages engaged in seasonal hunting competitions. After a young man was initiated into adulthood, he had to show his bravery by hunting alone, or as part of a larger group of his peers, for dangerous animals such as lions and wild dogs. Success in this endeavor earned him new status within the clan. A young man who killed a lion or a wild dog on his own was accorded the highest ranking in his peer group and was said to possess some sort of supernatural power and to be capable of conversing with and seeking the assistance of evil spirits during the most dangerous hunting trips. In many regions the degree to which a young man displayed his bravery in hunting games determined his chances of becoming a respected leader. Equally important, eligible young women sought out brave young men as prospective husbands. Becoming an accomplished hunter required lengthy training that started early in life, and an accomplished hunter could climb the social ladder to become a chief. As early as age four, a boy might be take on a less dangerous hunting trip.

Women and Hunting. The sport of hunting was a genderspecific activity, and women were excluded from participating in hunting trips that were considered dangerous. In some cultures, however, women played significant roles in collaborative

[This text has been suppressed due to author restrictions]

hunting, which was considered less dangerous than individual hunting. Apart from the danger involved, women may also have been excluded from hunting because it involved lengthy absences from the village. Also, since young men and young women were generally separated from one another until they reached marriage age, the inclusion of women in hunting groups would have violated customs.

Horseback Riding and Rowing. In the Hausa and Fulani culture young men often displayed their skills in horseback riding and rowing during celebrations to honor the ruler or on other important occasions that deMande d public display of such prowess. At the start of the Dumbar festival, horseback riders were part of the ruler’s entourage heading to the sporting site. In Senegal, riding horses was perhaps the most important sport for adult and young men. Trained to fight wars, these hórsemen also provided entertainment at court during peacetime festivals. As in hunting, the display of superior skills on horseback was a sure way of gaining social recognition and higher status.

The Donga. Stick fighting was a major sporting activity among several tribes in West Africa, especially in the northwest. The Donga, annual competitive stick fights between young men, prepared them for war. The clan elder decided who was eligible to take part in the Donga and when it should take place. Many young men practiced all year long for the “Day of the Donga.” Hoping to distinguish himself publicly, a stick fighter engaged in a deadly, brutal duel that ended only when he or his opponent was so severely injured that he could no longer stand. Because displaying pain was considered disgraceful and unmanly, stick fighters were not supposed to show that they were in pain. Before the Donga, young unmarried women spent several hours decorating their bodies because the event provided them the opportunity to select a marriage partner. The friends of the young men preparing to fight spent several days decorating the combatants’ bodies because the more decorative they were the more they would be noticed by eligible women. These women paid particular attention to the ways the fighters moved their naked bodies, especially the lower half. At the beginning of the Donga, young women led the village in songs that acknowledged the power of the spirit world and the elders that had passed away. Clan members believed that these elders were responsible for everything from abundance of harvest to peace, prosperity, and clan stability. People asked the ancestors for protection and good harvest in the next planting season. In some cases, young men from one village competed with others from nearby villages in recognition of the bonds that historically existed between them. The winner of a stick fight was treated with deference in his village and was by custom entitled to an additional wife or wives in recognition of his sporting prowess.

Dounouba. Dounouba, another form of stick fighting, also took place in Mali among the Bambara people. Unlike the young men’s yearly Donga, the Dounouba was organized as needed and primarily for the settlement of disputes between two adults. If two men refused to settle their dispute peacefully, even after the intervention of elders, they were invited to fight one another publicly in the village square. Village drummers and young women provided entertainment for the event. As in the Donga, the two opponents engaged in brutal stick fighting until only one man was left standing. If he wanted, the winner could take the wife of the vanquished man. After the Dounouba the villagers dispersed, and the dispute was considered settled forever.

Wrestling. Among the Igbo of southeastern Nigeria and other tribes in the region, wrestling was an important sporting activity in which unmarried young men could display their bravery. Wrestling matches were also training for wars against rival groups. Moreover, it was an occasion for the young men to demonstrate their masculinity, an extremely important trait for Igbo men. Failure to display one’s masculinity brought social disgrace to one’s family. Each match was arranged according to age level, and success signified one’s readiness for adult life. As with the Donga, a wrestling match also provided an occasion for ancestor worship and mate selection. A young woman brought water and “mating cakes” to wrestling matches and offered them to a young man with whom she was particularly interested in forming a long-lasting relationship.