The Azande People who Possess Much Land

1. The AzandePeople who Possess Much Land Culture and Supernatural Belief in North Central Africa

2. What We’re going to Look at… • Where are the Azande located? • Who are the Azande? • Who has studied them? • What is the nature of their cultural organization? • What kind of supernatural beliefs (witchcraft) do they practice? • What are some modern problems that the Azande are facing?

3. The Environment • The Azande are located in southwestern Sudan and in parts of the neighboring countries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) and the Central African Republic • http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=sudan&ie=UTF8&ll=5.878332,29.838867&spn=31.931499,39.550781&t=h&z=5 • The area encompasses ~100,000 square miles

4. Environment • Typically live near water sources, such as rivers. • In the DRC most Azande live near the Uele River • One of the largest rivers in Africa

5. Environment • Shaded areas provided by large trees are used to build residential complexes. • Courtyards, granaries. • Courtyards and Western commonalities

6. Environment • The Tse-Tse fly. • Many problems with this particular insect. • Spread ‘Sleeping Sickness’ • Technically referred to as: • Human African Trypanosomiasis • Parasitic disease that affects humans and animals (cattle) • Symptoms include: • Fever, Headache, Joint Pain, and swollen lymph nodes along the neck.

7. Who are the Azande? • The Azande are a collection of smaller political clans that were joined together by the actions of the Avongara (also the modern ruling class) • This is where their collective name (Azande) originates from. • Although some sources dispute this idyllic fusing together of different clans. • Population estimates range from 1-4 million individuals; although ~3 million is the figure used by the Azande themselves. • This varies between sources

8. Who are the Azande? • The Azande language is called both: • Zande or Pazande • The language is divided into multiple dialects • Spoken as either a first or second language across much of the region

9. Who Has Studied Them? • Sir Edward Evan (or E. E.) Evans-Pritchard • Born 1902 – Died 1973 • British • Taught at Oxford for much of his career • Influenced by Malinowski and Seligman

10. Evans-Pritchard • Fieldwork • Was stationed in Northern Africa during WWII • Prior to that he produced Witchcraft, Oracles and Magic Among the Azande • One of the foremost works regarding the Azande and witchcraft in general. • 1937 • Also worked among the Nuer, so we’ll see him later in the semester.

11. Where do the Azande Live? • Homesteads built around enclosed courtyards. • Size of courtyard often a signal of status • Larger courtyards can hold more wives, which equals more prestige. • Common theme in many cultures • Importance of courtyard cleanliness as a tool of judgment

12. Gardens • Small gardens are also included within the courtyards. • Grows crops such as: • Pineapple, Papaya, Mango, etc.

13. Agriculture • Basis for Azande economic system • No fertilizer used • Most popular crop was Eleusine • Also called ‘Finger Millet’ • Mainly native to Africa • Converted into flour and used to make a variety of cakes, puddings, or porridges • Also used to make beer!! Mmmmm… • Leafs also used as a folk medicine for a number of diseases such as pneumonia and measles. • Ideal hot weather crop

14. Agriculture • Other crops: • Maize • Sweet potatoes • Manioc • Ground nuts • Bananas

15. Animals • Cattle could not be domesticated due to the Tse-Tse fly problem • Dogs were kept for both hunting and food • Chickens kept for witchcraft and oracle usage • NOT used as food • Fishing in the numerous rivers and streams added some extra protein, but nothing really substantial. • Termites are also regularly consumed.

16. Interesting Fact! • There is little to no specialization within the Azande economic system. • Things such as woodworking, pottery and weaving were all considered to be general skills used by many individuals.

17. Organizational Stuff • Class Structure • Top of the ladder are the ruling chiefs or nobles (Avongara) • The commoners were divided into two groups: • The Mbomu • Descendents of the original Azande who conquered the other clans. • The Auro • Descendents of the various conquered groups. • Slaves were also exploited and existed at the bottom of the social ladder

18. Just How do you Rule your Kingdom? • Technically the Azande are usually referred to as using a Chiefdom system. • Periods of hostility and peace between different chiefdoms • Use of sentries to patrol/live on the borderlands between chiefdoms. • Local governors were appointed to rule over territories that were farther out. • Usually related to the Chief in some way. • Chiefs were all purpose leaders (warfare, politics, economics, judicial) • Taxes also collected from people living in the Chiefs kingdom. • Usually in the form of crops but sometimes other items • Redistribution of this wealth was also an important organizational tool for the chiefs. • Good for social control and for maintaining stability • Have to PROVIDE for your people

19. General Anthropology Break! • Typical breakdown of how societies are organized in anthropology. • Band • Small and kinship based • Mobile • Little differential power between individuals • Tribe • Permanent villages (or descent groups) • No formal system of government • Chiefdom • Kinship based organization • Differential access to resources • Permanent political system • State • Totally autonomous • Composed of many different communities with many different backgrounds • Taxation • The power to both create and then enforce a system of laws • Central government and socioeconomic stratification

20. Marriage! • Complex and very political system of marriage used by the Azande. • Polygyny is the preferred type of marriage • Multiple wives in multiple huts within the homestead. • Grooms initiate the process • Ask a ‘negotiator’ to approach the family first • A particular bride-price would then be negotiated • This typically took the form of iron spears • Then the groom visits the house of his potential bride and pays both part of the price and (more importantly) pays his respects to the family. • The rest of the price typically is paid during the actual marriage ceremony that comes later. • The potential wife then comes to live with the groom for about 3-4 weeks

21. Marriage! • After the trial period at the grooms place the woman then decides if she really wants to go through with it. • Oracles were consulted as well. • If everything works out then the brides family goes to the grooms place and the ceremony takes place!

22. After the ceremony the bride is presented with her very own brand new cooking hearth!!

23. Homosexuality and Lesbianism • Homosexuality • Primarily occurred amongst unmarried warriors and the younger male recruits • Years are often spent living in total separation from women • Almost never a life long sexual pattern • Lesbianism • Same pattern occurs amongst women living in the same residential complex • This activity threatened the husbands so it is rarely discussed, especially with anthropologists • In a social control sense, it is impossible for men to prevent activities between two women from taking place. • This can also raise a woman’s economic and social prestige, but only if the arrangement is formally acknowledged in a ceremony.

24. Mythology and the Supernatural • Witchcraft! • This practice is the core of the Azande ‘religious’ system. • Witchcraft has a very strict set of rules governing its use within society • However if you try to find some sort of magic tome that explains all this then you will be disappointed • The systems of rules that govern witchcraft are tied to specific situations and it is common knowledge • The job of the ethnographer is to attempt to compile an explanation of these various situations and their supernatural outcomes so that others outside of the culture can learn about and relate to it.

25. Witchcraft! • Witchcraft is inherited down through the generations • Father to son and mother to daughter • Depending upon which parental soul is more powerful then that parents soul will influence the sex of a child

26. Witchcraft • Witchcraft grows along with a person • This means that children are not often accused of serious crimes • But older individuals (and thus more experienced in life and in magic) are always suspect

27. Witchcraft • Its all about WILLPOWER • There are typically not charms or other physical objects used to conjure witchcraft • Witchcraft is also believed to be the element responsible for every piece of bad luck • This extends to such serious acts as murder and other forms of death

28. So what do the Azande think about all this? • There is no terror or fear associated with witchcraft or the possibility of being bewitched at any moment. • It is such an accepted and common every day occurrence that it is not shocking. • However, there are consequences for individuals that use witchcraft against others. • These can sometimes be extremely serious

29. Oracles! • As defined in the text an oracle is: • A device for revelation • But what is that exactly? • Oracles can take many forms • They can either be poisons • Benge poison • Has a strychnine base • Causes muscular convulsions and eventual death • Requires a mastery in both the administration of the poison (to a chicken) and in the interpretation of the chickens movements. • Or other ritual actions designed to divine answers to important questions • Termite mound and sticks • Available to everyone and semi-reliable • Rubbing-Board Oracle (or Iwa Oracle) • Portable but unreliable

30. Function of Witchcraft in a Social Setting • Provides explanations for strange or unfortunate events • Serves as a mechanism of social control and stress release • Psychological Functions • Channels anxieties, tensions, and frustrations • Permits direct expression between hostile parties • Divination • Magical procedure to determine causes or to foretell the future • Jealousy and unintentional coveting might lead to witchcraft allegation • More of a problem for direct rivals or for the more prestigious members of the society • The nature of coincidence is also explained by witchcraft • Why things happen in a certain pattern

31. Modern Problems for the Azande • The expansion of Western (and other) powers into Azande territory altered the culture in many ways. • Movement away from the rivers and traditional homes of the Azande into compact settlements caused numerous problems • Sickness caused by proximity to others and their magical powers • Distance is directly related to the power of an individuals witchcraft • Loss of cultural norms such as the rivers • No way to describe where you are if you are not somewhere by a river • Huge cultural disruption • The sleeping sickness that plagued the Azande was brought along with Europeans. • Several mass movements of the Azande took place • Lack of a place to call home • Cannot establish yourself and your family in any permanent way • Marriage patterns also disrupted by this movement • Europeans tried to convert the entire Azande agricultural complex over to cotton production • This failed miserably