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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\nM. Bocoum told me as much as one could in one hour about the role of the blacksmith (forgeron) in African history. He mentioned Soumaoro Kant\u00e9, who was a blacksmith king. Sundiata battled him to start a new dynasty and Kant\u00e9 lost. He recommended reading La geste du Sonjiata<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nBoucom feels that the story of the battle represents a battle over African values. Kante represents African independence, ingenuity, and self-awareness. Sundiata represents transahelianism, Islam. Kant\u00e9 opposed slavery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nHe summarized with three contrasts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, he says, Africans are consumers to the detriment of producers.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n He talked about the supposed caste system which he feels does not really exist in Africa, at least not anything like what happens with the untouchables in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nHe mention reading about the caste system in Sudan and a book called Mande Blacksmith: Knowledge, Power and Art in West Africa<\/em> (by Patrick R. McNaughton).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nRegarding the existence of a caste system in West Africa, Bocoum mentioned:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nHe said that blacksmiths were the ones who invented the state in this part of Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nHe referred to his L’Age de Fer au Senegal<\/em> (which I later copied parts of at the tremendous IFAN library).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nBocoum doesn’t believe there was a taboo against blacksmiths either. He described the concept of the societal norm versus the structure, giving the example of how burping is normal and good for the health but considered impolite in many societies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nThere was a sense that the work of a blacksmith is the work of the devil. After 2000 years of the domestication of fire, the blacksmiths were the only ones who knew the secrets of transforming stone into metal, a kind of alchemy, a magic\/technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nHe mentioned how the blacksmiths had sacrificial ceremonies to do their work and how people who weren’t blacksmiths couldn’t participate in that work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nOnce the work of the blacksmith was no longer secret and became democratized, the blacksmiths no longer had a monopoly and lost their power. That started to occur by the 11th century but didn’t happen completely until the 16th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nIn some societies, it was also taboo to make love to or marry a blacksmith, but it still happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nBocoum also mentioned a novel called L’Enfant noir<\/em> by Camara Laye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nHe said there was more of a system of domination than a caste system. The system of domination helped generate a class structure (Marx).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nThe wives of blacksmiths were usually potters, hairdressers, tattoo artisans (for men and women). Blacksmiths traditionally performed circumcisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are pictures of the entrance hall at IFAN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n November 7, 2007, Institut Fondamental de l’Afrique Noire (IFAN), Dakar, Senegal After an impressive interview in French with archaeologist and historian Charles Becker on November 6 at his home near the home of the President of Senegal, I next went … Continue reading \n
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