Here is the "offensive" post:
The Senufo "speak at least four distinct
languages (Palaka, Dyimini, and Senari in Côte d’Ivoire and Suppire in
Mali), which belong to the Gur branch of the Niger-Congo language
family. Within each group, numerous subdivisions use their own names for
the people and language; the name Senufo is of external origin. They
left the internal delta of Niger —around the town
of Mopti (Mali)— in the search of good grounds, the Senufos arrived
thousand years ago in the area where they currently reside. At the end
of last century when the famous mandinka conqueror Samory threatened the
country, Senufo, the chief of Korhogo declared: "We are not warriors,
but farmers"."
Like the Amazighen (Tuareg), the Senufo women
play water drums. The picture shows the magnificent cowrie headdress
worn in womanhood initiation ceremonies.
You have to read down
this page a ways before they mention that the Senufo are matrilineal
have an important women's sacred society, the Sandogo. At first we're
only given the impression of marginal female status in the Poro Society:
a sodality that west African oral histories describe as having been
taken from women by men.
They say, "Maleeo and Kolotyolo
("Ancient Mother" and "Creator God") represent a dualistic deity.
Kolotyolo is not approachable and can only be reached through
Yiriigifolo or Nyehene. In the region of Kufulo, Maleeo is represented
by the sacred drums before whom all thieves and murderers are brought
for trial." [url for quotes given in Comments, with more info]
There is a deeper female stratum to Kòlotyölöö, as Anita Glaze
illuminates for us: “Central to Senufo religion is the conception of a
bipartite deity called Kòlotyölöö in its aspect of divine creator, and
Màlëëö or Kàtyelëëö in its aspect of protective, nurturing being.” The
last two names mean “Ancient Mother” and “Ancient Woman.” The creator
divinity is remote and cannot be approached directly, only through other
deities. [“Woman Power and Art in a Senufo Village,” African Arts, Vol
8, No. 3 (Spring, 1975) p 29]
Linguistic indicators points to a
shift that masculinized this creator: “There is some evidence to
suggest that Kòlotyölöö was originally considered female in nature
(työlöö wii, for example, means ‘woman’ or ‘wife’ in Tyebara), although
present usage suggests a neuter or even a paternal image.” [Glaze, 64]
I am now back; this ban happened last week, my second for posting natural uncommercialized and uncommodified photos that include breasts.
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