Medieval Africa Section Three: African Society and Culture

Life in Medieval Africa Movement of the Bantu Importance of family Education and Community Role of Women

Life in Medieval Africa – Movement of the Bantu Settled much of Africa Spread their skills in pottery, mining and ironwork Language also spread Bantu migrations are the reason ppl all across Africa share the same ideas and traditions Believed in one supreme creator and a spirit world where ancestors live

Life in Medieval Africa – Importance of Family Extended families – Basis of African societies – Families made up of several generations Matrilineal – Traced their descent through mothers – Women join their husbands’ families – Their families receive gifts Children – Link between past and future

Life in Medieval Africa – Education and Community Carried out by villagers – Learned the history of their people – Given skills they’d need as adults Western Africa: Griots – Kept an oral history alive – Lessons about living

Life in Medieval Africa – Role of Women Wives and Mothers – Mean had more rights – Controlled women – Some did serve as soldiers Women Rulers – Queen Dahia al-Kahina » Led the fight against the Muslim invasion – Queen Nzinga » Ruled in now Angola and Congo

Slavery – Slavery with in Africa Slavery’s past – Raided villages for captives – Criminals or enemies were enslaved – Freedom was still hopeful while in Africa Trade of humans – Muslims could enslave non- Muslims – Arab traders began trading goods for non Muslim Africans – The European Slave Trade Portugal – Many stayed in Portugal – Settling in Atlantic Islands » Needed help for sugarcane » Couldn’t afford high wages » Enslaved Africans Farming skills Ability to make tools Didn’t need to be paid Rest of Europe – Arrived in Americas – Set up sugar plantations – Brought enslsaved Africans over – Tobacco, rice and cotton crops as well

African Culture – African Diaspora The spreading of African people and culture around the world People of African descent held on to their cultures and passed them onto other generations – African Art Cave drawings Woodcarving Pieces of art clothing Purpose – Religious ties/meaning – Practical purposes – Music and dance Music was key in all aspects of life – Religious feeling – Get through an everyday task Songs – Main leader following by other singers – Instruments used to keep beat Dance – Allowed spirits to express themselves – Celebrate important events in life Enslaved Africans – Relied on music to remind them of their homeland – Songs of hardship developed – Transitions into jazz, blues, rock and roll, rap – Storytelling Few enslaved Africans were able to escape to tell their stories Continued to tell stories of their homeland