Who are the Shanga?
1.0 The Shanga language
The official classification is Niger-Congo, Mande, Eastern,
Eastern, Busa. In other words Shanga belongs to the Niger-
Congo branch of languages which includes most of the
indigenous languages of Sub-Saharan Africa and is classified
with the Mande family of languages. Most of these languages
are in the centre or west of West Africa, but Shanga is
towards the east, so belongs to the Eastern sub-group.
Within that sub-grouping there are two clusters of
languages, each cluster having some intelligibility between
speakers. The Boko/Busa cluster includes Boko, Bokobaru,
Bisã and Busa Illo, and the Kyanga cluster which includes
Kyanga and Shanga.
Shanga is not mutually intelligible with the Boko/Busa
language speakers and there is only partial intelligibility
with Kyanga. Lexical similarity is 81% with Kyanga, and an
average of 65% with the Boko/Busa cluster. The Shanga are
called Shanga or Shangawa (plural) by the Hausa and they
call themselves Sã ngã̃̀ , while the Kyanga at Bakinrua call
them Sɛ̃ nga. It is probable that the original name was Sɛ̃ nga
and the original name of the Kyanga was Kɛ̃ nga. In
francophone countries the Kyanga are known as Tienga,
while in Boko they are known as Kɛ̃ a.
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The distribution of Mande family languages with
Boko/Busa/Kyanga on the far right
This map shows that the Kyanga people are indigenous to West
Africa and did not originate in the Middle East.
Eastern Mande languages
Bissa Samo Busa Kyanga
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Barka Toma Busa Kyanga
Lebir Tougan Busa Illo Shanga
Boko
Bokobaru
The results of this research show that there are about 5,000
Shanga speakers living on the banks of the Niger River just
north of Yauri in the Shanga Local Government Area of Kebbi
State, with another 15,000 ethnic Shanga who have
assimilated to Hausa living nearby. 15,000 Kyanga speakers
live in the south-west of Kebbi State, between the Niger
River and the Benin border, and in the adjoining area of
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Benin Republic. Another 200,000+ ethnic Kyanga who have
assimilated to Hausa, Dendi and other languages.
Some of the western Mande languages include Bambara,
Bandi, Boso, Jula, Kono, Kpelle, Kuranko, Ligbi, Loma, Loko,
Marka, Manding, Maninka, Mende, Seeku, Sembla, Soninke,
Susu, Vai, Yalunka.
Eastern division Mande languages with an approximate
number of speakers (2016) are as follows:
Samo 460,000 Burkina Faso
Bisa 750,000 Burkina Faso
Boko 175,000 Nigeria/Benin
Bokobaru 65,000 Nigeria
Busa 60,000 Nigeria
Busa Illo 20,000 Nigeria
Kyanga 15,000 Nigeria/Benin
Shanga 6,000 Nigeria
2.0 Population and distribution
The Shanga live in the Shanga Local Government Area, Kebbi
State, in north-western Nigeria. The four villages where
Shanga is spoken are on both banks of the Niger River 12 km
north of Yelwa Yauri. Shanga town is located 50 km further
north at 11°11'44" north of the equator and 4°34'2" east.
The present Shanga population is about 20,000 of whom no
more than 5,000 speak Shanga. Many still have the
distinctive facial marking identical with that of the closely
related Kyanga. According to Frank Salamone there were
40,000 Shanga in 1974, so many may have completely
assimilated to Hausa.
2.1 The non-Shanga speaking Shanga population
The 2006 Shanga LGA population was 127,142. With 3%
annual growth the 2016 population would likely be 160,000.
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The main towns where ethnic Shanga live are Shanga (40%
Shanga), the administrative centre of Shanga LGA, with a
2006 population of 7470, and Dugu Tsofo (70% Shanga)
which is reported to be about 10,000. The combined Shanga
population of these two towns is at least 10,000.
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Home of the Boko, Bokobaru, Busa, Busa Illo,
Kyanga and Shanga speakers in mid-western Nigeria and
north-eastern Benin Republic
There are also 2000 ethnic Shanga who don’t speak Shanga
between Shabanda and Kaoje at Kawara, Gante Fadama,
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Gurwo and Lafogu, close to or in Bagudo LGA, west of Shanga
LGA.
2.2 The Shanga speaking population
Apart from a few people at Dugu Tsofo and Samia the Shanga
speakers are all 50 km to the south of Shanga town, 12 km
upstream from Yelwa Yauri on both banks and within one
kilometre of the Niger River, three villages on the north and
one on the south.
Villages that speak Shanga:
Sakaci 95% 3500
Sawa 95% 700
Tsamia (Kawama) 95% 1000 (South of Niger)
Lapo 95% 500
Kwakutɛ (Nasawara) 40
Bakintura 10
Tungan Maaje 84
Dugu Tsofo (70%) 7
Shanga (40%) 2
Tsamia (near Dugu Tsofo) 1
Other scattered speakers 56
Total: 5,900
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Map showing the main Shanga speaking villages
The population of Bakin Turu (near Gwalango) between
Dugu Tsofo and Yauri are all ethnic Shanga, but with few
speakers. In the Shanga speaking villages all ages still speak
Shanga and the informants were quicker than the Kyanga
speakers in the Illo area at providing illicited vocabulary. The
Shanga speakers intermarry with Shanga and Reshe.
The 2006 population of Shanga LGA was 127,142.
The following ethnic population statistics were elicited from
an agricultural worker for towns and villages in the Shanga
LGA:
Shanga (40% Shanga, 20% Hausa, 20% Dukka)
Dugu Tsofo (70% Shanga)
Sakace (95% Shanga)
Samia (Kawama) (95% Shanga)
Sawa (95% Shanga)
Lopo (95% Shanga)
Tooboo
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Malajega
Approximate percentages of ethnic groups in Shanga LGA.
Hausa 40% Fulani 20%
Shanga 15% (5% speakers) Reshe 10%
Dukka 10% Kambari 5%
In the main Shanga speaking villages all ages still speak still
speak Shanga and the informants were quicker than the Kyanga
speakers in the Illo area at providing illicited vocabulary
quickly. The Shanga speakers intermarry with Shanga and
Reshe.
A road starting from Tundi Gada, 10 km north of Yelwa
Yauri, follows the northern bank of the Niger River before
turning north to Shanga. It has many villages that are only a
few kilometres apart. These villages with their major ethnic
group are in order as follows:
Tondi Gada (Reshe)
Dakingari (Hausa)
Toro (Reshe, Kambari)
Tungan Bori (Hausa)
Lopo (Shanga)
Sakace (Shanga)
Sawa(shi) (Shanga)
Kundu (Reshe)
Dala (Reshe)
Dala Mairua (Hausa)
Hondirgi (Hausa)
Tunga Maji (Hausa) (10 Shanga speakers)
Tungan Kwakute (Hausa) (15 Shanga speakers)
Nasarawa (Hausa)
Sante (Hausa)
Dugu Tsofo (Shanga)
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Dugu Raha (Hausa)
Shanga (Shanga)
Sakace is about 50 km south of Shanga.
3.0 Language in society
It has already been mentioned that the majority of Shanga
have assimilated to Hausa. Nearly everyone in the Shanga
speaking villages speak Hausa, even the old people. They
don’t speak for long without using Hausa words. A common
cause of language loss is intermarriage with Hausa women,
because their children no longer learn Shanga in the home.
Shanga is still spoken in the home, but young boys in the
street can be heard speaking in Hausa in preference to their
mother tongue. Basic vocabulary is still used but many Hausa
loanwords are prefered to the original Shanga. Shanga
phonology and grammar have also been affected by the
heavy use of Hausa by Shanga speakers.
4.0 Shanga clans
There are four Kyanga clans: Shiba, Mishira, Kosoro and
Saaki. They speak the same Kyanga language, but their body
markings, especially facial scars, differ according to clan.
They have many parallel scars on the side of the face
beginning diagonally from the crown of the head to the top of
the ears, then vertically down to the bottom of the ears, then
diagonally forward, converging towards the mouth.
The number of parallel scars may vary from 5 to 10. Some
children are still receiving scars. The Shanga tribe have
similar markings and are closely related to the Kyanga. Some
Shanga know the Kyanga villages from where their ancestors
came, especially Tondi, Kasati, Bakinrua.
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SAAKI SIBA
KOSORO MISHIRI
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The Mishiri may have chicken foot markings on the body but
upward pointing. These are the Barugu Kyanga. A diagonal
scar under eye is called “bule”.
The Kosoro (Kↄsↄrↄ) have a downward pointing chicken foot
scar or a V scar between the eyebrows and on the outside of
the eyes.
The Saaki have 3 vertical lines /// anywhere on the body in
addition to normal markings.
Linguistically unrelated Gobiri people have the same
markings as the Saaki, and the unrelated Kabawa people
have the same facial markings from the bottom of the ear to
the mouth. Thanks to Mallam Gambo of Bagado for the above
information and illustrations of Kyanga facial markings.
Some of the following Kyanga folklore is of doubtful
authenticity as it does not agree with with known history
and linguistic facts. Una, Sagare, Abonna and Yemgbere
migrated after the battle of Haibara. They crossed the Red
Sea and settled in Mali. Ancestors of Kyanga were Mali Beri,
born Zabar Kani and Sogara, born Kyanga Manu. Both are
Saki clan. Dura is the ancestor of Shiba. He went to Maiduguri
and met an ancestor of the Busawa and migrated to Borgu.
Yemgbere is the ancestor of Mishiri who migrated to Kumbo,
now Malanville. Abonna is the ancestor of Kosoro who
stayed with Sogara in Mali.
From Mali they spread to present day Niger, Benin and
Nigeria in places called Soko, Kano, Mungadi, Dakingari,
Bunza, Heme, Illo, Tondi, Kasati, Lollo, Bani, Sambe, Samia,
Bakinruwa etc in Nigeria. In Niger: Tounouga, Bana, Yelou,
Malgoru, Sabon Birni, Sokonki Birni, Gaya etc. In Benin:
Kandi, Parakou, Malanville, Kwara Tegi, Garou etc. The
Kyanga/Shanga people were the first to inhabit these places.
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The Shiba are reported to have come from Badr in Saudi
Arabia and call their chief Bede. The other 3 groups are said
to come from Mishira (Egypt). Thus they share in the Kisira
legend that is so strong among the Boko/Busa people of
Borgu and other groups in Nigeria. According to this legend
some ancestors fled from Mohammed and Islam in the
Middle East and eventually settled in Borgu, intermarrying
with the local inhabitants (Boko). It may be true that some
people came from the Middle East and intermarried with
Mande people, but it is not feasible to think of a West African
Mande tribe like the Shanga as having originated from the
Middle East. Linguistically all languages that are related to
Shanga and the Boko/Busa group live to the west of them
and so it is from the west that they have originated, not from
the east.
5.0 History
The Shanga are an offshoot of the Kyanga people, with whom
they comprised a part of the Songhai Empire from the
thirteenth to sixteenth centuries. Moroccan invasions in the
sixteenth century, however, forced the Shanga to relocate
towards Borgu, some living at Kaoje. According to Olivier
Walther (2008), the genealogy of the Kyanga chiefs of
Kyangakwai is well documented and kept up to date by the
court of the District Head, Kyanga Ibrahim Wata. Below is a
photo of that document taken in 2010.
In 1815 the Emir of Gwandu sacked Kaoje and the Kyanga
inhabitants fled east and settled around a town called Shenga
or Shanga, where Kyanga/Shanga people were already living.
They seem to have taken their name from this town. Later
the Emir of Kontagora sacked Shanga and many of the
inhabitants fled to the islands of the Niger.
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Kyanga chiefs of Kyangakwai
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These islands are still called Sakace island and Sawa island,
but in 1968 when Kainji dam was built, the Italians built
houses in the present villages of Sakace, Sawa, Lopo and
Samia (Kawama) and told the Shanga to move there.
The islands are now inhabited by Sarakawa. Shanga from
Sakace island settled in present day Sakace, while others
from an island upstream founded the town of Samia (called
Kawama in Shanga) on the south bank of the Niger and 5 km
from Sakace. Being separated by 150 km from other Kyanga
speakers for nearly 200 years, their language has diverged.
Even before 1815 the language of the Kyanga at Kaoje may
have diverged. Today Kyanga speakers live north-west of
Kaoje, while the Shanga are east of Kaoje, although there are
still some Kyanga south of the Niger River, near the bridge
whicȟ is 10 km south of Bagudo. Some Kyanga at the Boko
town of Bakinrua, about 10 km west of Kaoje, speak a dialect
of Kyanga that is closer to Shanga. These people said the
Kyanga who fled Kaoje area were called Dↄka, which may be
related to Daku, a deserted village north of Segbana. The first
chief of Segbana was a Kyanga from Daku.
Frank Salamone (1975) says in “Becoming Hausa”:
“Much of the confusion in the literature concerning the
meaning of the Yaurawa category in fact dissipates when one
views it as a transitional one through which potential
recruits for the governing elite passed on their way to
becoming Hausa. Most of those who became Yaurawa were,
in contradistinction to the meaning of that term, which is
simply “people of Yauri”, Reshe and Shangawa seeking to
change their ethnic identities in order to become members of
the dominant minority.”
Olive Temple (1965) says:
“The Shangawa are a branch of Kyengawa, having broken off
in the early half of the nineteenth century, when the Emir of
Gando broke their town of Kaoji. Its inhabitants fled to
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Shenga (in the Yelwa division of Kontagora, hence their
name, and when the Filane chief N'gwamache, subsequently
Emir of Kontagora, captured Shenga, they scattered to the
islands on the Niger.”
5.1 First Kyanga/Shanga settlements
The very first settlements may have been in Benin Republic.
It is said that Garou, near where the Sota tributary enters the
Niger, was the first settlement, but children swimming in the
river were dying and the settlement moved to Monkassa.
One report says that the Kyanga were opposed by Borgu and
they subsequently moved north of the river. Kyanga were
early settlers at Segbana until the Bokos from Nikki area
came and pushed them north to the Illo area. There is still an
ancient Kyanga quarter at Segbana where ethnic Kyanga live.
The Boko towns of Konkwesso and Bakinrua in Nigeria have
Kyanga chiefs to this day.
It is reported that the Kyanga were on the island of Lele
(Laata in Kyanga) near Gaya 1000 years ago. From there
they moved to Katanga near Ouna and then to Barsamba, and
from there to Tudun Magari near Yelou. A 17th century chief
named Umaru converted to Islam and went to Mecca and on
his return moved to and founded Yelou. The Kyanga
extended from Yelou and maybe even further north down
through Bana to Gaya on the Niger River. In Nigeria they
founded Kyangakwai north or the river and Illo south of it.
In Benin many of the present Dendi speaking population are
ethnic Kyanga, stretching from Kompa and Karimama in the
west to Madekali in the east and south down the Nigerian
border to Tungan Noma and Tungan Goge.
The Songai/Zarma/Dendi people arrived and found the
Kyanga there. The Kyanga have always held the religious
power associated with animism and their worship of spirits
and the earth. The newcomers were more adept at politics
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and defence and in time became the ruling class. Because of
political domination, the Kyanga have over the last 100 years
or so abandoned their own language and assimilated to the
languages of the Zarma, Dendi, Hausa, Busa and Boko. New
migrants coming to use land on the banks of the Niger near
Gaya still pay rent to the original Kyanga owners.
5.2 Early conflicts
In 1493 with the west and south to heel, Sonni Ali, king of
Songhai, turned his attention to the east and conducted a
campaign against Borgu, but with only partial success. On his
return from Borgu to Gao, Soni Ali was accidentally drowned
while crossing a small tributary of the Niger. (Hogben in The
Emirates of Northern Nigeria, 1966)
At the beginning of 1505 the Songhai army was defeated by
the chief of Bussa. Askia Mohammed did however carry off
numerous slaves, one of whom became the mother of the
succeeding Askia Musa.
At the rise of the Songhai power the three kingdoms Bussa,
Illo and Nikki were attacked by Mamara at the head of the
Zaberma, but on his death the king of Nikki conquered
Songhai. He now ruled over the greater part of Borgu, his
kingdom extending northwards to Illo, south to Ilesha and
east to Kaima. (Elizabeth Ischei, A History of Nigeria 1893)
In 1593 the Moor leader Mahmud Pasha attacked the Songai
leader Askia Nuh in Dendi country south of Gurma. Nuh
received support from the Borgawa, warlike pagans with
long experience of the great defensive possibilities of their
country. Later on Dendi settlers from Illo and Gaya areas on
the Niger river along with traders and scholars from
Hausaland formed the majority of the Muslim population in
Borgu.
In the 17th and 18th centuries Borgu extended to the Niger
and included Illo. It is generally believed that the Kyanga
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preceded the Boko in northen Borgu. Mallam Idris claims
that the Kyanga came from Mali and have a royal ancestor in
the person of Askia Mohammed of the Songhai empire (1493
— 1528).
In 1810 Shehu Usman dan Fodio crossed the river and
subdued Gurma.
In 1811 Bello led a 3rd expedition to this part of the country
and conquered the little principality of Illo.
In 1814 Illo was made a tributary of Gwandu for a short
while (this is denied by Illo).
In 1815 the Emir of Gwandu sacked Kaoje, see above.
In 1835 Borgu attacked Kaoje and killed the Emir of
Gwandu’s brother.
6.0 Culture
The following professions are practised by the Shanga as
evidenced by these Shanga nouns.
barber miboda ironmonger mↄɔyɔda
beggar hozɛɛda manager ɛɛkɛda
blacksmith shiba mat weaver giitã da
builder baaboda pilot gookuuda
butcher sↄ̃ ↄzɛ̃ ɛda potter lugudaboda
drummer bã adɛda religious worker adinikɛda
farmer jeekɛda shea gatherer kuushida
fisherman kaabe tanner sheetugbeda
guard dã da trader lagakɛda
hair braider miitã da violinist gogedɛda
healer ɛ̃ da weaver bashetã da
hunter tobe wood gatherer agoshida
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Hunting has always been important in their culture. The
Shanga are mostly farmers, planting millet and corn. In
towns and villages near the Niger River, they fish and grow
onions. Each village has its blacksmith for making knives,
hoes, coup-coups etc. There are also wood carvers who carve
handles, mortars and pestles etc. Others weave mats from
palm fronds, although plastic mats are now more common.
Male circumcision is practiced, but not female.
Beer drinking was a common pass-time in the old culture
before Islam. Islam has brought changes to marriage and
childbirth ceremonies.
Like the Kyanga they are skilled in wrestling, drumming,
dancing, hunting and fishing. Many still have the distinctive
facial marking.
The following description was made by Frank Salamone in
1974: The Shangawas (Shangas, Shongas, Kyengas, Kengas,
and Tyengas) are an ethnic group of approximately 40,000
people living on the banks and islands of the Niger River
near the city of Shanga in northwestern Nigeria. They are
surrounded by Hausas, who tend to control political and
economic life. Shangawas constitute 85 percent of the
population in the Shanga District, part of the Yauri Division
in Sokoto State. They speak Kengawa, a language in the
Niger-Benue division of the Niger-Congo linguistic family. At
one time, the Shangawas were a subgroup of the Kengawas.
Both the Kengawas and the Shangawas claim descent from
the legendry Kisra, who opposed Islam until the prophet
Mohammed defeated him in battle. The Kengawas and
Shangawas were part of the Songhai Empire by the
thirteenth century and remained so until the Moroccan
invasions of the sixteenth century. During those invasions
the Shangawas relocated to Yauri, and, during the slave raids
of the nineteenth century, they found refuge on the islands of
the Niger River. The Shangawas make their living as farmers,
raising vegetables on the river banks and millet and guinea
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corn in the highlands; they also fish and are known for their
commercial skills. Nearly half of all Shangawas are Sunni
Muslims of the Maliki school. Traditional Shangawa religion,
which revolves around the sacrifice of black animals - oxen,
goats, or chickens - is tied to the Kisra legend. Traditional
Shangawas believe that such major spirits as Gasakassa,
Berkassa, and Gwaraswa control the key events in people’s
lives.
Another report says that some Shanga migrated towards
Yauri after the Emir of Gwandu sacked Kaoje and they
remain there to the present-day on both sides of the Niger
River.
The livelihood of the Shanga is based primarily upon
agriculture, with fishing and trading being of secondary
importance. Millet, guinea corn, and along the rivers, onions
and a variety of vegetables are grown.
While some Shanga marriages are arranged at birth, most
Shanga have considerable freedom of choice when deciding
upon a marriage partner. Selection often takes place during
the inter-village wrestling matches, which are extremely
important to the Shanga. A boy will begin wrestling when he
reaches puberty and will continue until his first marriage.
7.0 Wrestling
Wrestling has also been an important cultural practice, done
with spiked bracelets. Most young men still wrestle after
millet harvest and on holidays but no longer with bracelets.
Some youth still die from broken necks after being violently
thrown to the ground.
The following account concerns Kyanga wrestlers, but could
equally well be describing Shanga wrestlers. In the 1950’s
Kyanga wrestlers used to come to Segbana in Benin Republic
for wrestling matches with the Boko. Missionary Bob
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Blaschke who lived at Segbana in 1955 observed a wrestling
tournament and wrote the following report:
On the day they arrived in Segbana with not only wrestlers,
but several drummers, they could be heard coming from afar
off. This set the adrenaline flowing in the Segbana guys'
veins. Wrestling was very important to the Kyanga. The
Kyanga wrestled amongst themselves as a rite of passage
into manhood and qualification for getting a wife.
Spiked bracelet worn by wrestlers
The young men not only had to wrestle, but wrestle with an
iron bracelet that had six sharp points set toward the front
and back of the bracelet, as well as two sharp metal 2 cm
wide blades that line up where the ends of the bracelet come
together to hold the bracelet on under the wrist. Between the
fist and the wrist they tied a circle of goat hide with 10 cm
long hair to hide the bracelet from the opponent. Each
competitor wore the goat hair and just one bracelet on the
right wrist with nothing on the left wrist.
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You can imagine the damage inflicted when a wrestler
grabbed his opponent under the arm or around the back as
these sharp points coming and going would tear the flesh as
they grappled with each other.
Wrestlers dancing
When they came to Segbana, the first thing they did was to
drum and dance around a Kyanga grave in the Kyanga
quarter, which is on the east side of town. In doing this they
not only honored their ancestor but invoked his
empowerment for a successful wrestling match.
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The match consisted of hand/arm wrestling while on their
two feet. The end of the match was determined when one
made the other one touch 'three points' to the ground at the
same time. The three points could be two feet and one hand
or one foot and two hands. Even more impressive was when
the best wrestlers were able to throw the other one bodily to
the ground. There was no wrestling on the ground.
However, the one still standing quickly jumped on his
opponent and smashed down and cut across the back or side
of the neck with one or both of the flat blades of the bracelet.
That was the bloody and final coup that ended that match.
The winner had successfully fulfilled his rite of passage and
now was eligible to get married. I do not know if the loser
was required to wrestle until he won to be eligible to marry.
Apparently, some have died as the result of this coup on the
neck. But all of them bare at least scars from having
wrestled. Because of this, chief Kisama of Segbana would
only allow the Kyangas to wrestle the Bokos without the
bracelet. The Bokos knew how to wrestle and won a fair
share of the matches, but they had never wrestled with
bracelets, nor did they have that rite of passage in the Boko
culture.
As interesting and exciting as the actual wrestling is, the
build-up to the point of physical contact consisted of
drumming with dancing and gri-gri ceremonies.
The drumming beat of the wrestlers 'song' was, in and of
itself, enough to get anybody's blood pumped up. The
wrestlers dancing included impersonations of sexual
intercourse as they danced around in a circle.
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The gri-gri part for each match was both long (as much as 20
minutes) and intricate. Each side had their medicine men
performing 'good medicine' on their wrestler, while
performing 'bad medicine' against their opponent and
counter medicine against their opponent's 'bad medicine'.
Simply put, the mediums were seeking for an empowerment
greater than their competitor's.
The gri-gri consisted of consecrating pebbles with chants
and spitting on them before throwing them at or on each
one's competitor. The only other one I recall was a bamboo
pole split and tied back together at the top and bottom, then
opened out in the middle through which the wrestler would
walk in and out of a few times. Being a westerner, I became
very impatient with these prolonged ceremonies.
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Kyanga wrestler sporting his scars
I wanted to get on with the action, the wrestling. For the
local people, it was the gri-gri that was equally intriguing and
important. The Segbana chief's pay-off for inviting them was
the gift of one of his cattle, which they were more than happy
to walk back home. There is a tragic sequel to this story.
Soon after they left Segbana, an epidemic of smallpox came
through their area and killed nearly half of the Kyanga
population, including most of the wrestlers that had come to
Segbana. (Maybe this refers to the measles epidemic that
killed 300 people at Tungan Jatau between 1962-64 before
the rest of the village moved to Gesoro.)
8.0 Religion
An early Arabic document Tarikh-es-Sudan states that “the
dwellers in the Sudan, whose capital is Ghana, were
Christians up to the year 469 of the hedjira, that is to say, up
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to 1076 by the Christian computation of time, and only then
adopted Islam. He adds: “the growing power of the western
stream, reinforced by the influence of Islam and Mandeland,
destroyed Christendom in Songhai and forced it back to
Borgu.”
The bronze cross still hangs on the neck of the
representative of the Kisra dynastry at Karishi (north of
Kontagora) today. The Kisra legend attributes moral
injunctions in the passage describing his residential stay in
Karishi: Kisra was wont to live in a space set apart, where he
was hidden from every man’s sight. When the people came to
worship him, they heard his voice from behind a wall. The
voice spoke these words: Lie not, steal not, do not stir up
strife and keep peace among one another. Whenever the
people came to Kisra in Karishi, a herald stepped forth and
showed them the cross which Kisra wore around his neck
and which the chieftains of Karishi wear on their breasts
today as a token of their authority.
In 1922 Olive Temple wrote the following about the
Kyanga/Shanga: Muhammadanism and Muslim customs are
rapidly penetrating amongst the Kyanga people, together
with the use of the Hausa language, but the majority are still
pagans, their religion being a form of animism. A spirit
named Godakasa is worshipped by a baobab tree near
Fingila, another named Berkasa has a shrine on a hill near
the town of Kyangakwai. Gworagwa, in the guise of a rock
shaped like a man, is worshipped at a hill north of Kamba. A
belief in “bori” demons exists and the chief of the “bori” lives
in a grove of bark-cloth trees on a hill to the east of Fana. All
baobab and tamarind trees are sacred, as also are very tall
ant-heaps.
Special sacrifices are offered at the sowing of corn, when a
black bull and red cow or black goat, and a black fowl or a
red goat and a white fowl are decapitated, and the blood
smeared over the sacred spot.
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These sacrifices are also made when a death occurs, the flesh
of the animals being eaten by the assembled relatives, whilst
the bones are buried with the corpse. The dead are usually
buried in a sitting position with a monkey’s skin tied around
their loins. The grave is in the house or compound where
death occurred, but if this should not be in a man’s own
home, a handful of earth from the grave is placed in a
calabash and ceremoniusly carried to the house of the
deceased by the strongest man present. Polygamy is
practised and women have a voice in the selection of their
husbands. Boys are circumcised at the age of seven.
They are traditionally animistic with powerful black magic,
animal sacrifice, divination, demon possession and beer
drinking common in the last generation. Possessed women
speak Hausa or Dendi when in trance.
A 1973 Summer Institute of Linguistics survey of the
Kyanga/Shanga group says that 90% follow traditional
religion and 10% Muslim. Most Kyanga have became Muslim
since then, as have the Boko/Busa people.
Traditionally animist about 40% (at least 70%?) of the
Shanga have converted to Islam in the past 80 years, and the
number of converts is increasing each year. Even the Muslim
Shanga, however, adhere to their traditional practices and
beliefs, which involve the sacrifices of black animals such as
oxen, goats, and chickens to help cure illnesses or to provide
aid in time of crisis. (Source: Bethany)
There are very few Shanga Christians.
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