Page 90 - Empires of Medieval West Africa

t h e s o n i n k e p e o p l e o f t h e G h a n a E m p i r e

Al-Bakri dismissed the Soninke traditional system of belief in
Ghana with the remark that, “Their religion is paganism [a primitive
religion] and the worship of idols” (images of gods). He introduced his
descriptions of Soninke spirituality by referring to “the sorcerers of
these people, men in charge of the religious cult” (quoted in Levtzion
and Hopkins). In fact, it was Soninke traditional spiritual leaders, or
priests, who presided over the polytheistic (belief in more than one god)
religion.
The traditional priests of the Soninke and other Mande peoples
have usually been blacksmiths. They knew the secrets of how to use
fire to turn raw iron ore into tools and weapons that were essential for
daily life—a process that was associated with magic. It was through
their perceived special abilities
to communicate with the spirit
world that the traditional priests
became guardians of the sacred
grove and the religious objects Secret Sites
stored there.
Muslim writers referred to Burial sites similar to those of the Ghana Empire have
the religious objects stored in the been found among another mande group, the mandinka
groves as “idols,” which is a word of Gambia. in Gambia, the king was buried in his own
choice that suggests there is some- home together with his weapons. His senior wife and
thing less than respectable about members of his court were also buried there. the tomb
them. Some religious objects in was then closed, and a big mound of earth was heaped
Soninke traditional religion do over the tomb to the height of a house.
look intimidating and dangerous at other times and places in mande history, burial
because they are meant to cause sites of rulers were sometimes hidden so well that
fear and respect when seen. But nobody could ever find them again. some sources refer
there are also many masks and to royal burials in dry riverbeds, where the grave would
small statues of wood, terra-cotta be covered by water during the rainy season. one reason
(clay), and other materials that for this custom is that it was believed evil-doers could
are beautiful. create dangerous sorcery tools by retrieving something
The most important of the from a ruler’s grave. Even today, it is possible to see
traditional religious objects were monuments in the republic of mali that are said to be
(and still are) representations of the tombs of famous kings, except the kings were never
various gods and spirits. The really buried there and nobody knows the true location of
objects were not worshipped as their graves.
idols, though. Masks were worn

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