Kirikou!

If you have not already done so; do see the animation film Kirikou. I have seen it over ten times and find a teachable moment each time. The story is set during a turbulent time in West African history; during the Atlantic Slave Trade or the time of the Destruction. I would date that period to the 1800s. One main clue to this fact is that there are only two adult men in the village and one is very elderly. Another indicator of this period is that the men of the village were said to have been taken away by Karaba. Karaba epitomizes the evil plaguing the region. An evil that takes away the able bodied men and leave behind an elderly man, some women and more children; and an evil that no one understands. Since few people understood the dynamics of the global trade of African bodies, it is understandable that some people would think that the problem was a local “bad” person. The fact that the bad person was a woman, unmarried, and one who lived in isolation gives us clues to how gender was constructed during this time. Karaba’s gender is particularly revealing as women tended to lose power during and after the Destruction. Powerful women, which Karaba represents, were to be feared or demoted as witches. Their power was unholy, unnatural and a threat. It should be noted that powerful West African women were the norm, if not the rule, prior to the 16th century. One of the major contributions of the Destruction to West African societies was in the construction of gender. As the men were in the minority; they were perceived as more important as they were needed to help with reproduction and production. In this time of chaos, the important bodies were those who could produce and reproduce; to help society reach some sort of normalcy. As one man was able to help reproduction with so many women, polygamy became more common than before. It is safe to assume that polygamy was the activity of a selected few before the Destruction. In addition, the focus on reproduction also meant that if a woman was unable to reproduce, she would be labeled as “enemy of the state” or as a witch in some circles. During this crucial period, societies needed bodies who could produce ad reproduce; (any) body that was contrary to that was severely ostracized. Another major contribution of the Destruction in West Africa is the proliferation of villages. Before the trade, many people lived in cities and burgeoning coastal towns. These were some of the wealthiest parts of the planet before the 16th century. Kirikou’s village is the complete opposite of what was left from that period. Instead of being large and wealthy, it’s small and poor. The villagers had to travel, quite a distance, to the nearest wealthy city to trade pottery. Those people wore nicely designed clothing with fancy jewelry. People in Kirikou’s village did not have such luxuries. One of the more fascinating aspects of this city is that it was walled. High walls were hallmarks in West African towns during this period. Their construction was to prevent the Destruction. In contrast, the two “West Africas” Kirikou reveals is proof that people found ways to protect themselves. Those who were in the village were victims of the raids; since kidnappers tended to go in the interior to capture people unprotected. In addition, the wealthy city/town shows us that people had found ways to protect themselves which did not include running into the interior. The walls kept them safe. In addition, the walls would also give birth to the idea of “belonging.” Those who belonged within the walls would have constructed a look specific to their people. An idea adopted by all nations constructing an idea of us versus them; especially during a chaotic period.