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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Dagara Bagr: Ritualising Myth of Social Foundation
Author:Tengan, Alexis B.ISNI
Year:1999
Periodical:Africa: Journal of the International African Institute
Volume:69
Issue:4
Pages:595-633
Language:English
Geographic terms:Burkina Faso
Ghana
Subjects:Dagari
rituals
myths (form)
Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups)
Religion and Witchcraft
External link:https://www.jstor.org/stable/1160877
Abstract:This article explores the ritualizing processes of a myth of social foundation, the 'bagr' myth, among the Dagara of northwest Ghana and southwest Burkina Faso. It describes how rituals form part of the daily life of the Dagara and shows how 'bagr' rituals form a series of private and public events lasting the whole year or the 'bagr' season. The article describes the social life in the neighbourhood within which most ritual activities take place and outlines the historical events which are possibly responsible for the creation of the 'bagr' myth itself as a narrative text. The rest of the article is devoted to the ritualizing processes of the 'bagr' myth. Much of the article is structured around the author's own experiences and participant observation of ritual activities. The aim is to show why the public rituals of 'bagr' are not about initiating particular individuals into a secret society but about how Dagara society constitutes itself. The day and night ritual narration of the 'bagr' myth involving different segments of society seems to justify this claim. The article includes excerpts from 'bagr' narratives recorded by the author in the Nandom-Diébougou area. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. in English and French.
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