The forge and the funeral : the Smith in Kapsiki/higi culture / Walter E. A. Van Beek.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Van Beek, Walter E. A., author.

Series:

African history and culture.

African History and Culture

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Kamwe (African people)--Cameroon--Social life and customs.

Kamwe (African people).

Kamwe (African people)--Nigeria--Social life and customs.

Blacksmiths--Mandara Mountains (Cameroon and Nigeria).

Blacksmiths.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (421 p.)

Place of Publication:

East Lansing, Michigan : Michigan State University Press, 2015.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Throughout Africa one craft among many stands out: that of the blacksmith. In many African cultures, smiths occupy a significant position, not just as artisans engaging in a difficult craft but also as special people. Often they perform other crafts, as well, and make up a somewhat separate group inside society. The Forge and the Funeral describes the position of the smith in the culture of the Kapsiki/Higi of northern Cameroon and northeastern Nigeria. Situated in the Mandara Mountains and straddling the border of these two countries, Kapsiki culture forms a specific and highly relevant example of the phenomenon of the smith in Africa. As an endogamous group of about 5 percent of the population, Kapsiki smiths perform an impressive array of crafts and specializations, combining magico-religious functions with metalwork, in particular as funeral directors, as well as with music and healing. The Forge and the Funeral gives an intimate description and analysis of this group, based upon the author's four decades-long involvement with the Kapsiki/Higi. Description and analysis are set within the more general scholarly debates about the dynamics of professional closure - including the notions of caste and guild - and also consider the deep history of iron and brass in Africa.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

Preface

Language and Orthography

Chapter 1. Smith, Skill, and the Senses

Chapter 2. An African Enigma

Chapter 3. The Internal Other

Chapter 4. Hot Iron and Cool Pots

Chapter 5. Yellow Wildness

Chapter 6. Of Whistling Birds and Talking Crabs

Chapter 7. Smith and Ritual

Chapter 8. Masters of Healing

Chapter 9. A Sense of Justice

Chapter 10. The Smell of Death

Chapter 11. Music and the Silence of the Smith

Chapter 12. The Smith and the Power of Things

Notes

Glossary of Kapsiki Terms

Glossary of Kapsiki Plant Names

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-60917-453-4

OCLC:

930600965