Kankurang
| Kankurang | |
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Intangible cultural heritage 
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| Kankurang 2010 in Kounkané |
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| State (s): |
 Senegal Gambia
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| List: | Representative list |
| Number: | 00143 |
| Admission: | 2008 |
The Kankurang is an initiation rite practiced by the Mandinka ethnic group in the West African region of Senegambia . It was in 2008 when UNESCO in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists enrolled.
The Kankurang has tradition in the areas inhabited by the Mandinka. In addition to Casamance and Gambia, this is also the big city of Mbour . The ritual usually takes place in August or September.
The central figure in the Kankurang is an initiate who is completely disguised and masked with tree bark, plant fibers and leaves. He leads the initiation rites associated with circumcision ceremonies (compare rite of passage ). The ritual selection and equipment of the initiate is made by the elders . He and the young candidates for consecration withdraw into the forest, there are night vigils and processions, accompanied by former initiates and villagers who perform dances and songs. Between his performances he performs - with piercing screams - machete-swinging staccato dances, the rhythm of which is supported by his accompanists with drums.
The Kankurang ensures order and justice and drives away evil spirits. He also ensures that a complex collection of know-how and practices that underpin the Mandinka's cultural identity is passed on and communicated. The boys learn to keep the rules of conduct for the order of their community and they learn the secrets of the plants and their medicinal value as well as hunting techniques. However, due to the rapidly expanding urbanization of Senegal and Gambia and the disappearance of sacred forests that are being converted into cultivated land , the practice of their traditions is on the decline. As a result, the ritual loses value and prestige.
The Kankurang Center and Museum in Janjanbureh in eastern Gambia, which opened in 2016, focuses on the mask dance Kankurang.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kankurang, Manding initiatory rite - intangible heritage - Culture Sector - UNESCO. In: unesco.org. Retrieved June 16, 2019 .