Somba
The Somba people live in the states of Benin and Togo . In Togo, however, they are known under the name Tamberma .
They belong to the voltaic ethnic group who speak the Gur languages. In the past, the Somba lived partly on hunted animals; today their main food is maize and millet. The most important drink is tchouc , a type of beer that women prepare. The better the beer, the more respected the woman is.
The Somba reject Islam and Christianity , instead guardian spirits are worshiped. In 1899, when the French had conquered large parts of West Africa, the Somba were also defeated in a battle and had to submit to the French colonial power .
The dwellings of the Somba are their traditional two-storey protective courtyards, the Tata-Somba . The kitchen is on the ground floor, and on the upper floor, on the walled roof terrace, there are bedrooms and pantries, from where the courtyards were defended. On the roof terrace, protected from the pets, fruits and vegetables are dried.
The naming of the Somba works like this: Every first son is called M'Po, every first daughter is called N'Koua. There are also names for the second, third, fourth, etc. children. With the eighth son or daughter, the process starts all over again. In addition, every child has a Christian name.
Cardinal points at the Somba:
- West means before
- East means after
- North means female
- South means male
The four most important events in the life of the Somba are: birth, initiation, marriage and death.
Somba calendar:
- 4 days make up a week
- 7 weeks result in a cycle from full moon to full moon
- 4 years result in a diffoni
