Africa Key Terms

Griot

• An old wise man with a long beard

• Trolls under the bridge who are waiting for you to answer a riddle

• Respected storytellers in Africa

• Artisans in West Africa

Patrilineal

• Leadership passed down through mother's side

• Leadership passed down through father's side

• Leadership passed down through the second cousin once removed from their father's mother's side

• Leadership passed to the soul of a pregnant goat

Matrilineal

• Leadership passed down through the brother of your best friend's neighbor

• Leadership passed down through the father's side

• Leadership passed down from yo Mama

• Leadership passed down from the ruling Queen

Sahel

• Rain forest

• Open grassland

• Strip of land that divides the desert

• Near the equator and very densely wooded

Savannah

• Rain forest

• Open grassland

• Strip of land that divides the desert

• Near the equator and densely wooded

Rain Forests

• Open grassland

• Forest of Rain

• Strip of land that divides the desert

• Near the equator, densely wooded areas

Animism

• When you minimize an animal....poor, tiny little animal

• Belief that bodies of water, animals, trees, etc. have spirits

• Belief that all dogs go to heaven

• Belief that animals have spirits, or souls

Kinship system

• When you ship a kin

• A system of kinship

• extended families

• families of four or more people

Silent barter

• exchange of goods without contacting each other directly

• Communicating with blinking eyes only

• ESP

• exchange of goods with a silent partner

Sundiata

• Richest man on earth

• A devoted Muslim

• He told time by the sum

• Made Mali into an empire