Kabre of Togo

The Kabre, a Voltaic people from northern Togo (which is located in West Africa), profess that the first human being was an androgynous being who descended from the sky, which is said to be male, to the Earth, which is female. Kumberito landed between two small mountain ranges where the Kabre community is currently located. For some years, Kumberito roamed the caves and plains, eventually becoming frightened by what he thought were the sounds of men coming to kill him, but were only sounds of owls hooting in the night. He subsequently fled to the mountains of the northern massif, where he settled, built a house above ground, and ultimately produced the children who founded the area's other communities. At death, Kumberito came back to the Earth, along with his descendents who were all buried in caves in the ground located on the highest points of the massif.

The myth begins as Kumberito is unable to balance an opposition between sky and Earth. He decides to climb the mountain located between the two and then is able to establish the balance needed so that he lived in peace and generated the livelihood that the Kabre experience today. To honor Kumberito and their ancestors, the Kabre bury their dead in caves—hence the term for ancestor, ateto, or “underground person.” More important, the Kabre continue to embrace the tradition of balance that Kumberito exhibited on the mountain by generally living in houses that are not located in the highest points near their ancestors tombs. Instead they live on the hillsides and valleys, understanding that living near the tombs might upset some wandering spirits, possibly causing harm to their families. The balance in living in the “low” parts of the mountains occurs because “low” is female according to Kabre, whereas “above ground” is male. This represents the balance between sky and Earth; living in the low part of a mountain, which is above ground, is essentially living between the sky and the Earth, again creating that balance, just as Kumberito had long ago.

The essence of balance portrayed in the myth further extends itself to the Kabre culture through the institute of marriage and family. In the Kabre household, labor is divided between traditionally female and male duties. For instance, the men cultivate the food and the women cook. Also, in reproduction, it is believed that the Kabre husband's blood or sperm is “cooked” inside the wife's tomb and children are produced. The wife's womb symbolizes a pot of water; if a miscarriage occurs, it is said that the woman spilled her pot of water on the way back from the spring and must refill it by becoming pregnant again. Interestingly, the consumption of sorghum beer (a female product) by the male stimulates the ability to produce children, whereas the consumption of porridge (a male product) enhances that same ability in women. Thus, the idea of balance reflected in the myth is manifest again.

The Kabre communities are organized into two groups: male and female. Each group has a ritualistic role in the community, and they both are responsible for ceremonies based on both age grade and calendar, which occur during their season (the female season is during “wet season” and the male season is during “dry season”). In one particular situation, during the kojunduku (the age-grade initiation that takes place during the “wet” female season), the male group gives a performance of dogonto, which “dries out” the wet season temporarily. The female group also performs a fertility ceremony that balances the male dry season. More important, both groups consist [Page 360]of males and females, and males sometimes fulfill “female” roles just as females may take on “male” roles. The individual's performance in a particular role is the determining factor as to which role that individual may play.

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