Temne

The Temne people are located in Sierra Leone, West Africa. The Temne are 1 of the 15 ethnic groups residing in Sierra Leone. They represent, however, about 30% of the population, and thus constitute one of the two largest ethnic groups in Sierra Leone (the other one being the Mende). They are a dominant presence more particularly in the northern province. According to Temne oral traditions, the Temne came from the Fouta Djallon region of the neighboring Republic of Guinea prior to the 15th century.

The Temne are primarily farmers. Their main crop is rice, although they also engage in the cultivation of peanuts, cassava, oil palms, and fruits, and they raise chickens, ducks, sheep, and goats. Fishing also constitutes an important activity among the Temne, who reside in the coastal areas of the country.

Temne religion is predicated on the belief in Kurumasaba, the Supreme God responsible for the creation of the world. Kurumasaba, like most of its African counterparts, is not involved in the governance of the world. This task is left to the ancestors, who serve as the privileged intermediaries between God and the living. As a result, the ancestors are propitiated through numerous rituals, including sacrifices and offerings. The ancestors are expected to protect the living and send them many blessings, in particular children. Procreation and marriage are indeed of paramount importance.

In addition to the ancestors, there exist other spiritual entities that may be helpful or harmful to people. Therefore, they too are offered sacrifices in an attempt to appeal to or neutralize them. Witchcraft, a force to be reckoned with, is particularly feared. Consequently, precautionary protective measures are often taken, such as the wearing of protective devices (amulets) made by diviners. In addition, special divination techniques are resorted to in order to help identify a witch. “Swearing medicines” will bring about sickness and even death to a person involved in witchcraft and theft.

Special rituals and ceremonies mark life's important moments as one transitions from one stage of one's existence to the next. Of particular significance are the rites of passage that take place at the time of puberty, when adolescent females are initiated into the Bondo (also known as Bundu and Sande) society and adolescent males into the Poro society. Both institutions have the responsibility to educate the young women and men about the most serious aspects of life, including religious and sexual matters, and to make clear to them the social norms and expectations of their community, [Page 653]thus completing their socialization and ensuring social order and stability, as Temne traditions are respected and reinforced.

Death also occasions important rituals. Upon dying, one's body is carefully washed, rubbed with oil, and dressed up as the newly deceased person must be prepared to embark on his or her sacred journey to the ancestral world. The deceased are to be buried in the close vicinity of their homes because they are expected, as ancestors, to remain quite involved in the lives of their relatives. Sacrifices are performed at prescribed times, and a period of mourning is observed. It is crucial to observe all funerary rites and taboos because failure to do so would provoke the anger of the spirit of the deceased, prompting it to punish the living by sending them misfortunes.

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