Les Griots and Joking Cousins

I'm trying to learn French and to that end I currently have two tutors.  It's coming along, though a bit more slowly than I'd like.  I'm also learning a lot about Malian culture from my tutors.  For example, on her first day one of my tutors, upon being introduced to my guard, started making fun of his last name.  The two of them teased each other about their families for a few moments, laughed, and parted.  Then I introduced her to the tailor who works on our premises and the same thing happened.  This was my first real introduction to the culture of joking amongst Malians.

Joking cousins is a bit hard to grasp, but it goes something like this: There are maybe 20 common family names in Mali.  Each family name is traditionally a noble, slave, or Griot (see below).  These traditional relationships and knowledge of family histories invite teasing amongst certain groups names.  For example the Coulibaly family is known for some reason as eating lots of beans, perhaps because they were traditionally slaves kings and had access to protein rich beans.  Pretty much anyone can tease a Coulibaly for this and everything that goes with it.  Another blogger, "Phil" wrote:

In a sotrama the other day, a man asked me for my name. I told him I had been given the name Boubacar Soumare. I asked for his name. Traore. I unleashed my only line of attack – you eat beans – in Bambara (I bay sho dune – phonetic spelling). Calling someone a bean eater is an actual insult and it is widely used. He denied that he was a bean eater and went on to say a number of incomprehensible things in Bambara about Soumare. The woman next to him started insulting me in French, explaining that that the Soumare’s are stupid, they don’t go to school, they are farmers, and they try to migrate to Spain in boats because they are too dumb to do anything else. Once I fully understood what she was saying, I took my gloves off as well. I told the woman she ate donkey meat and peanuts. She denied this with exaggerated finger wagging and maintained her “Soumare’s are stupid” line of insults. We went back and forth until we were both laughing and then we thanked each other. So weird and funny and awesome.

The Griots are an interesting and vital part of Malian culture.  At the wedding I attended several weeks ago, it was Griot women who led the song, dance and story-telling.  Traditionally Les Griots are a Malian caste alongside Nobles and Slaves.  Les Griots served as advisors, historians, soothsayers, mediators, and of course entertainers for the nobles.  Their status was between nobles and slaves.  Today the castes are not socially restricting as in the past.  But they do play an interesting role in creating the "joking cousins" relationships.  To complicate matters further, not only can one joke with certain family names, but also with certain ethnic sub-groups.

On another note, if you read more of Phil's blog, which I find quite interesting, he got both dysentary and malaria in Mali.  I have yet to know anyone to get either.  I feel like health concerns are very real, but a bit overblown for those with access to mosquito prevention measures, safe food, and quality health care.  I hope my luck continues!