INTRODUCTON

Education is the process or Art of which consist in importing knowledges, skills, and
judgments but also the fact of learning values. In senoufo society, they emphasize on
Education broadly speaking but specifically on Boys Education.

The Grown-ups start very early to teach values, traditions, customs and civilizations to the
children. In our work, we will focus on BOYS EDUCATION IN SENOUFO SOCIETY
and throughout that work; we will show the importances of That Specific Education.

CHAPTER I : SENOUFO PEOPLE

The Senufo people, also known as Siena, Senefo, Sene, Senoufo, Synambl and Bamana,
are a West African ethno- linguistic group. They consist of diverse subgroups living in a
region spanning the northern Ivory Coast, the southeastern Mali and the western Burkina. One
sub-group, the Nafana, is found in north-western Ghana.

The Senufo people are predominantly animists, with some who are Muslims. They are
regionally famous for their handicrafts, many of which feature their cultural themes and
religious beliefs.

1-ORIGINS OF SENOUFO PEOPLE

Left the internal delta of Niger around the town of Mopti (Mali) in the search of good
grounds, the Senufos arrived thousand years ago in the area where they currently reside.
Korhogo, protected from the warlike incursions by the White Bandama, becomes the capital
and the seat of the most important senufo cheffery.

At the end of last century when the famous mandingue conqueror Samory threatened the
country senufo, the chief of Korhogo declared: "We are not warriors, but farmers".1

1
Senoufos chief GBON COULIBALY

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 2. The patronyms

A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of

one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on
the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of
conveying lineage. In such instances, a person is usually referred to by their given name,
rather than their patronymic.

Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, although
their use has largely been replaced by or transformed into patronymic surnames.

The typical senufo patronyms are five, corresponding to five original lineages.
- SORO comes from "Nanzorobl" (the courageous, the bold, the intrepid). In the region of
Tagbana, it is HORO. They have become Coulibaly. They have for animal fetish the panther;

- YEO comes from "Bl p p yih" (those who have divided). In the Tagbana region, they say
YIEH, they have become Ouattara. They have for animal fetish the red antelope with stripes and
white spots

- SILUE comes from "Pe man p soul n'laha" (those who got rid of part of their community). In
the Tagbana, Hile, they became Kon. They have animal fetish black monkey.

- SEKONGO comes from "beli pe sehye congue" (those who prepare the portions of land destined
for cultivation) Ikongo in the Tagbana, they have become Camara, Traor, Sanogo. They have for
animal fetish the squirrel of Earth;

-TUO comes from "beli pe toubl tchaa" (those who devote themselves to hunting mice or rats)
They have become Diarassouba, Dagnogo. They have for animal fetish the warthog;

This is not a translation but these names represent the same food taboos, the same taboos.

After the chapter of surnames, we will very briefly speak of the names in the senoufo country.
Generally, they are very significant and relate to several aspects such as:

- The names of animals (the hen, the monkey, the viper, the boa snake) example: Fotia,
Golofongongnon

-The days of the week example Kartia = Woman born on Sunday her male is Karnan. Tenindja or

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Tenindj by region = Female born on Monday. Its masculine is Tnan

- The place of birth (field, market, etc.) example Kologotia = road woman, usually women born on
the road see dictionary.

- The circumstances of birth Example Petanki = They are right

-The birth order of the children; Zie = first son, Gnoh = second daughter

- The twins: N'ganan, N'gantcha

- The moment of birth (during a party, rain, etc.) Zatia = woman born on a rainy day, in the male
one will say Zahanon

- Pay homage to someone Dokatienin example = the benefit of my father

- Fetishes ... Example = Yassoungo, Lssoungo.

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CHAPTER II : THE PROCESS OF BOYS EDUCATION IN SENOUFO SOCIETY

The process of Boys Education in senoufo society is something which required several
experiencing years. In fact, its for that purpose that our survey led us to the Nambrgh which
means the ones whom are through with the rite of initiation. We have been reported that Boys
initiation to the poro is done according three stages of Boys life.

1- The First stage : From 0 to 5 years old

The boys spend all this period near of his mother. For senoufo people, this part is the most
important Because they are still weak and need more maternal affection.

2- Second stage : From 5 to 10 years old

Boys can no longer stay still with their mother. Because the women are underestimated in senoufo
society. and yet it will come to boys to be the leaders of the tribe and their decision ought not to be
contested by any persons except the eldests. So, owing to that reason they must stay with their
fathers and also their uncles by the way, taking for granted the senoufo society is matrilineal, so
that to deepen their knowledge on their Education.

3- Third stage : From 10 to 18 years old

In the beginning, it was compulsory for Every senoufo boys to practice the poro, but there is a
break now in it because of the cultural diversities, arrival of religion beliefs and many others
aspects. Meantime, one can decide not to practice the poro hence he must be aware of its
drawbacks. A non-initiate does not assist to the important traditional meetings, not entitled the
floor in familiar meeting, cant ever be the chief of the village and is considered as a woman.
Indeed, the Poro is the quintessence of senoufo society.

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 CHAPTER III : BOYS INITIATION TO THE PORO

The Snoufos are the occupiers of the northern part of Cte d'Ivoire. It is a people with strong
animistic beliefs. They perform several rituals of consecration and purification, the most important
of which is initiation to the Poro. It is a traditional ritual whose aim is the education and initiation
of men from childhood to adulthood, a sort of introductory transition into the working life. For,
according to the Snoufo, man is born animal and only the initiation to the Poro can elevate him
above this animal state. It is a secret society of which it is always difficult to speak without being
initiated.

1- The acquisition of title in senoufo society

The Poro is the longest ritual of the Snoufo people. It takes place in three stages of 7 years that
require an enormous amount of time, or even a lifetime. Initiation takes place in the sacred woods,
outside the village. Young men access it from the age of 7 to 28 years. And periodically, they
make retreats of about a month in the sacred woods. Sacred wood is an important symbol in this
society. Near each village in Senoufo country, you will find sacred woods from the primordial
forest preserved and reserved for Poro. They serve for initiations and sacrifices. As for women,
they are initiated into the first stage after which they must necessarily marry and continue their
initiation after menopause. At this period of their lives, women will be considered asexual, and
therefore able to continue their initiation.

a- The Tcholo

Freshmen integrating the Poro Are known as the Tcholo. the Tcholo, initiates begin to know the
secrets of life that they were not entitled to or that they could not understand before initiation. In
the early of his initiation he is considered as a slave and must slave-away by executing the oldest
orders and recommendations so as to be well seen. In the sacred woods, senoufo promote the
mutual respect among the initiated. And if one does not RESPECT his eldests, he will remain
years and years in the sacred woods without any rank.

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Source: a tape of Freshmen Called Tcholo From Kafigu, a senoufo village located at 5 Km from the Malian
Border.

b-Gnanfolo

The Gnanfolo means the ones whom are forward-thinking. Their task is the most important in
the PORO cross-cutting ties. In fact, they as alike the teachers of freshmen because they are
sophomores and the proper authority to issue the success of new-comers is for them. Indeed,
they must teach good values to the tcholo so that to have good behaviour and habits.

c- Tanhandjoho

The Tanhandjoho, Means the ones whom must defend the Poros organization. In the
whole, they are the defenders of the sacred wood and are a bit finicking and must watch
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closely the tcholo and the gnanfolo by giving them also orders to keep the sacred wood
spotlessly clean.

d- Nambrgh

the Nambrgh are those whom have a careful wrought style. They role is to decide the date
of tcholo final initiation. Reports reaching here indicate the Nambrgh as alike the latest
step of the initiation. And Nambrgh are the custodians of the tribe , they teach everybody
so that they be used to good attitudes and respect and they can decide if one non-initiate must
or not to be dropped out of the village.

After all these steps, the mask initiate of the Poro becomes an important being whose death is
even the subject of a grandiose funeral assured by the Poro members. The Poro is a
hierarchized society in age classes, in charge of the management of traditional knowledge.
Beyond its mystical aspect, the initiation to the Poro is mainly characterized by teachings that
help the initiates to live in the society of which they are in charge of development.

CONCLUSION

Throughout our work, we focused on boys Education in senoufo society. But it would have
been as commit a lese majesty crime to study across boys education in senoufo society and
shut about the senoufo people, their origins, and their patronyms. And after, we went through
the process of boys education in senoufo society and finally their initiation to the poro. It
looks like that senoufo people are not alone practicing traditional worship; we have also the
Liberian whom use also the poro.

WEBOGRAPHY

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 www.wikipedia.org

Bibliographies from Wikipedia website.

Lancin Gon Coulibaly, Cte d'Ivoire. Au cur du bois sacr, ditions L'Harmattan, 2005,
312 p. (ISBN 9782296387072)
Sinali Coulibaly, Le paysan senoufo, Nouvelles ditions africaines, Abidjan, Dakar, 1978, 245
p. (ISBN 2-7236-0539-6)
Maurice Delafosse, Le Peuple sina ou snoufo, Paris, P. Geuthner, 1908-1909, 107 p.
Bohumil Thophile Holas, L'Art sacr snoufo : ses diffrentes expressions dans la vie
sociale, Nouvelles ditions africaines, 1978, 332 p.
Bohumil Thophile Holas, Les Snoufos (y compris les Miniankas), Presses universitaires de
France, 1957 (rd. L'Harmattan, 2006, 184 p. (ISBN 9782296004481))
Jean Jamin, Les Lois du silence. Essai sur la fonction sociale du secret, Paris, Franois
Maspro, 1977, 134 p. (ISBN 9782707109200)
Jean-Marie Keletigui, Le Snoufo face au cosmos, Nouvelle ditions africaines, Abidjan,
1978, 102 p. (ISBN 2-7236-0523-X)
Albert Kientz, Dieu et les gnies. 1. Rcits tiologiques senoufo, SELAF, Paris, 1979, 274
p. (ISBN 2-85297-024-4)
Marianne Lemaire, Chants de l'agn, chants du labeur. Travail, musique et rivalit en pays
snoufo (Cte d'Ivoire) [archive], Journal des Africanistes, 1999, no 69 (2), p. 35-65.
Marianne Lemaire, Portrait du Snoufo en travailleur. Les Snoufo dans limaginaire
colonial et post-colonial [archive], Ethnologies compares, printemps 2001, no 2
Marianne Lemaire, Le travail de la souffrance. Parcours biographique du cultivateur
snoufo [archive], Systmes de pense en Afrique noire, 2005, no 17, p. 71-90.
Marianne Lemaire, Le doute et la douleur. Initiations et affects en pays snoufo (Cte
d'Ivoire) [archive], Systmes de pense en Afrique noire, 2008, no 18, p. 193-218.
Marianne Lemaire, Les sillons de la souffrance. Reprsentations du travail en pays
snoufo (Cte d'Ivoire), CNRS ditions/MSH, Paris, 2009, 254 p. (ISBN 9782735115457)
Tiona Ferdinand Ouattara, Histoire des Fohobl de Cte d'Ivoire. Une population snoufo
inconnue, ditions Karthala, Paris, 1999, 274 p. (ISBN 2-86537-903-5)
Bakary Sanogo, Le Rle des cultures commerciales dans l'volution de la socit snoufo
(Sud du Mali), Presses universitaires de Bordeaux, 1989, 278 p. (ISBN 9782905081117)

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