The Tammari people, or Batammariba, also known as Otamari or Ottamari, are an Oti–Volta-speaking people of the

Atakora Department Atakora is the northwesternmost department of Benin. Externally it borders Togo to the west and Burkina Faso to the north; internally it borders the departments of Alibori, Borgou and Donga. Major towns in the Atakora include Natitingou and ...

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the nort ...

where they are also known as Somba and neighboring areas of

Togo Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...

, where they are officially known as ''Ta(m)berma.'' They are famous for their two-story fortified houses, known as '' Tata Somba'' ("Somba house"), in which the ground floor houses

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to ani ...

at night, internal alcoves are used for cooking, and the upper floor contains a rooftop

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...

that is used for drying grain, as well as containing sleeping quarters and

granaries A granary is a storehouse or room in a barn for threshed grain or animal feed. Ancient or primitive granaries are most often made of pottery. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals ...

. These evolved by adding an enclosing roof to the clusters of huts, joined by a connecting wall that is typical of Gur-speaking areas of

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali ...

. The Tammari are mostly

animist Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things— animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems ...

Tammari language Tammari is a language which is spoken in Benin and Togo. It is also known as Ditammari. The Tammari people, who live in Benin and Togo, mostly speak the language. There are about 47.000 speakers. About half live in Togo, the other half in Beni ...

is in the Gur family. The Batammariba are

agronomic Agricultural economics is an applied field of economics concerned with the application of economic theory in optimizing the production and distribution of food and fiber products. Agricultural economics began as a branch of economics that spe ...

herdsmen who inhabit the hills and valleys. Being clannish by nature, they oppose any form of domination and servitude. Historical research has traced their migration from diverse regions, settling in small groups, while preserving their societal practices of origin. The Batammariba tribe doesn't form a homogeneous society, but Batammariba language is a strong common link and despite disparities in ceremonial practices, all Tammari affirm

allegiance An allegiance is a duty of fidelity said to be owed, or freely committed, by the people, subjects or citizens to their state or sovereign. Etymology From Middle English ''ligeaunce'' (see medieval Latin ''ligeantia'', "a liegance"). The ''al ...

as "Serpent Children". They believe they are the offspring of a grand, invisible, underground "Serpent Mother" who bore the first eggs of their ancestors. Today, Tammari are especially found in towns such as Nikki and Kandi that were once Bariba kingdoms and in Parakou in mid-eastern Benin. However, there is also a significant population of them in northwest Benin in the

Atacora Atakora is the northwesternmost department of Benin. Externally it borders Togo to the west and Burkina Faso to the north; internally it borders the departments of Alibori, Borgou and Donga. Major towns in the Atakora include Natitingou and Tang ...

region in cities such as

Natitingou Natitingou, informally referred to as Nati, is a city and commune in north western Benin and the capital of Atakora Department. The commune covers an area of 3045 square kilometres and as of 2013 had a population of 104,010 people. History The t ...

and a number of villages. Many in the northwest have migrated to the east.

Ethnonym

The name Batammariba (or Batammaliba) means "those who are the real

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

s of the earth".

Link to the Land

After years (or maybe centuries) of wandering, the Batammariba settled in the

valleys A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ...

, a way of existence they preferred to their former history of conflict with law-imposing

warlord A warlord is a person who exercises military, economic, and political control over a region in a country without a strong national government; largely because of coercive control over the armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of h ...

s and chieftains. Their name implies a close connection to the land where rituals are practised. The underground region is the domain of dead spirits to whom the Batammariba owe their very existence with nature and the ability to generate. The Batammariba do not consider themselves landowners, but caretakers. Their settlement could not have happened without the intercession of the ''Babietiba'', (first settlers), who belonged to a highly culturally evolved group of foragers, then introduced them to the “true owners of the region”: underground forces incarnated into a source such as a rock or a tree. These ancestors of the Batammaribas concluded an alliance with the forces, swearing to respect some agricultural rules and the pieces of land that belonged to the forces. In exchange, the forces allowed the ancestors to build houses and to harvest the soil. Initiations or rituals are meetings with underground forces. This link to the underground forces demanded bravery, self-mastery, and discretion, essential qualities by which the Batammaribas are formed from a young age.

The Takyenta

The Takyenta (also spelled Takienta) traditional dwelling, including the famous ''Tata Somba'', is typically built of mud and surrounded by towers that support

garret A garret is a habitable attic, a living space at the top of a house or larger residential building, traditionally, small, dismal, and cramped, with sloping ceilings. In the days before elevators this was the least prestigious position in a bui ...

s, evoking medieval

citadel A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. In ...

s. The

dwellings In law, a dwelling (also known as a residence or an abode) is a self-contained unit of accommodation used by one or more households as a home - such as a house, apartment, mobile home, houseboat, vehicle, or other "substantial" structure. Th ...

each have a

masculine Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors ...

(south) orientation and a feminine (north) orientation. Models of takyentas differ from village to village. The storied construction with its solid walls acts as a protective fortress to keep out invaders and repel fatal

spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastene ...

attacks on its inhabitants. It also serves as protection against

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, ...

s who, according to the village elders, roam freely in the overgrown bush. Building the fortress took several months and required much skilled labor. The upper floor was a living space and a safe haven. Up until 2000, parents and their children slept in elevated box structures placed on the sides and center areas of the terrasse. These boxes were also designed to protect the inhabitants and their guests from the midday heat. Nowadays the fortresses are reserved for ancestral devotional ceremonies. The souls of the ancestors reside in the earthen cone-shaped altars. Strangers cannot enter the

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

area without permission from the head of the home. On the exterior south side of the fortress are the altars containing spirits of animals that were formerly hunted and killed. The altar can also contain underground spirits with whom those ancestors who possessed the gift of "sight" had made a pact. Therefore, the connection between the dwellings and the sacred altars of the village is extremely strong. The uniqueness and sophistication of this architecture has been recognized since 2004 by UNESCO as a world heritage site, with the statement, "Koutammakou is an outstanding example of territorial occupation by a people in constant search of harmony between man and the surrounding nature". The residences of the Somba people have become an attraction in the fledgling tourist industry of Benin and Togo.

Traditional religion

The

traditional religion In religious studies, an ethnic religion is a religion or belief associated with a particular ethnic group. Ethnic religions are often distinguished from universal religions, such as Christianity or Islam, in which gaining converts is a prima ...

of the Batammariba centers around one Supreme

Deity A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...

, ''Kuiye'', the sun god and creator of both gods and humans. Kuiye is believed to resemble a human in appearance, but is also considered both male and female, so that the deity is often referred to as "The Sun, Our Father and Our Mother". Like all living beings, according to Batammariba thought, Kuiye possesses a corporeal form known as Kuiye, and a soul, known as Liye. Kuiye, the corporeal form of the deity, is thought to live in the "sun village" in the west, above the sky, while Liye travels the sky each day in the form of a disc of light. Butan, the

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes ...

of the Earth and the Underworld, is Kuiye's complement as either Kuiye's wife or twin. Butan is the ruler of everything within the Earth or on its surface, including vegetal growth and agriculture, game proliferation,

cemeteries A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a bu ...

, etc. Her corporeal form, invisible to humans, is said to resemble a mudfish, an animal that is thought to vomit up an infinite amount of water. Because of this, her main shrine is a village spring. Her complementary soul is called Bupe, and is visible as the surface of the Earth. The third major Batammariba deity is Oyinkakwata, "the Rich Man Above", who is the god of the sky, of thunder, lightning and storms. His soul is visible to humans in the form of lightning, but his invisible body is said to be filled with air. But the Batammariba world is filled with many more deities who are quite different than the three cosmological gods described above: initiation deities who select their worshippers according to various factors such as gender, martial prowess, ability for clairvoyance, etc. They include the Fawafa, the python deity of men's initiations, Fakuntifa, the lizard deity of women's initiations, Fayenfe, the god of war and death, Litakon, the god of twins and fertility, and Kupon, the deity of divination, etc. These deities are better considered families of deities, or deity types, rather than unique deities: male and female Fawafa deities, for example, are believed to produce offspring of their deity type. The Batammariba may acquire these deities by inheriting them, hunting and capturing them in the wild, or by buying and selling them to and from their neighbors. The

matriarch Matriarchy is a social system in which women hold the primary power positions in roles of authority. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege and control of property. While those definitions apply in general En ...

, and presumably most powerful, of each deity type is believed to reside in Linaba, the mythological first village where Kuiye first created humans and deities.

Founding of Batammaribas

This connection is a cosmic expression of Batammariba spirituality and they have shown themselves to be intractable concerning their foundation. They maintain a strictly age-based hierarchy between elders and younger residents, like all African societies, but oppose any form of centralized power, and reject hereditary chieftains. Two, four or six clans can form a "village" or, to be more precise, a "territorial groupement" centered around the rituals upheld by each clan. A ritual center is the foundation of the village and is organized around a cemetery, a large initiation house for the youth, and the head serpent sanctuary. The clans share and recognize certain family bonds as they all descend from the same founding fathers. Another important pillar of the Batammariba is an exceptionally well-preserved system of

funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect ...

rites and initiation ceremonies. Those responsible for the rituals are imbued with authority and are chosen following rigorous ethics, notably discretion and self-mastery as, for example, if one is threatened with a knife, prefers to be killed than to kill. Nowadays the Batammariba accord the same importance to their rituals. The youngest amongst them, whether schooled or not, whether they leave or stay in the village, will only very rarely not keep the cycle of initiation tradition. Fidelity to tradition, like caring for and respecting the land on which their survival depends, their natural pride, warrior traditions, and hunting skills are intensely revived with ceremony. This has permitted the Batammariba to resist outside influences that negate their determination to maintain the millenary heritage that makes their culture so remarkable. From 19 to 24 October 2018,

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

organized an emergency mission to assess the damage allegedly caused by the August 2018 rains in Koutammakou on habitat and on the intangible heritage. The report was prepared by three international experts: Ishanlosen Odiaua, Dominique Sewane and Franck Ogou.

Traditional Scarification

The Tammari people are known for their traditional body scarring rituals, starting between the age of two and three. These special marks are a form of lifelong identification marks (tattoo ID), which identify a person as belonging to one's tribe as well as more coded personal information. Additional marks are added at puberty, readiness for marriage, post-child birth as a form of visible communication. These scars range from some on the face, to belly and back.Trojanowska, Alicja (1992)
Scarification among the Somba people from Atakora mountains
Smithsonian Institution

Researchers

; Leo Frobenius German

anthropologist An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms an ...

and archaeologist (1873–1938). The archives of the Institute Frobenius associated with the

Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main Goethe University (german: link=no, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main) is a university located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It was founded in 1914 as a citizens' university, which means it was founded and funded by the weal ...

(including four scientific collections and large image collection), are regularly consulted. ; Paul Mercier Anyone interested in the populations of

can refer to the works of Paul Mercier. His research in 1950

concern the movements of the different tammariba subgroups and their neighbors. His numerous articles accurately describe their social organization and land tenure. Prodigious research, carried out alone, and for the first time, in a relatively short time. ; Albert Marie Maurice Military Natitingou in 1950, Albert Marie Maurice (1913–200211) has conducted extensive research on this company. His photographic archives of great value, are in the Academy of Sciences of overseas. ; Rigobert Kouagou Originally from

(Benin), Rigobert Kouagou was always passionate about its origins and language,

Ditammari Tammari is a language which is spoken in Benin and Togo. It is also known as Ditammari. The Tammari people, who live in Benin and Togo, mostly speak the language. There are about 47.000 speakers. About half live in Togo, the other half in Ben ...

, in which he is a specialist. He is the author of poems and stories translated into French. ; Dominique Sewane French ethnologist Dominique Sewane: since the 1980s, her research has focused mainly on the funeral and initiation rites of Batammaribas of Togo, which resulted in numerous publications and reference works.

Notes

References

Bibliography

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Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press in the world. It is also the King's Printer. Cambridge University Pr ...

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Joseph Ki-Zerbo Joseph Ki-Zerbo (June 21, 1922 – December 4, 2006, Burkina Faso) was a Burkinabé historian, politician and writer. He is recognized as one of Africa's foremost thinkers. From 1972 to 1978 he was professor of African History at the University o ...

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Hatier Hatier () is a French publishing house specializing in scholarly works and educational materials, now integrated into the Hachette group. Founded in 1880 by Alexandre Hatier, Hatier obtains 20% of its sales through international affiliates in ...

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Cotonou Cotonou (; fon, Kútɔ̀nú) is a city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area. The urban area continues to expand, notably toward the west. The ci ...

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De l’éthique de la diversité à la trans‑culturalité en Afrique'', éditions universitaires européennes, 2016. *Théophile Nata, ''Étude descriptive du ditãmmari'', Rapport de fin de 1re année de doctorat de 3e cycle de linguistique, 1974. *Didier N’Dah, ''Sites archéologiques et peuplement de la région de l’Atakora (nord-ouest du Bénin)'', doctoral thesis in African Archeology, vol. 1 and 2, Université de Ouagadougou, 2008‑2009. *N'Dah N’Dati, ''Le Kutammaaku (Togo-Bénin) du xviie siècle à la conquête coloniale'', doctoral thesis, Université de Lomé, 2017 *Komi N’Kéré, ''Cartes du Koutammakou. Aires sacrées.'' Limites, itinéraires, intr. D. Sewane, Patrimoine culturel immatériel de l’Unesco, Japan Fund, 2009. *K.J. N’Tcha, ''L’anthropologie économique des Betammaribe dans l’Atakora'' (Economic Anthropology of the Betammaribe in Atakora), master's thesis, Université du Bénin, 1983. *Sylvain Prudhomme, dir., ''Contes du pays tammari (Bénin)'', 2003, Paris, Karthala, 196 p. *Dominique Sewane (as Myriam Smadja) ''La maison qui s'enfonce sous la terre (Tamberma du Togo)'', in "Pour Jean Malaurie : 102 témoignages en hommage à quarante ans d’études arctiques" (ed. Sylvie Devers), éditions Plon, Paris, 1990, p. 79-89 () *Dominique Sewane (as Myriam Smadja) ''Les affaires du mort (Tamberma du Nord-Togo)'' rchive in "Systèmes de pensée en Afrique noire", no 11, 1991, p. 57-90. *Dominique Sewane, ''La Lance et le Serpent. Rituels du dikuntri et du difwani des Tammariba du Togo'', École pratique des hautes études, Paris, 1999, 2 vol., 446 p. (Ethnology thesis) *Dominique Sewane, ''Celles qui tombent chez les Tammariba du Togo'', in "Familiarité avec les dieux. Transe et possession (Afrique noire, Madagascar, la Réunion)" (ed. Marie-Claude Dupré), Presses Universitaires Blaise-Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand, 2001, p. 185-221 () *Dominique Sewane, ''Le premier sorgho et la confrérie des Vrais Hommes chez les Tamberma du Togo'', in "Cuisine et société en Afrique – Histoire, saveurs, savoir-faire" (ed. Monique Chastenet, François-Xavier Fauvelle-Aymar and Dominique Juhe-Beaulaton), Karthala, Paris, 2002, p. 85-102 () *Dominique Sewane, ''La Nuit des Grands Morts. L’initiée et l’épouse chez les Tamberma du Togo'' (preface by Jean Malaurie), Economica, Paris, 2002, "coll. Afrique Cultures", 272 p. () (note by Suzanne Lallemand in the "Journal des africanistes", 74-1/2, 2004, p. 527-529 2 rchive *Dominique Sewane, ''Rapport final en vue de l’inscription du Koutammakou, pays des Batammariba au Togo'', on the list of World Heritage sites, Unesco, December 2002, 102 p. *Dominique Sewane, ''Les Batãmmariba, le peuple voyant : carnets d'une ethnologue'', Éd. de La Martinière, Paris, 2004, 189 p. () *Dominique Sewane, ''Puissance du nom. Les noms secrets des Batãmmariba du Togo, Bénin'', in "La mort et l’immortalité : encyclopédie des savoirs et des croyances" (ed. Jean-Philippe de Tonnac and Frédéric Lenoir), Bayard, Paris, 2004, p. 855-866 () *Dominique Sewane, ''La tombe et ses orientations'', in "Antigone et le devoir de sépulture : actes du colloque international de l'Université de Lausanne" (May 2005) (ed. Muriel Gilbert), Labor Fides, Lausanne, November 2005, p. 161-176 () *Dominique Sewane, ''Le souffle du mort : la tragédie de la mort chez les Batãmmariba du Togo, Bénin'', Plon, Paris, 2003, "collection Terre Humaine", Plon, 2007, 849 p., 2020, collection Terre Humaine, Plon () (cf notes de lecture 3 rchiveet 4 rchive *Dominique Sewane, ''Rapport de coordination du Programme de sauvegarde du Patrimoine culturel immatériel des Batammariba du Koutammakou – Première Phase (novembre 2008-novembre 2009)'' *Dominique Sewane, ''Le Koutammarkou, haut lieu de l’humanité'', in "Dieux, rois et peuples du Bénin : arts anciens du littoral aux savanes" (ed. Hélène Joubert and Christophe Vital), Musée Branly, Somogy, 2008, p. 106-111 () *Dominique Sewane, ''Rites et pensée des Batammariba pour les écoles primaires du Togo'' - Ministère des enseignements primaire secondaire et de l’alphabétisation du Togo, Patrimoine Culturel Immatériel de l’UNESCO, éditions Haho, Lomé (Togo), 2009 (in "Programme de sauvegarde du Patrimoine immatériel des Batammariba" – Unesco-Japan) *Dominique Sewane, ''Le voyant, le devin et le maître du savoir chez les Batammariba (Togo, Bénin)'', in Soazick Kerneis and Raymond Verdier, "Les Justices de l'invisible", L'Harmattan, Paris, 2013, p. 145-180 () (actes du colloque de Paris) *Dominique Sewane, ''Carnets de terrain au Koutammakou (Togo)'', in "Revue de la BNF", 2013/3, no 45, p. 40-48 *Dominique Sewane, ''Transmission des savoirs au Koutammakou'', in "Regards scientifiques sur l'Afrique depuis les indépendances" (ed. M. Lafay, F. Le Guennec-Coppens, E. Coulibaly), Karthala, Paris, 2016, 486 p.,pp. 179–209 *Dominique Sewane with Bantéé N’Koué and Bakoukalébé Kpakou Koutammakou - ''Lieux sacrés'', Preface by Jean Malaurie, Postface by Marcus Boni Teiga, éditions Hesse, 2018, *Marcus Boni Teiga, ''Patrimoine. Le legs de l’Afrique noire à la Grèce et la Rome antique'', Complicités, 2019. *Ibrahima Thioub,(éd). ''Patrimoines et sources historiques en Afrique'', Dakar, Union académique internationale, UCAD, 2007, 179 p. *Jean-Pierre Vallat (ed.), ''Le Togo. Lieux de mémoire et sites de conscience'', L’Harmattan, 2013.

Gallery

File:Togo Taberma house 08.jpg, The entrance of a Tammari house, with twin altars File:Togo Taberma house 02.jpg, A Tammari house with granaries. The forked poles at the left granary are ladders, with steps cut along their lengths File:Togo Taberma house 04.jpg, Neighboring Tammari houses, with multiple altars

External links

* https://www.canal-u.tv/video/fmsh/l_aventure_terre_humaine.30929 * http://www.quaibranly.fr/fr/expositions-evenements/au-musee/rendez-vous-du-salon-de-lecture-jacques-kerchache/details-de-levenement/e/le-koutammakou-et-ses-liens-avec-les-forces-de-la-* terre-38543/ * https://ICH.UNESCO.ORG/FR/KIT * https://whc.unesco.org/fr/documents/171736 {{Authority control Atakora Department fr:Somba