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

Atakora Department Atakora (also spelled Atacora, named for the Atakora Mountains) 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 ...

Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...

and neighboring areas of

Togo Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to Ghana–Togo border, the west, Benin to Benin–Togo border, the east and Burkina Faso to Burkina Faso–Togo border, the north. It is one of the le ...

, 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 Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...

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

rooftop A roof (: roofs or rooves) is the top covering of a building, including all materials and constructions necessary to support it on the walls of the building or on uprights, providing protection against rain, snow, sunlight, extremes of tempera ...

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 a ...

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

granaries A granary, also known as a grain house and historically as a granarium in Latin, is a post-harvest storage building primarily for grains or seeds. Granaries are typically built above the ground to prevent spoilage and protect the stored grains o ...

. These evolved by adding an enclosing roof to the clusters of

hut A hut is a small dwelling, which may be constructed of various local materials. Huts are a type of vernacular architecture because they are built of readily available materials such as wood, snow, stone, grass, palm leaves, branches, clay, hid ...

s, joined by a connecting wall that is typical of Gur-speaking areas of

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

. The Tammari are mostly

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

s. The

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 specif ...

herdsmen who inhabit the hills and valleys. Being

clannish A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societies' ...

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 The word ''allegiance'' comes from Middle English ' (see Medieval Latin ', "a liegance"). The ...

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 Nikki may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Nikki (singer), Japanese-American singer Nikki Lee * Nikki (Malaysian singer), Nikki Palikat (born 1985), a finalist in the first season of ''Malaysian Idol'' * Nigar Jamal (born 1980) or Nikk ...

and Kandi that were once Bariba kingdoms and in

Parakou Parakou is the largest city in northern Benin, and the third-largest city in the country, with an estimated population of around 206,667 people, and capital of the Borgou Department. Administratively the commune of Parakou makes up one of Benin ...

in mid-eastern Benin. However, there is also a significant population of them in northwest Benin in the

Atacora Atakora (also spelled Atacora, named for the Atakora Mountains) 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 D ...

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. Natitingou ...

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 and typically containing 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 over a ve ...

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

warlord Warlords are individuals who exercise military, Economy, economic, and Politics, political control over a region, often one State collapse, without a strong central or national government, typically through informal control over Militia, local ...

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 A hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living in a community, or according to an ancestrally derived lifestyle, in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local naturally occurring sources, especially wi ...

, 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 with sloping ceilings. In the days before elevators this was the least prestigious position in a building, at the very to ...

s, evoking medieval

citadel A citadel is the most 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. ...

s. The

dwellings In law, a dwelling (also known as a residence, abode or domicile) is a self-contained unit of accommodation – such as a house, apartment, mobile home, houseboat, recreational vehicle, or other "substantial" structure – used as a home by on ...

each have a

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

(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 polearm 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 hardening, fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable materia ...

attacks on its inhabitants. It also serves as protection against

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...

s who, according to the village elders, roam freely in the overgrown bush. Building the fortress takes several months and requires much skilled labor. The upper floor is 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 place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

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 An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in Christian ...

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 or ethnoreligion is a religion or belief associated with notions of heredity and a particular ethnicity. Ethnic religions are often distinguished from universal religions, such as Christianity or Islam ...

of the Batammariba centers around one Supreme

Deity A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...

, ''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 some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hinduism, Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all re ...

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, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many dead people are buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ) implies th ...

, 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 A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm) ...

. 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 positions of power and privilege are held by women. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege, and control of property. While those definitions apply in general English, ...

, 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 th ...

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 (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

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

* Suzanne Preston Blier: American

art and architectural historian Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

. Her doctoral research in the town of Koufitoukou in Togo the 1970s led to various books and articles on related architecture, religion, cosmology, initiation, and funerals. * Leo Frobenius: German

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

and archaeologist (1873–1938) whose work is in the archives of the Institute Frobenius associated with the

Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main Goethe University Frankfurt () is a public university, public research 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 wealthy and active liberal cit ...

, including four scientific collections and a large image collection. * Paul Mercier: He carried out solo research for a short period in 1950 in

concern the movements of the different tammariba subgroups and their neighbors and wrote numerous articles describe their social organization and land tenure. * Albert Marie Maurice: Military Natitingou in 1950, Albert Marie Maurice (1913–200211) has conducted extensive research on this company. His photographic archives are in the Academy of Sciences of overseas. * Rigobert Kouagou: Originally from

in Benin, Rigobert Kouagou is a specialist in the

. He is the author of poems and stories translated into French. * Dominique Sewane: French ethnologist Dominique Sewane: since the 1980s, her research, publications, and reference works have focused mainly on the funeral and initiation rites of Batammaribas of Togo.

Notes

References

Bibliography

*Céline Al Zoubi, ''L’Agriculture tammari dans l’Atakora. Anthropo histoire des techniques agricoles des Batammariba de l’Atakora pré-colonial (Togo, Bénin). Pistes de recherche'' (Tammari Agriculture in the Atakora. Anthropological History of the Agricultural Techniques of the Batammariba of Pre-Colonial Atakira (Togo, Bénin). Research Pathways), master I and II thesis in History of Techniques, Université de Paris-I, 2008. * Suzanne Preston Blier, ''The Anatomy of Architecture: Ontology and Metaphor in Batammaliba Architectural Expression'',

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...

, 1987. *Charles Bonnet,
Des pharaons venus d’Afrique, la cachette de Kerma
' (in collaboration with D. Valbelle), Paris, , 2005. *Gaël Kpotogbé Amoussou,
L’Imaginaire des Batammariba du Togo à travers leur habitat
', Le Nègre Éditeur, 2011. *Gaël Kpotogbé Amoussou, ''Transmission du savoir-faire'' (Transmission of Know-how), PAF, 2014. *

Philippe Charlier Philippe Charlier is a French coroner, Forensic pathology, forensic pathologist and Paleopathology, paleopathologist. Biography Charlier was born in Meaux on 25 June 1977. His father is a Physician, doctor, his mother a pharmacist. He made his f ...

, ''Zombis, enquête anthropologique sur les morts vivants'' (Zombies, an Anthropological Inquiry into the Living Dead),

Éditions Tallandier Éditions Tallandier is a French publishing house founded in 1901. It is the successor to La Librairie Illustrée (1875–1900), itself the successor to Librairie , founded in 1871. Although the company's initial development was based mainly on ...

, 2015. *, ''Histoire du Togo'' (History of Togo), Paris, , 1959, 427 p. *Robert Cornevin, ''Histoire des peuples d’Afrique Noire'' (History of the Peoples of Black Africa), Paris, Berger Levrault, 1962, 716 p. *Lazare Eloundou, with Odiaua Ishanlosen, ''Patrimoine Mondial africain: Une diversité remarquable'' (African World Heritage: A Remarkable Diversity), (preface by

Irina Bokova Irina Georgieva Bokova (; born 12 July 1952) is a Bulgarian politician and a former Director-General of UNESCO (2009–2017). During her political and diplomatic career in Bulgaria, she served, among others, two terms as a member of the Nation ...

), éditions 696.

, 2013 *

Leo Frobenius Leo Viktor Frobenius (29 June 1873 – 9 August 1938) was a German self-taught ethnologist and archaeologist and a major figure in German ethnography. Life He was born in Berlin as the son of a Prussian officer and died in Biganzolo, Lago M ...

, 1912-1913, ''Und Africa sprach. Bericht über den Verlauf der 3. Reiseperiode des DIAFE in den Jahren 1910-1912'', Vita, Berlin-Charlotenburg, v. III, Unter den unsträfftlichen Aethiopen, 1913, 669 p.
Nicoué-Lodjou Gayibor
''Histoire des Togolais des origines aux années 1960'' (History of the Togolese People from their Origins to the 1960s), Karthala, 2011 *Alain Godonou, ''École du patrimoine africain'' (School of African Heritage),

Africultures ''Africultures'' is a publication of arts and culture about and from Africa and its diasporas. Based in Paris, it was founded in 1997 under the impetus of Olivier Barlet by journalists and academics such as Virginie Andriamirado, Gérald Arnaud, ...

, 2007/1 (n° 70) *Tilo Grätz,
La rébellion de Kaba (1916-1917) dans l’imaginaire politique au Bénin
', (The Kaba Rebellion (1916-1917) in Beninese Political Imagery). Paris. Cahiers d'Études Africaines 160, 2000 *Marie and Philippe Huet, ''Koutammarikou - Somba Portraits - Nord Bénin'', éditions Hesse, 2012, 155 p. () *

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 ...

, ''Histoire de l’Afrique noire d’hier à demain'' (History of Black Africa from Yesterday to Tomorrow),

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 ...

, 1972, 682 p. *Rigobert Kpanipa Kouagou, ''L'identité Tammari'' (Tammari Identity),

Université nationale du Bénin The University of Abomey-Calavi ''()'' is the principal public university in the west African country of Benin. The university is located in the city of Abomey-Calavi in the south of the country. The school is composed of 19 institutions and si ...

Cotonou Cotonou (; ) is the largest 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 city lies ...

, 1984 (master's thesis) *Rigobert Kpanipa Kouagou, ''Le défi identitaire du peuple Tammari'' (The Identity Challenge of the Tammari People), FACTAM, Bénin, 2002. *Koumba N. Koussey, ''Le peuple otammari, Essai de synthèse historique'', Université nationale du Bénin, Cotonou, 1977 (master's thesis) *Bakoukalébé Kpakou, ''Histoire du peuple tammari de Koutougou du xviiie siècle à l’époque coloniale'' (History of the Tammari People from the 18th Century to the Colonial Era), master's thesis,

University of Kara The University of Kara (abbreviated UK) is the second university in Togo Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to Ghana–Togo border, the west, Benin to Benin–Togo border, the east and ...

, Togo, 2014. *N’Tcha Layota, ''Analyse parémiologique ditamari. Structure syntaxique et ethno-sémantique de la parémie'', doctoral thesis, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Bénin, 2019 *Albert-Marie Maurice, ''Atakora, Otiau, Otammari, Osari, Peuples du Nord-Bénin (1950)'',

Académie des sciences d'outre-mer Académie des sciences d'outre-mer (formerly ) is a learned society created in 1922 whose field of activity is mainly geography and general history in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Oceania. Its headquarters are located in the 16th arrondissement ...

, Paris, 1986, 481 p. *Achille Mbembe, ''Afriques indociles'' (Undocile Africas), Karthala, 1988. *Elikia M'Bokolo, ''L’Afrique au xxe siècle. Le continent convoité'', Seuil, 1985. *Paul Mercier, ''Tradition, changement, histoire. Les « Somba » du Dahomey septentrional'', ed. Anthropos, Paris, 1968, 538 p. (conclusion by Jean-Pierre Chrétien, "Annales. Économies, Sociétés, Civilisations", 1969, vol. 24, no 3, p. 640-648, on line Persée 1 *Paul Mercier, ''Marques du statut individuel chez les Somba'' (Status symbols among the Somba), "Conferencia international des africanistas ocidentais". 2nd conference (Bissau 1947), Lisbon, v. V, 1952, pp. 219‑240. *Paul Mercier, ''L’habitat et l’occupation de la terre chez les “Somba”'', "Bulletin de l’IFAN", v. XV, no 2, 1953, pp. 798‑817. *Paul Mercier, ''L’habitation à étage dans l’Atakora''
Études dahoméennes
v. XI, 1954, pp. 29-79. *Paul Mercier, ''Civilisation du Bénin'' (Civilization of Benin), Paris, "Société continentale d’éditions modernes illustrées", 1962, 365 p *Paul Mercier, ''Histoire de l’Anthropologie'' (History of Anthropology), Paris, PUF, 1966. *Paul Mercier, ''Tradition, changement, histoire. Les « Somba » du Dahomey septentrional'', Paris, "Anthropos", 1968, 538 p. *Bantchin Napakou, ''L’Universalité des droits de l’homme dans la modernité politique. 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