Places of Memory in the Mandin Oral Tradition (West Africa) and Their Transformations. Part 1

Abstract

This article examines the problem of preservation of the Manden society’s collective memory (Mali and Guinea), as it arises and is reflected in oral tradition. The article was written based on materials from expeditions in 1999 and 2014 to Guinea and 2022 to Mali, as well as on an analysis of written sources. Collective memory is constantly changing under the influence of modernity; memory places are reevaluated and changed. We can find this in epic stories, in changes in the image of heroes, in ideas about spirits, in the rethinking of certain concepts. In our time, folklore is not only being transformed into literature and used, but the reverse process is also being observed: today we see how oral history is absorbing scientific and pseudo-scientific theories and articles. Griots — the guardians of tradition, themselves participate in this process: they say what can be said and keep silent about what should remain a secret to others. The griots Institute is one of the most protected, which allows the correct transmission of the important texts and knowledges to this day. Rituals are often filled with new meanings in order to survive through time. Replacing the concepts of some words is also significant, since along with it the worldview and society’s self-perception changes.