Griots and Storytellers of Ancient Africa

What is a Griot?

In ancient Africa, griots were the storytellers and performers. Most settlements in the Mande civilization of Western Africa had their own griot, who was often a guy. Griots played a significant role in the village’s culture and social life.

Storyteller

The griot’s primary responsibility was to amuse the villagers with stories. They would narrate folktales about the local deities and spirits. They would also narrate tales of rulers and well-known warriors from earlier conflicts. Some of their stories had moral lessons intended to teach the kids about right and wrong behavior as well as how people should conduct themselves in order to strengthen their village.

Historian

The ancient African historians were known as griots. They would record and commit to memory significant occurrences like as births, deaths, weddings, wars, droughts, and other historical occurrences in the village. The historical tales and incidents were then passed down from one generation to the next. The griots’ tales became the history and the sole documentation of past occurrences because there was no written history of the hamlet.

Musician

The griot served as the community’s musician as well. Instruments were played by various griots. The kora, a stringed instrument resembling a harp, the balafon, a wooden instrument like a xylophone, and the ngoni, a tiny lute, were the most widely used instruments. Griots would frequently sing or tell stories while playing music.

Balafon-
A percussion instrument resembling a xylophone is the balafon. It has up to 27 keys and is made of wood. Mallets made of wood or rubber are used to strike the keys. Since the early 1300s, balafons have been used.

Kora –
The kora is a stringed instrument containing characteristics of both the lute and the harp. Traditionally, a calabash (a huge squash-like fruit) is sliced in half, and the two halves are wrapped with cow skin. The neck is constructed of hardwood. There are 21 strings on a conventional kora.

Ngoni –
A stringed instrument resembling a lute is called a ngoni. Animal skin is stretched across the aperture in the body, which is made of wood that has been hollowed out. When playing, the fingers and thumb are used to pluck the instrument’s 5 or 6 strings.

Modern Day Griots

Griots are still prevalent in modern-day Africa, particularly in the Western African nations of Mali, Senegal, and Guinea. Some of the most well-known African musicians of today identify as griots and incorporate traditional songs into their music. Nowadays, griots who travel are the majority. They play at special events like weddings as they travel from town to town.

Interesting Information about the African Griots

Although most griots were men, they can also be female. Female griots mostly focused on singing.

Griots might also go by the name “jeli.”

Griots were regarded as a low caste in the hierarchy of African social life despite being highly respected (and occasionally feared for their magical abilities).

Griots of the royal family played an even more significant role throughout the Mali Empire. The emperor’s griot frequently acted as his advisor and spokesperson.

When there were problems or disputes between communities, the griots frequently acted as mediators.

According to some historians, the ngoni instrument eventually gave rise to the banjo after migrating to America with West African slaves.