Scarification in Black Africa has been and remains a true mark of cultural identity. Just by seeing these signs on an individual’s face or body, one could identify the socio-cultural group to which he or she belongs and even his or her region of origin. Today, between pride and contempt, these marks of African identity are slowly dying out.
In Africa, a superficial incision of the skin is made in some ethnic groups in order to leave a scar. Called scarification, this incision is applied to the cheeks, temples, forehead or body to mark membership of a particular lineage, clan or society.
Identity significance of scarification
“It is a mark that identifies my belonging to a social group. When you see me, without speaking, you know directly that I belong to such an ethnic group,” said Adolph Hagbè, who has some scarification on his face. In ancient times, scarification was used to identify members of the clan, particularly during wars. Moreover, according to history, scarification emerged at the time of the construction of kingdoms and during the great conquests. African kings, fighting major territorial battles, began to scarify members of their families and kingdoms to distinguish between enemies and allies.
Indeed, these marks carry many meanings: follower of a divinity, symbol of a life stage, belonging to a clan, etc. Typically, they are presented as an identity card for certain families in society. Roger Bossou testifies: “I was at a funeral and a lady saw the facial marks on my face. She called me by the name of our community and started to declaim my panegyric… I was moved, I had goose bumps…”.
A spiritual cord that links descendants to ancestors
According to the socio-anthropologist Dénis Hodonou, met at the Laboratory of Analysis and Research, Religions, Spaces and Development (LARRED) at the University of Abomey-Calavi, these scars are based on given divinities and beliefs. “It is important to understand that most of these scars are linked to a particular belief or divinities. Some clans in Benin, for example, depict facial scarification in relation to the ‘dangbé’ (Fon for python). In other words, it is a symbol of the god they worship. In return, they receive the protection of the latter. Furthermore, some followers of divinities are frequently identified by their marks on the face and body. This explains all the ritual that is observed before, during and after the scarification ceremony.
Among some peoples, scarring is performed on children from the age of ten. Mostly for boys, scarification often occurs at the time of circumcision. Iréné Adjovi, father of a scarred family, explains the case of his children. ” I apply this rite to my children from a very early age to integrate them into the community. For us, this is what gives the child the right to carry the surname of the grandfather. Boys are scarified at circumcision while girls are scarified before their first menstruation.
Among the Bambara, scarification marks are drawn on the infant’s face on its eighth day, when the eldest member of the family, after observing it, prophesies its main character traits and chooses its name. These incisions are made because the mythical ancestor common to all the Bambara, named kuma tigi, ‘master of the word’, himself bore scarifications. As well as indicating his membership of the Bambara group, they confer on the newborn the moral and physical qualities expected of him. It is all about strength, luck, courage, patience, cunning and tenacity.
Aesthetics and art in scarification
For the socio-anthropologist, scarification is a mark of beauty. Indeed, the Bwaba of Burkina Faso agree on the beauty of women’s bodies with engraved torsos. This consensus around beauty is a way of honouring the courage of women who have endured these scarifications. In the same vein, the Tiv of Nigeria scarify their bodies to make them more attractive. Thus, the ornamentation by scarification enhances the body, which must radiate, which they translate into a term, wanger, meaning both to be beautiful and to produce ‘clarity’.
A dying tradition
In the face of the imperatives of modernisation, this ancient and traditional practice seems to be on the way out. In the past, children without scarification were mocked in schools for a long time, but today the opposite is true. This tradition, which bears witness to the identity of certain ethnic groups, is considered a barbaric and retrograde practice.
Nevertheless, some people, like Adolph Hagbé, wear them with pride: “I am proud to wear these marks. I don’t feel rejected and my children will wear them too.
Nevertheless, in the hearts of conservatives, there is a desire to keep this tradition alive. Nowadays, many of the latest scars are people over forty. Modernisation seems to be getting the better of this age-old tradition. So, between pride and embarrassment, everyone sees this value differently.