Question

Write an essay on the logic of Songhay's “hauka” spirit possession ritual, based on the book Fusion of the Worlds. “Logic” has to do with reason and rationality. What’s the reason for the “hauka” ritual, and what makes it rational, from the Songhay point of view? Be sure to describe the “hauka” possession ritual in as much detail as possible. In what ways do the details of the ritual help us understand the “logic” of the ritual?

Answer 1

The reader on a remarkable trip into the spirit- cosmos of the Songhay of southwest Niger, Paul Stoller's Synthesis of the World stakes To the "cries" of the monochord fiddle godji and the "clacks" of the gourd drum gasi, men and women, violently seized by their spirits, bind the Songhay past to the present, the real world to the divine, and their intimate realms to the spiritual. Stoller's possession ethnography is the culmination of seventeen years of exceptional fieldwork among the Songhay, much of it as an initiate in a possession troupe. While the study does not include any musical analysis, recorded transcriptions, accompanying recordings or even thorough explanations of the songs, the ethnomusicologist has plenty to be interested in. The novel centers on one of Tillaberi's possession troops stationed on the Niger River.

The logic of Songhay's portraits of spirit possession as Songhay encounter theatres, with emphasis on the ever-present danger of drought and the cultural destruction brought on by colonialism. The themes have to do with dominance: primordial dominance of the spirits over nature, power inherited by the spirits in the ancestors long ago and transmitted to the priests and praise-singers over centuries, and power or force as was later exercised by European rulers. Presented are contrasting accounts of a rain ritual involving the spirits of ancient Tooru and Genji Bi, and a horrible comedy involving the more recent Hauka, the spirits of colonialism. These ceremonial nies demonstrate how the Songhay uses ownership to deal with crisis and ambiguity in various ways.

It explores new ways of possession voicing social resistance and collective solidarity in the Songhay life against governmental and Islamic intrusions. The sexual comedy, Sasale, an apparent perversion of Islamic behavioral precepts, is interpreted as a response to the neoconservative Muslim movement of recent years and the government policies that support it. At the root of Sasale and other possession, practices are the growing conviction that integrity, unity, and a strong sense of identity are essential to the survival of the Songhay world as it was inherited from the ancestors. At the root of Sasale and other possession, practices are the growing conviction that dignity, unity, and a clear sense of identity are important to the Songhay world's survival as it was inherited from the ancestors. The blame for a failed rain ceremony is therefore laid on human corruption and social dissension. The Epilog puts together the core concepts of possession rituals — the union of natural and supernatural realms, the union of the present with the cultural past, and the merging of private and public worlds — demonstrating how the Songhay philosophy combines various meanings and values into possession rituals. Concluding are two ceremonies that highlight the social gains and the Songhay's personal well-being deriving from this "world fusion." Stoller's dissertation records the socio-musical phenomenon of possession, both from an ethnologist's point of view as well as from one who experienced it. The book would be important to ethnomusicologists if it relates to the studies of possession music only for the extensive contextual content. These include detailed portrayals of ceremonies, clear explanations of the instruments and their manufacturing and ceremonial use, translated texts as recited by the praise-singers, and biographical accounts that provide insight into the motives of individuals performing the roles. Of particular interest are portions that demonstrate the centrality of sound in the rituals of possession. Although Stoller does not check psychophysical mechanisms, he demonstrates well the power of sound to affect and sustain the state of possession. He is at his best in exploring the interrelated domains of culture, history, and politics. In the Epilogue, he addresses those who might reduce possession ceremonies to mere theatricalizations of cultural history, given the clear similarities with the organization and repertoire of theatrical companies, as he argues for the value of understanding the human dimension:

The human realm of possession takes into account prophets, mediums, praise- and musicians ' lives, difficulties, and feelings. To apprehend the Songhay possession's inner space, one must feel the pain of prepossession disease, consider the financial burden so f initiation, know the risks of walking he's zima's, his orko's, or musician's Spath, understand the human cost of dissent in Songhay.

The human domain of possession considers the lives, problems, and thoughts of priests, mediums, praise-singers, and musicians. To apprehend the inner space of Songhay possession, one needs to sense the pain of prepossession sickness, to appreciate the financial burden so f initiation, to realize the dangers of walking the zima's,s orko's, or musician's path, to comprehend, the human costs of dissension in Songhay. Stoller's entertaining, well- goes a long way towards making sense of the "puzzles" of the rituals of possession as the Songhay observe them.