Hassonke is a people belonging to the Mandingo group, living in northwestern Mali , at the confluence of the Bakoy and Bafin rivers, as well as along the Senegal River to the mouth of Kolymbine. In addition, the settlement in the northern spurs of the Fut-Jallon and the Manding Mountains is characteristic . The main religion is Sunnism , but a commitment to the cult of nature is also characteristic. The Hassonks were formed as a result of the transition to a sedentary lifestyle of some groups of the Fulbe people, as well as their mixing with other groups of the Mandingo and Soninki peoples in the XII century. An early role in the formation of the Hasonka people was played by the early political formation - the “kingdom” of Hasso (XVIII-XIX centuries), headed by the rulers of the fancam, who relied on a strong military organization. (Arseniev 1999: 595; Pervushin 1997: 48-51).
Content
Main Activities
The way of life, as well as the material and spiritual culture of the Hassonk people are almost fully consistent with the culture of the Mandingo people. Only the anthropological type and generic names and legends about their origin bring them closer to the Fulbe people. The main occupation of the Hasonke people is tropical agriculture. They grow corn, phonio, millet , dry rice. In addition, the traditional exchange with fulbe herders is still developed. (Arsenyev 1999: 595; Naumov 1979 (ed.): 352; Pervushin 1997: 48-51).
Food
The most common dish among the Hasonque people is the couscous flour dish with meat and vegetable sauces. (Arseniev 1999: 595).
Social Organization
The public organization is based on the patrilateral (the possibility of the ego connecting with relatives on the part of the father), the virilocal (the residence of a married couple with the husband’s family) large family. A widespread polygyny (marriage of one man with more than one woman) is characteristic. The social structure includes patrimonial epigamous groups that are connected by the Jamu kinship system. (Arsenyev 1999: 595; Naumov 1979 (ed.): 352; Kovalev 1979 (ed.): 422; Olderogge 1954 (ed.): 289-290).
Traditions
The traditional dwellings of the Hasonke people are adobe, rectangular and round. The traditional clothes for men are short shirts and trousers, for women - a piece of cloth wrapped around the hips. With the general Islamization of Hason, the people still retain the traditional faith and cult of the forces of nature, in particular, secret alliances exist. (Arsenyev 1999: 595; Naumov 1979 (red.): 352; Olderogge 1954 (red.): 289-290).
Literature
- Arseniev V. R. Hasonke // Peoples and religions of the world / Chapters. ed. V.A. Tishkov . M .: Big Russian Encyclopedia, 1999 .-- S. 595.
- Kovalev S.M. Hasonke // Soviet Encyclopedic Dictionary . - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia . 1979.
- Naumov K.N. Hasonke // Countries and peoples of the world. Africa. West and Central Africa. - M .: Thought. 1979.- S. 352.
- Olderogge D.A. Hasonke // Peoples of Africa. Ethnographic essays. - M.: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR . 1954. - S. 289-290.
- Pervushin V. Features of the economic development of West Africa. // Asia and Africa today .: Every month. Scientific And soc.-polit. Journal., 1997, No. 5.- M .: 1997. - S. 48 - 51.