Customer Reviews

The Mande Blacksmith: Knowledge, Power and Art in West Africa (Traditional Arts of Africa)

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Anyone who has any interest in traditional West African society should read this book. McNaughton discusses the roles, image and social context of the blacksmiths of the Mande peoples of West Africa. Blacksmiths are not simply artisans, they are skilled manipulators of supernatural power (called nyama in Bambara. As such they are considered in the same vein as jeliw (bards, praise-singers) and sorcerors. They are also woodworkers, potters, circumcisers, and workers of magic. Specifically located in Mali, this study examines the world of the blacksmiths in relation to local rulers, villagers and visitng foreigners.

McNaughton's work emphasizes an anthropological perspective and he worked with and was finally apprenticed to several blacksmiths in the course of his fieldwork. Even though this is a very scholarly book, and at times very dense, it is well worth the effort required to get through it. Like John Miller Chernoff's "African Rhythms and African Sensibility", this book deserves pride of place among people who are serious about expressive culture in West Africa.

As a primer to the deep knowledge that comes out of the continent, this book presents an extraodinary and powerful introduction. A bonus for musicians and rhythmatists: check out the excerpt where he talks about the way the blacksmiths play drum rhythms on their bellows to accompany their work and the rhythms "played" by the women as they work pounding millet in the compound. Magic.

I read this book shortly before returning to my former Peace Corps site in Mali a few months ago. My "jatigi" family are the blacksmiths of a small village in the Mande region. During my two years living with them I observed a lot of interesting things that I couldn't understand, or didn't realize the significance of. I was very happy to find a scholarly explanation of pretty much everything I had scratched my head over for a dozen years. I don't exaggerate when I say that every page contained something that made me say "oh that's what that was about..."

During my return visit I was able to ask the blacksmiths about details in the book. And they confirmed everything I asked about. I couldn't find a single contradiction. It was as if the book were written about them specifically. They enjoyed hearing about the notion that the blacksmiths themselves were responsible for the early anthropologists' mistaken conclusion that blacksmiths were bad and should be avoided -- just trying to get rid of the anthropologists with all their annoying questions. They also seemed happy that someone would be interested enough in what they do to write a book about it, and that I had learned so much about them while I was gone. One brother was willing to talk a little bit about nyaman and fetishism -- just yes and no to a few careful questions -- but I'm convinced that the author's discussion of the subject is right on.

I had a great couple of weeks back in the village. And this book enhanced the experience in a big way.

My thanks to the author!

I got this book for my husband who blacksmiths. He's not much of a reader but can't seem to put this book down. The history of blacksmithing in Africa is amazing, from what he tells me, and much, much different than the history of the American Blacksmith.