06 · Explore
Hausa society: compounds, patrons, kirki and wrestling
A Hausa person is born into a compound, a rank, a network of patrons and clients and a code of behaviour. Respect, calm and reciprocity hold the system together.
Who sits where at a naming ceremony, who owes what to whom, and why a calm child is praised: this chapter looks at everyday Hausa life, the rules that most people follow without needing to explain them.
In this chapter
01The compound and the family
Gida, mai-gida and why a household is also a farm and a school.
2 min read →
02Rank, patrons and praise-singers
Clients, patrons and the singers who tell everyone who is generous.
2 min read →
03Kirki: the value of composure
A word that means calm, courtesy and self-control, from childhood to old age.
2 min read →
04Wrestling, games and belonging
Friday matches in Ibadan, a Waziri in a Yoruba city and identity as something you do.
2 min read →