Anthropologist Virginia Salamone and Frank Salamone describe a core Hausa value called kirki, a word that has no exact English translation. Earlier scholars suggested “gentleness”. It covers good manners, self-control, patience and a calm, courteous way of dealing with others, and it is recognized as a goal at every stage of life.
The authors report that kirki is expected of children (who should be quiet and respectful), of young people, and of mature men and women, with a different shape at each stage and for each gender. The Hausa stages of life they describe number four, compared with Erik Erikson’s eight, which is one reason they argue against applying Western developmental theory unchanged. Kirki is also useful in trade, because it smooths dealings with a wide range of customers.
Because it is considered distinctive, kirki can also mark identity. A Hausa trader in Ibadan, quoted in the study, said that “the Yoruba do not have kirki”, which shows that the value is used to set Hausa people apart from neighbours, whether or not the neighbours would agree.
Sources for this article
- Salamone 2010, ch. 12, pp. 119–132 (V. Salamone and F. Salamone)