Glossary
Agriculture (women's role)
The significant and often primary role women played in cultivating staple crops, raising livestock, and ensuring food security for their communities.
Example:
Igbo women were the backbone of agriculture, cultivating essential crops like yams and cassava that sustained their society.
Centralized power (Queen Njinga)
Queen Njinga's efforts to consolidate authority within her government, reforming administrative structures and establishing a standing army and taxation system.
Example:
Queen Njinga's reforms aimed at centralized power allowed her to effectively mobilize resources and maintain control over her expanding kingdom.
Diplomacy and negotiation (Queen Njinga)
Queen Njinga's strategic use of formal discussions and agreements with European powers, including converting to Christianity, to secure her kingdom's independence and play rivals against each other.
Example:
Through shrewd diplomacy and negotiation, Queen Njinga formed alliances with the Dutch to counter Portuguese expansion.
Educators (women)
Women responsible for passing on essential knowledge, skills, and cultural traditions to younger generations within their communities.
Example:
Older women served as educators, training younger ones in vital skills like midwifery and the preparation of herbal medicines.
Extended kinship ties
A social structure where family connections extend beyond the nuclear family to include a wide network of relatives by blood or marriage, forming the basis of community organization.
Example:
In many early West African societies, decisions about land use or conflict resolution would involve the entire extended kinship ties, ensuring broad community consensus.
FESTAC
The Second World Black Festival of Arts and Culture, held in 1977, which used Queen Idia's ivory mask as its symbol to celebrate African and diaspora culture.
Example:
FESTAC brought together artists and intellectuals from across the African diaspora, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Black people worldwide.
Family groups
The fundamental social unit in early African societies, characterized by strong loyalty, shared responsibilities, and collective well-being.
Example:
A family group in an Igbo village might collectively farm a plot of land, sharing both the labor and the harvest.
Guerilla warfare
A form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants use military tactics such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, and hit-and-run attacks to fight a larger, less mobile traditional army.
Example:
Queen Njinga effectively used guerilla warfare tactics to wear down the Portuguese forces, despite their superior weaponry.
Iconic symbol (Queen Idia)
Queen Idia's image, particularly her ivory mask, became a widely recognized representation of Black women's leadership and African heritage.
Example:
The ivory mask of Queen Idia was adopted as the symbol for FESTAC in 1977, celebrating the strength and beauty of African womanhood.
Intermarriage
The practice of marriage between individuals from different families, clans, or ethnic groups, often used to create or strengthen social and political bonds.
Example:
Through strategic intermarriage, the Yoruba city-states were able to solidify their regional influence and reduce internal strife.
Iyoba (Queen Mother)
The title for the Queen Mother in the Kingdom of Benin, a position of immense political and spiritual power, first held by Queen Idia.
Example:
Queen Idia was the first Iyoba of Benin, a title created to acknowledge her profound influence and contributions to the kingdom.
Market traders (women)
Women who dominated local and long-distance trade networks, controlling marketplaces and setting prices for goods.
Example:
Hausa market traders were renowned for organizing extensive caravans across the Sahara, facilitating economic exchange.
National hero (Queen Njinga)
Queen Njinga's status as a revered figure in Angola, honored with statues and public holidays, symbolizing African pride and independence.
Example:
As a national hero in Angola, Queen Njinga's legacy continues to inspire discussions about resistance to colonialism and strong female leadership.
Oracles and diviners
Individuals, often women, who interpreted messages from deities or spirits and provided guidance or predictions for the community.
Example:
The Yoruba relied on oracles and diviners to understand the will of the gods before embarking on important ventures like trade expeditions.
Political advisors (women)
Women who counseled kings, chiefs, or other rulers on matters of state, diplomacy, and governance.
Example:
A wise political advisor might suggest a diplomatic solution to a border dispute, preventing unnecessary warfare.
Political alliances
Formal agreements or partnerships between different groups, often built upon existing family ties or intermarriage, to strengthen power and stability.
Example:
The marriage of a chief's daughter to a neighboring leader's son could forge a powerful political alliance, preventing future conflicts.
Priestesses
Female religious figures who presided over sacred ceremonies, rituals, and served as intermediaries between the community and the spiritual realm.
Example:
An Igbo priestess might lead the annual harvest festival, offering prayers and sacrifices for continued prosperity.
Queen Idia
The first Iyoba of the Kingdom of Benin in the late 15th century, known for her political advisement and spiritual power in warfare.
Example:
Queen Idia famously used her spiritual abilities and medicinal knowledge to aid her son, Oba Esigie, in military victories.
Queen Njinga
A 17th-century queen of Ndongo and Matamba (present-day Angola), renowned for her fierce resistance against Portuguese colonization.
Example:
Queen Njinga engaged in three decades of guerilla warfare and complex diplomacy to protect her people's sovereignty.
Queen mothers
A powerful female figure, often the mother of the reigning king, who held significant political and spiritual authority in many African kingdoms.
Example:
The Akan Queen Mother played a crucial role in selecting the next king and often served as a check on his power.
Royal wives
Spouses of kings or chiefs who often wielded considerable influence within the court and contributed to decision-making processes.
Example:
In the Kingdom of Benin, royal wives were known to influence court politics and advise the Oba on important matters.
Shared ancestry
A common lineage or heritage that unites different clans or lineages, fostering a sense of collective identity and solidarity.
Example:
The Akan people, despite living in various independent states, were united by their belief in a shared ancestry from a common mythical ancestor.
Spiritual leaders (women)
Women who held significant roles in guiding their communities through religious wisdom, insight, and connection to the divine.
Example:
In some West African societies, women served as powerful spiritual leaders, interpreting omens and advising on communal rituals.
Spiritual power (Queen Idia)
Queen Idia's reliance on mystical abilities, divine invocation, and herbal remedies to achieve military victories and strengthen her kingdom.
Example:
Queen Idia's spiritual power was believed to be so potent that she could lead armies into battle and heal wounded soldiers.