58.

NOTES

A  NOTE  ON  THEROLE  OF THE  FATHER'S SISTER

IN  DAGBON

Taif  has pointed out'  that  the  most  common sorcery  accusations
in  Dagbon  fall  within  the  household and  that  the  relative  most feared as
a  sorcerer,  or  as one who may  pray  to  here  ancestors  to  remove  protection
from a victim  in  the  same descent  group,  is the  father's  sister  the  'pirba'
and  that  the  most  common victims  are  young  men. 
observations  Tait  regretted  that he was unable  to give  any  quantitative
evidence.  He  also  remarked  that  it  is old  widows who are  the  most
frequently  accused group  of  people  and  they  are  often  cared  for  by
relatives  who are  classed as their  'brothers'
but  who  may  have
previously  seen  little  of  these  relatives.  The  tensions  in such a system,
he  says,  are  apparent.

In stating  these

Quantitative  evidence  and observation  show  that  he has raised an

interesting  question.  Here  I wish  to  make  the  point  that  socialization  is
one  important  factor  generating  the  existing  tensions  in  the  father's  sister. -
brother's  child  relationship.

Analysis  of  household  censuses proves  that  the  sisters of  many

compound heads do  indeed  reside  within  their  households  playing  the  role
of  'pirba'  to  their  children. 
In a sample of  over  fifty  compounds 43% were
found  to have  full  or  classificatory  resident  female  siblings  of  the  male
heads.  Moreover  many girls  are  brought  up by  their  father's  sisters and  not
by  their  own  mothers.  These are  functions  of  two  important  features  of
Dogomba  family  custom one  is that  divorced,  widowed and separated
women typically  to  to  reside  with  a  brother  and  that  it  is  customary  for a
woman  to  raise one  of  her  brother's  daughters  and  for  a man to  raise  one
of his sister's  sons.  Genealogies  recorded  show  that  it  is very  common  for
one or more of  a  man's daughter  to  be  raised  by  his sister.  Whether  as the
sector woman  in  her  brother's  compound,  where  she takes  precedence  in
dcraestic  affairs  over  his wives,  or as the  educator  of  his brother's  daughter
in her  husband's  compound,  the  'pirba  plays a significant  role  as a
socialising  agent.

NOTES

59.

Children's responses concerning the relatives with whom they are

emotionally ond socially  involved also support this observation that the
father's sister plays an important  role  in the lives of her brother's children,
the major social and emotional  involvement  with kin cutsida the nuclear
family  is with her.  (see Table below)  Seven percent of the children
concerned replied that she was kind and loved and that social  interaction
with her was frequent, but only two per cent said thct  they sought her
company during their holidays or that they enjoyed being with her.  Rather
thirty  per cent of all  replies stating positive dislike  for a variety of reasons
were directed against her.

Here then we have some quantitative evidence supporting the

observations that the father's sister is present  in a considerable number of
households and that she is also the object of much kin-directed dislike. •
But that  this dislike  is simply because she is considered on  'economic
burden1 upon the young men of the household as Tait suggests (op cit) seems
unlike.  The antagonism.appears to be present before the young people
are of an age to shoulder much economic  responsibility and to be engendered
in the early socialization  process, when she is likely  to play a significant
role  in the child's upbringing. 

'  '

1.  A sorcery Hunt  in Dagomba  D.  Tait.  Africa April  1963.

60.

NOTES

TABLE

SCHOOL  CHILDREN'S  ATTITUDES  TOWARDS  THEIR

RELATIVES

An analysis  of  the  replies  of  93  Dagomba  middle  school  children

to  questions  concerning  their  relatives.  The number  included  61 boys and
32  girls.

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The analysis  of  these  replies  appears  to give  a  clear  indication  as to which
relatives  play  the  most significant  role  in  the  children's  lives and their
positive,  negative  or ambivalent  attitudes  towards them.  Reasons given

NOTES

6 1.

for  liking  relatives included sending to school and giving uniforms,
money, books,  food.  Reasons for disliking relatives included beating,
abuse,  jealousy and witchcraft  (in the  last cose the accused was a
father's sister).

Note:

The term  'pirba'  refers to full and classificatory sisters
of the father.  Observation  indicates that  the more distantly
related father's sisters are the more likely  to be accused of
witchcraft  (personal communication.  T.  Sulemana).

C.  Oppong