FurtherReadings
Asante, M. K. (2007).The History of Africa:The Quest
for Eternal Truth. London: Routledge.
Scheub, H. (2000).A Dictionary of African Mythology.
New York: Oxford University Press.
KIRDI
The Kirdi or Kapsiki people are cattle keepers in
the Mandara Hills along the Nigerian border in
the area of Margui-Wandala, between Mokolo
and Bourrah, a fairly uneven plateau where appar-
ently few herds of humpless cattle still exist on
the Nigerian side of the border with Chad and
Cameroon. The people cross the three borders,
but share similar culture.
Kirdiis a general term used by the Fulani for
non-Moslem peoples among whom the Kapsiki
people can be found, with the two terms generally
overlapping. They are traditionally cattle owners,
and cattle play an important role in their customs
and ceremonies. This entry looks at their history,
the role of cattle in their culture, and their reli-
gious beliefs and practices.
HistoryandBehaviorsThe Kirdi fled to their present home during the
19th century after many battles with the Fulbe.
They resisted Islam and Fulbe domination by
moving their homeland to the isolated valleys and
hills of the Mandara mountains.
Among the Kirdi, the Fali group, who are often
distinguished by their multi-colored clothes, beau-
tiful hairstyles, and glass beads, are seen as far
more isolated than other Kirdis. However, the
Guduf and the Afade, also Kirdi ethnic groups,
share more with the Fali than they do with the
Mousgouma who live in the plains of Chad.
They terrace the sides of hills and plant their
crops in neat rows along these terraces. Crops
include melons, beans, peanuts, millet, maize, and
pumpkins. In addition, the people grow cotton,
cereals, indigo, as well as spices and medicinal
herbs for religious and hunting purposes. Labor is
divided along male and female lines. A man, for
example, is involved in spinning and weaving,
leather making and iron making, and even basket
making, whereas a woman’s work includes mak-
ing clay objects, working with children, preparing
meals, and doing other household work. Children
are respected and honored, but are put to work
at a young age as caretakers of small animals,
helpers in the farms, and assistants to their moth-
ers and other siblings.
Because Kirdi houses are clustered in a village
around the top of a mountain or hill by clan or
lineage, it was not easy to access the Kirdi people.
They protected themselves by brick barriers often
overgrown by thorns. This made the villages diffi-
cult to access in an ordinary sense. Straw fences
that serve not to divide, but to unite, the people
connect family buildings in the Kirdi villages. The
buildings are positioned around an open space
that is usually reserved for public meetings, com-
mentary, and libations. Each home has an attic,
kitchen, and a room for a husband because the
wife or wives live in their own houses.TheRoleofCattle
The cattle they keep are similar to other types of
cattle herded by the Savanna West African
Shorthorn populations such as the Baoulé and
Ghana Shorthorn. However, unlike the camels,
these animals do not have humps. They are rather
small, with medium-size horns and usually a
black or black-and-white coat. They are transhu-
mant herders who mix with other transhumant
groups who bring their cattle into the area during
the dry season.
Individual households generally own only 5 to
10 cattle or sometimes fewer. These are brought
together in village herds and are tended by
children. They are herded together in the grazing
areas during the day and penned together at
night or sent back to the households to be
penned in their compounds. They are never
milked and have only recently started to be used
as draught animals.
Cattle play an important role in traditional
Kapsiki society. They are not exploited commer-
cially, but are used for dowries and slaughtered
for special feasts. At least one animal must be
slaughtered for a funeral, and the hide is used to
wrap the body.368 Kirdi