I learned that their concept of divinity, called Kolotchielo, was a sense of the infinite spiral of life, the eternal cycle that continually governs birth, growth, death, and rebirth. A coiled serpent sometimes symbolized Kolotchielo, but this concept of divinity is much larger. It is actually the life force in all beings nurturing a sense of reverence and kinship, connecting all of creation to the spirit world.
This spiral of life unfolded in seven-year cycles, each representing a new stage of development. Thus, a person’s age determined their role in society, from birth to death. Age marked the rights and responsibilities at each stage of life. Ceremonies of passage highlighted these milestones. The seven-year cycle also governed traditional agriculture. A field was cultivated for seven years and then rested for seven years. Often, special celebrations were held on a seven-year cycle as well.
A sacred daily life:
Daily greetings for me were like a song and a prayer. The simple act of greeting someone was a strong person-to-person connection. It was to recognize the life of the other – family, health, inner state, work, and news. Holding hands during a long greeting created a bond, when parting, giving blessings was a prayer of friendship and a melodic sending of good wishes.
Giving people blessings is a big part of what unites the Senufo community. As someone from another culture where blessings are mostly given in a religious context, or even not given at all, I felt that for the Senufo this was a statement beyond religion. So I saw that life and spirit in their world were closely linked. Blessings are more than a religious feeling; they are an expression of compassion, humility, goodwill, encouragement, and the recognition that life is a gift. For animist consciousness everything is alive, and we all share together a sacred space, the gift of Kolotchielo.
Next: I Discovered my Place on the Village
After a year of living and working in Sirasso, I was still not sure of my place and neither were the villagers. I had settled in pretty well and was making a lot of friends. Even though my closest friend adopted me and I took his name Coulibaly, then was called “little brother,” the old people weren’t quite sure how to treat me.m (Read More >>)