Listened to this while listening to Mussorgsky as interpreted by Ravel.
Works of art (Modest's composition and Ravel's orchestral arrangement) of equal stature to your articles in my opinion.
Historically accurate, lucid and engaging narrative - helping to reconstruct the African self through African eyes.
I am an Ethiopian raised in an Orthodox Christian household; such an illuminating exposition of West African Islamic history and tradition is a wonderful way to spend some time on a Sunday.
"Conversly, Tichitt was settled in the 8th century by the Imansa/Masna, an autochthonous group of Soninke-speakers, who named the oasis after sound of spraying water (shitu)"
You give the source of this information as pg 31, n. 16 in the book Timbuktu and the Songhai Empire. While, the Masna are indeed mentioned there is nothing about the oasis being named "Shitu" originally. What is the origin the statement about "Shitu"?
pg 83 of "On Trans-Saharan Trails: Islamic Law, Trade Networks, and Cross-Cultural Exchange in Nineteenth-Century Western Africa by Ghislaine Lydon"
most of this essay's introduction is actually taken from the sub-chapter: 'Saharan Markets Old and New' in that book, the rest of the footnotes are for further reading and cross-referencing
Is the entire name based off this sound or is it, like "Shi" or "Tu" alone; the other phoneme meaning something else? Like say, "Shi" meaning "Spring"?.
i'm not certain, here's the full quote: "The Māsna , of Soninké origin, founded Tīshit sometime in the eighth century and named it after a word for the sound of spraying water ( shitu )"
Fascinating. African history (apart from Egypt) is so often ignored, or limited to Bantu migration and the colonial period.
Listened to this while listening to Mussorgsky as interpreted by Ravel.
Works of art (Modest's composition and Ravel's orchestral arrangement) of equal stature to your articles in my opinion.
Historically accurate, lucid and engaging narrative - helping to reconstruct the African self through African eyes.
I am an Ethiopian raised in an Orthodox Christian household; such an illuminating exposition of West African Islamic history and tradition is a wonderful way to spend some time on a Sunday.
Thank you Isaac Samuel.
Thank you too! i appreciate the support
"Conversly, Tichitt was settled in the 8th century by the Imansa/Masna, an autochthonous group of Soninke-speakers, who named the oasis after sound of spraying water (shitu)"
You give the source of this information as pg 31, n. 16 in the book Timbuktu and the Songhai Empire. While, the Masna are indeed mentioned there is nothing about the oasis being named "Shitu" originally. What is the origin the statement about "Shitu"?
pg 83 of "On Trans-Saharan Trails: Islamic Law, Trade Networks, and Cross-Cultural Exchange in Nineteenth-Century Western Africa by Ghislaine Lydon"
most of this essay's introduction is actually taken from the sub-chapter: 'Saharan Markets Old and New' in that book, the rest of the footnotes are for further reading and cross-referencing
Is the entire name based off this sound or is it, like "Shi" or "Tu" alone; the other phoneme meaning something else? Like say, "Shi" meaning "Spring"?.
i'm not certain, here's the full quote: "The Māsna , of Soninké origin, founded Tīshit sometime in the eighth century and named it after a word for the sound of spraying water ( shitu )"