Djidius entre o tradicional e o moderno: memória, politica e mercado cultural na Guiné-Bissau

Abstract

This study analyzes djidius and historical memory in West Africa, aiming to define djidius (also known as griots) within the broader spatial context of West Africa while narrowing the focus to Guinea-Bissau. Djidius are individuals who play a role of immense significance in societies along the West African coast, renowned for their extraordinary ability to preserve and transmit knowledge, as well as for their profound connection with ancestors. One of their defining characteristics is the capacity to reconstruct historical narratives or records in their entirety, as if unfolding a film from beginning to end.This study seeks to understand who the djidius are and what they do, adopting a comprehensive perspective in both spatial and temporal terms. It explores the typologies and responsibilities of djidius, as well as the different ways they are referred to in various regional and national contexts. Furthermore, it examines their role in resisting colonial discourses and preserving historical memory in West Africa, with particular emphasis on the central figure of Sundiata Keita. A key aspect of this analysis is a reflection on the Kurukan Fuga treaty, a 13th-century orally transmitted "constitution" attributed to Sundiata Keita, which broadly outlined the social and political organization of the Mali Empire. This treaty included provisions regarding a range of professions, among them that of the djidius. The study also explores the relationship between the Kurukan Fuga treaty (also known as the Manding Charter) and the Mandinka djidius of Guinea-Bissau, acknowledging that despite the principles established in this framework, djidius did not enjoy complete freedom in the exercise of their functions, nor did they have unrestricted mobility to teach the histories of different peoples in different locations.