Tunisian boy boycotts Zionist entity athlete in chess tournament Ten-year old Tunisian chess player refuses to compete against Zionist entity in worldwide chess tournament. Boycotter wins immediate fame from Arab countries, Palestinians for ‘show of bravery’Roi Kais

A boycott of Zionist entity is not an unusual occurrence, but it appears the age of the boycotters is continuously dropping – A ten-year old Tunisian boy by the name of Muhammad Hamida, who took part in the World School Chess Championship, refused to compete against an Zionist entity opponent.

The History of African Jewelry
Begins with the Birth of the Art

The history of African jewelry is largely believed to indicate the birthing point for this art form. Evidence of early beads has been found on this continent dating back some 75,000 years in human history.

Handcrafted works from Africa have evolved through time and taken on many elaborate forms. The African artisans are credited with creating elaborate works of jewelry hundreds of years before their counterparts in Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.

African jewelry covers the gamut when it comes to styles and types of materials used. The types of jewelry crafted here throughout history includes necklaces, earrings, crowns, earrings and more. The popularity of African jewelry continues today. These handcrafted pieces are known for their beauty, quality and diversity of materials.

Evolution of African Jewerly

The history of jewelry on this continent begins with very rudimentary archaeological finds. Beads crafted from eggs and other simple materials have been found that date back centuries.

Through the years, African artisans became much more sophisticated in their craft. In time, they became known for working in a variety of metals and with a variety of different stones, glass and other adornments to create pieces that denoted wealth and standing within their societies.

Today, African handcrafted jewelry remains highly sought after the world over. Jewelry from this continent is known for its beautiful colors, careful attention to detail and distinct materials.

Common Materials

Throughout time African jewelry has been known for its diversity of materials. Artisans here, in fact, have used about every material imaginable to craft everything from rings and earrings to necklaces, crowns and bracelets. Some of the more popular materials used in African handmade jewelry craft have included:

• Natural metals – African jewelry has long been made with metals. Artisans here are known for their works in bronze, copper and gold in particular.• Precious and semiprecious stones – Believe it or not, African jewelry is more commonly associated with less precious stones than the diamonds the country is so rich in. Stones used throughout history by African artisans have include turquoise, lapis lazuli, sapphires, rubies and emeralds. It’s said that diamonds were not favored because they were devoid of color. 

• Other materials – In addition to metals and stones, African artisans have used such things as animal teeth, shells and eggs for their creations in the history of jewelry.

The history of African jewelry is quite lengthy and rich. People from this continent are credited with beginning this wearable art form, and are noted to this day for their master crafting abilities.

Zulu phrases:

The Aziza Hotel, Tunisia

When you touch down on Tunisian soil, the first thing that hits you is the diverse mixture of cultures.

A French and Arabic speaking country, perched at the top of Africa, Tunisia is a world of delights for the keen traveller.

At just two-and-a-half hours away from London, it’s easily accessible. But when you arrive, you begin to feel you’ve ventured a lot further away from home.

On our first night we stayed at the Regency Hotel in Gammarth – a beach resort formed by a long stretch of land, surrounded by a lake and the ocean. The rooms were very comfortable and there was a great variety of food.

And on taking a walk the following morning, I stumbled upon a camel on the beautiful long and sandy beach, which in the summer I imagine to be packed with sunseekers.

Our trip then took us on to the fairly quiet village of Sidi Bou Said. Full of little cafes, markets and gift shops, it’s a lovely little village with a lovely view of the nearby coastline. However, be careful of street-sellers, who cornered us and drew henna tattoos on my right hand.

And do be prepared to barter – it’s all part of the fun and more often than not you can halve the original price and return home with a bargain.

Next, we proceeded to Hammamet, a fairly large resort on the coast with another beautiful long and sandy beach and a stunning harbour on the south side.

The Spanish fort on the edge of the beach gives a nice backdrop, and a climb to the top gives magnificent views across the coast.

Our second night in Tunisia took us to the Aziza Hotel. With luxurious rooms, it had a fantastic view of the beach and was very quiet.

We then proceeded to visit the southern side of Hammamet, where a selection of cafes, bars and restaurants lined the harbour.

From there it was on to Sousse. And it was here that I began to notice the Arabic side of Tunisia, with many women dressed in beautiful headscarves. And it was noticeable when I went into a shop and was spoken to in Arabic, instead of French.

And whilst standing at the top of a fort in the town, I heard the call to prayer which I have always found to be a very moving experience.

From here, we went to the harbour at Sousse, an area full of shops, bars and restaurants, often with fresh seafood, where we tasted some Tunisian delicacies for lunch.

In Sousse we stayed at the luxurious Hasdrubal Thalassa & Spa. Of the three hotels we stayed in, this one had the most relaxed feel. It was here that I was given the opportunity to sample thalassotherapy – a form of therapy using seawater.

After a swim in the pool I was treated to a relaxing massage in the spa centre.

The food at the hotel was perfect – a good variety of Tunisian specialities.

I don’t know what I expected from the food in Tunisia but they have some delicious seafood dishes.

But my favourite food discovery was harissa – a peppery, spicy paste served with bread and olive oil before a meal. I proudly returned to the UK with a jar of it.

Tunisia pleasantly surprised me. Tourism in the country did suffer following the uprising early last year. But it’s a perfectly safe place to go now.

A true mixture of the Mediterranean, the African and the Arab worlds. Tunisia was a joy to visit and somewhere I definitely aim to return to in the future.

The subject of “traditional family patterns in Africa” is so broad that it cannot be adequately addressed in one chapter. The cultural and physical diversity added with the dramatic social changes of the last three decades on the continent makes the family pattern situation so variegated as to defy any sweeping generalizations. This difficulty in generalization bone of diversity was already apparent to many early scholars of the African traditional family like Mair1 and Goode.

This chapter will briefly explore traditional African family patterns describing the patrilineal and matrilineal families. The case studies presented will be those of the Baganda of Uganda and Bemba of Northern Zambia. Some of the major issues raised will include polygamy, tribe, clan, the extended family, bride price and the raising of children.

As the African society has not been static, changes in the traditional family patterns will be briefly alluded to. Lastly, this author will argue that the Eurocentric nature of the descriptions and characterization of the traditional African family patterns by earlier scholars has tended to distort and obscure many of the strengths of the African traditional family.

PERVESITY OF POLYGAMY

Scholars of the African traditional family agree that the one widely known aspect that distinguishes the African traditional family, say from the European one, is the perversity of polygamy. Although polygamy is the act of an individual being married to more than one spouse at the same time, the more commonly practiced in Africa is polygyny “….the legal marriage of one man to two or more women concurrently – is permitted.” This author argues that because of its perversity, the presence and absence of polygyny was a significant determinant and indicator of the nature of virtually every African social group; whether tribe, clan, or extended family, whether matrilineality or patrilineality was practiced, bride price existed, and how children were raised.

Polygyny was widely practiced in Africa and it often formed the backbone of the traditional African family patterns. According to Mair, “….the polygynous joint family, consisting of a man, his wives, and their children, is the ideal for most Africans.” Studies conducted from the 1930s to 1950s indicate that polygyny was common virtually in all regions of Africa.

In spite of the perversity of polygyny, there was evidence that it was on the decline. The major reason cited is that with increasing modern influences, marrying more than one wife became an economic burden. Even traditionally, ordinary citizens could not achieve marrying more than one wife. Often only Kings, chiefs and men who had wealth could afford it. Polygyny though set the tone and often determined the strength of the society and pattern of social organization of the traditional African family. The Baganda people of Uganda provide the best illustration.

In the late and early 19th century, a detailed study conducted among the Baganda found that, “Polygyny, the type of marriage in which the husband has plural wives, is not only the preferred but the dominant form of marriage for the Baganda.” Commoners had two or three, chiefs had dozens, and the Kings had hundreds of wives. What was the structure of the polygynous family?

Although among the Baganda, the nuclear family of the mother, father, and their children constitutes the smallest unit of the Baganda kinship system, the traditional family consists of “…… several nuclear units held in association by a common father.” Because the Baganda people are patrilineal, the household family also includes other relatives of the father such as younger unmarried or widowed sisters, aged parents, and children of the father’s clan sent to be brought up by him. Included in this same bigger household will be servants, female slaves, and their children. The father remains the head of the nuclear family units.

Having so many people in this household should not be confused with other types of large families like, “…..’the joint’ family, with its several married brothers and their families living together or the ‘extended’ family, consisting of a group of married off spring living in one household under a patriarch or matriarch.” The Baganda are also patrilocal. Therefore, the new families tend to generally live near or with the husband’s parents.

KINSHIP AND CLAN

The Baganda use “classificatory” system of kinship terminology which seems common to virtually all the Bantu peoples of Central and Southern Africa. Similar systems of kinship terminology can be found, for example, among the Ndebele of Zimbabwe, the Zulu of South Africa, the Ngoni and Tumbuka of Eastern Zambia.

In this system, all brothers of the father are called “father”, all sisters of the mother are called “mother”, all their children “brother” and “sister”. In male-speaking terms, father’s sister’s daughters (cross-cousins) are called cousins. But they are terminologically differentiated from parallel cousins and from sisters. A total of 68 linguistic terms of relationships are used by the Baganda.

The Baganda have a very important aspect of the social or family structure; “the consanguinal kin group” or “blood line” which is a line of descent traced through the male members of the family or patri-sib. “By combining the patrilocal rule of residence with consanguinal descent, the Baganda have built a formidable system of clans.”

Among the Baganda, the clan has remained the most important kinship entity. The clan is linked by four factors. First, two animal totems from one of which the clan derives its name. Second, an identifying drum beat used at ceremonies. Third, certain distinguishing personal names. Fourth, special observations related to pregnancy, childbirth, naming of the child, and testing the child’s legitimacy as clan member.

The existence of patriarchy and the patrilineal system among the Baganda might suggest that individual men have the most dominant social status. But quite to the contrary, the clan seems to have a more supreme influence. For example, when a man dies among the Baganda, his power over the property ends. The clan chooses the heir. “The clan assumes control of inheritance; the wishes of the dead person may or may not be honored. ….The eldest son cannot inherit.”

The Baganda practice the levirate custom. The man who is the heir to the widow has the additional family responsibility of adopting the widow’s family. He …..”also adopts the deceased person’s children, calling them his and making no distinction between them and his own children.”

CHILDREN

Although children among the Baganda are brought up in an unroutinized and casual way with a few rites of passage to adulthood, they seem to go through three distinct stages during their up bringing. Each stage has its own features, some of which are perhaps peculiar to the Baganda customs and system of socialization in their traditional family pattern.

The naming ceremony is very important early in the child’s life. Before this ceremony, the child is not considered a complete member of the clan or society. “…..it is not until this ceremony is completed that the child’s legitimacy is once and forever established.”

People gather at the clan chief’s house. The mothers bring children of both sexes with the umbilical cords carefully kept after birth. The paternal grandmothers drop the cords into a can, which contains beer, milk, and water. “If they float, the clan chief accepts the children as legitimate; but if the cord sinks, the child to whom it belongs is considered born in adultery and disowned.”

After this part of the ceremony, a feast is held. The following day, the naming ceremony takes place. The paternal grandfather recites many names of the clan’s dead ancestors. If the child laughs, then the last mentioned name is given to him or her, “….and the soul of the ancestors is considered to have entered its body.”

The significant feature of the second stage in Baganda childhood is that after they are weaned, Baganda children do not live with their biological parents. Boys will live with the brothers of their father and until marriage, girls live in the home of a married elder brother or with the brother of the father. “Living with new parents means no particular change in status; the biological parents do not forget their off spring and are always present for any ceremonies involving their children.”

The third stage in Baganda childhood is the socialization of the child in readiness for adulthood. This is sexual differentiation in socialization in which girls will become acceptable mothers and wives and boys husbands and fathers. Children are expected to help in minor household tasks. Boys herd goats, cows, and livestock. They also perform light duties for relatives. Girls at an early age are taught a wide range of household and agricultural duties including cooking, cultivation and tending children. “Girls, in distinction to boys, seldom have time to play games.”

MATRILINEAL TRADITIONAL AFRICAN FAMILY

TAmong the Bemba people of Northern Zambia, marriage is matrilocal. “That is to say a man goes to live in his wife’s village, at any rate for the first years of his married life.” This is also true of marriage among other Zambian tribes like the Bisa, Lala, Lamba, Chewa, Kaonde, and many others. Among the Chewa of Eastern Zambia, the custom of man living with his wife’s parents temporarily or permanently was known as Ukamwini.

During the period earlier than 1940s, marriages remained completely matrilocal during the couple’s entire life. But however, after a few years of contact with white civilization and subsequent social change, the custom has gradually changed. The husband could take his wife home if the marriage was thought stable especially after the couple has had two or more children.

The basic family unit among the Bemba was not the nuclear family. But rather the matrilocal extended family comprised of a man and his wife, their married daughters, son-in-laws, and their children. “The basic kinship unit of Bemba society is not the individual family, but a matrilocal extended family composed of a man and his wife, their married daughters, and the latter’s husbands and children.”

A young Bemba couple live in the same hut with a child of pre-weaning age whom they may have. But this is not an independent nuclear family unit. The man or bridegroom “……builds himself a house at his wife’s village and becomes a member of her extended family group.” The wife cooks at her mother’s house with other female relatives who are mainly unmarried and married sisters. Meanwhile, the husband works under his father-in-law’s orders with other young son-in-laws. “A matrilocal family of this kind forms the nucleus of a village community (umushi) which other relatives of the head of the family afterwards join.”

Polygamy or polygyny, which is a distinguishing feature in many traditional African families especially is patrilineal and patriarchal societies, is uncommon among the matrilineal Bemba. Where as chiefs have a number of wives, it is very rare to find ordinary men who have more than one wife. Because of this, extended families among the Bemba are not really as large as those found, especially among patriarchal polygynous traditional families in other tribes be it in Southern, Eastern, or West Africa. “Polygamy is relatively speaking uncommon in this area and the institution is not an essential part of the Bemba family and economic life as it is among so many Bantu peoples.”

KINSHIP AND CLAN

The Bemba’s kinship is based on descent in the matrilineal line. This again is true among other Zambian tribes like the Bisa, Lamba, Lala, Chewa, Kaonde, Luba, and others. A man’s legal entitlements and rights of inheritance are on his mother’s side. He has no rights on his paternal clan. “A Bemba belongs to his mother’s clan (umukoa), a group of relatives more or less distantly connected, who reckon descent from real or fictitious common ancestries, use a common totem name, and a series of praise titles, recite a common legend of origin and accept certain joint obligations.”

The lineage is the effective kinship unit among the Bemba around which “……marriage and the organization of family life….” revolves. The matrilineal household and descent determine or influence two major social activities. First, in succession and inheritance the man inherits his dead grandfather, maternal uncle, or brother. A woman inherits her maternal grandmother or sisters. Headmanships of villages, court offices, ritual titles, and chieftainships are passed on in this way.

Second, social support is usually sought from the matrilineal line or descent group. For example, in debt and marriage obligations. The male head has control over children produced by the children of the group. When a girl is getting married her mother’s brother must be consulted. In many matrilineal societies, the maternal uncle in the go-between or undertakes all the arrangements and responsibilities for his nephew’s marriage.In case of divorce, the women’s people were legal guardians of the children.

CHILDREN

Children among the matrilineal peoples are brought up in a similar traditional extended family village social environment. There is socialization to raise boys and girls to become responsible and acceptable adults of the village, community, and ultimately society. The children learn the customs, beliefs, and culture pertaining to the social roles of being a woman, mother, and wife for girls; and a man, father, and husband for boys. Matrilineality is the major influence in what children learn and come to accept about their society.

Power and authority in matrilineal societies ultimately lies in the woman and her brother. As such children at an early age learn that their father has little authority or responsibility for them. The father knows that his children are not his ultimate responsibility but his sister’s children. Meanwhile the man and her married sister do not live in one locality, as they must maintain their marriages. Some scholars have suggested that this arrangement might be fraught with potential social problems and conflict. More so than a patrilineal household where all the people charged with authority over the children potentially live in one household.

Summary:

Overall, there are two forms of social groups that from the basis of Bemba marriage and traditional family. First, there is the local unit of matrilocal marriage “….. consisting of a man, his wife, his married daughters and their husbands and children,…” Second, the matrilineal descent group which consists of maternal relatives and ancestors traced back to several generations. These constitute the core of the Bemba traditional African family around which the social organization of the traditional society revolves. “Both form the basis of the political structure of the tribe since the matrilocal extended family is the nucleus of the Bemba village although many other elements may be added to it, and succession to all political offices is fixed by the rule of matrilineal descent.”

EUROCENTRICITY AND THE TRADITIONAL AFRICAN FAMILY

Patrilineality, matrilineality, and the practice of polygyny are three of the major distinguishing variations of the African traditional extended family. The literature on the subject is truly as vast and reflects traditional patterns that are as diverse as the variations of the physical looks of the people found on the continent. What is significant about the various descriptions of the traditional African family is that they are from back in the period before the 1940s and in case of the Baganda from the late 1800s. Social change in Africa as everywhere else is ubiquitous. Such influences as end of intra and inter-tribal warfare with the coming of European colonialism, the Western money economy, industrialization, migration, and urbanization have certainly transformed the traditional African family from what it was 50 to 100 years ago. By 1935, for example, anthropologists like Mair and Richards and no doubt many others were already noticing change in marriage and family patterns.

The written descriptions and therefore perceptions of the traditional African family were also a victim of the European colonial cultural bias and Christian values. In a more obvious way, this Eurocentrism36 did not treat polygamy, the African marriages and the extended family and any others of its “eccentricities” (regarded as such because they were different from European customs) as social phenomena that was legitimate and workable in its own African social circumstances and environment. But rather as curiosities that were to succumb to the superior European monogamous marriage values legitimated by Christianity.

Some of the issues that were the products of the Eurocentrically biased judgements include the following two. First, the strengths, durability, and resilience of the African traditional family were never dwelt on explicitly and at length. For example, in the polygynous African family, like among the Baganda, and many others, your father’s wives and brothers were not just mothers and fathers just as mere kinship terms. These carried with them all the heavy social obligations demanded of a mother or father, daughter or son. There was never a distinction between the biological and non-biological kin as far as primary parental obligations were concerned. Other significant strengths are that the traditional African family increased group cohesion in an otherwise harsh physical and social environment.

Second, the continued Eurocentric descriptions and characterization of the African traditional family as some what depraved lead to the use of such terms as bride price, avoidance social taboos, segregated relationships, lack of “love” and “tenderness” in African marriages and families.

The continued, persistent and wide use of the term “bride price” to describe the valuables that were often given to the bride’s parents before marriage was legitimated is one excellent example of evaluating and perceiving a custom from a biased Eurocentric perspective. Indeed, such authors as Chondoka have recently found little accuracy or justification in calling this custom “purchasing” or “buying” of a wife. In fact Chondoka finds the use of the terms “dowry”, “bride price” to refer to particularly traditional Zambian marriages to be serious misnomers introduced by European missionaries and colonialists in Africa. “There is no bride price in our society. Traditionally no parent fixes a price for his daughter (a bride). If he did, it would be like selling her. We do not sell brides in our society. However, as a prospective husband, you are told to pay for the marriage and not the bride. Marriage involves much more than just the bride.”

This author would further argue that among the African people that are conductors, participants, and are actors in these marriages, the concept “buy”, “purchase” a wife or bride does not exist. For example, among the Tumbuka of Eastern Zambia the verb kugula (to buy) is used to refer to purchasing of material objects or commodities and domestic animals. The verb kulobola is very specific meaning the valuables that are given partially or in full to the girl’s people to legitimate or seal the marriage. Lobola is widely used among the Bantu peoples of Central and Southern Africa.

“Avoidance”, “segregated relationships”, lack of “love” and “tenderness” in traditional African marriages and the family has been a common theme among European scholars. These views were expressed before 1930s and as late as 1960s. LeVine described some of the customs and patterns that surround interaction in the traditional African family as “institutionalized restrictions”, “segregated patterns”, and “avoidance patterns”. These relationships which are described in this way are rituals of respect between a son-in-law and his mother-in-law, a daughter-in-law and her father-in-law. Similar customs or “rules of restrictions” in interaction apply between many other kin in a traditional African family. These Anglo-Saxon or Eurocentric descriptions do not help in the fair and accurate perception of the traditional African family. “The descriptions implicitly portray (to the African and Westerner) African relationships as being negative, rigid and miserable. Anything described in these terms must inherently be bad, primitive and, therefore, undesirable.”

Typical of this Eurocentric characterization of the traditional African family is often not only the contention that there cannot be genuine love in a polygamous marriages but that even monogamous ones lack “genuine” love. Some have even gone as far as saying that for the African husband nothing else matters so long as he impregnates his wife every few years. In the study of the Baganda traditional family cited earlier, the author describes how children are raised among the Baganda. The author describes the interaction between the Baganda mother and her baby as unfavorable and lacking any affection or love. “The mother may hug or caress the child and comfort it when hurt or in distress. However, children are never kissed – kissing is not known to the Baganda – and the close intimacy of the mother-child relationship as found in America, for example, is not present. ….. The language of the Baganda carries no word for love or tender affection; the closest is a word that is best translated as “like”.”

The issue to emphasize, is not so much that there are no weaknesses or shortcomings in the traditional African family, but that the Eurocentric Anglo-Saxon descriptions (that are believed to be objective and describe social phenomena as accurately as possible) eliminate, and over shadow the strengths and positive aspects that might have existed and may still exist in the African traditional family patterns.

The common descriptions of the African traditional family in the literature is Eurocentric and biased. Caution should be applied when sweeping generalizations are made which make the traditional African family is made to appear static, rigid, and lacking in vitality.

CONCLUSION

The traditional African family is a very broad concept which has challenging variations across the continent. These variations are caused by differences in tribal customs or culture according geography, history, religion, external influence of colonialism, inter migration, political and economic structures and influences. Because of this wide spectrum, it is not possible to explore all aspects of the traditional African family.

This chapter only focussed on the matrilineal and polygynous patrilineal African traditional family patterns because they seem representative of the broad patterns that exists on the continent. It must be emphasized, however, that these were traditional patterns as far back as late 1800s up to as late as 1960s. The dramatic social changes in Africa during the last three decades of political independence from European colonialism have obviously affected the traditional family. Explaining these changes would require a different chapter.

African Tradition is expressed through many different art forms, such as music, dance, art, sculpture and beadwork.

These traditions are deeply ingrained into the whole African culture.

Many African languages are “tone languages,” meaning that pitch level determines meaning.

Naturally, singing is very important to the African society because the melody and rhythm follow the intonation of the song text. The songs are often sung in call-and-response form.

In West Africa, a griot is a praise singer or poet who possesses a repository of oral tradition passed down from generation to generation. They must know the traditional songs and must also be able to improvise songs about current events and chance incidents.

Oral tradition is very important in African culture, as it insures the passage of cultural practices from one generation to another.

Listening is an equally important skill, which has been perfected by the traditional oral practices. Numerous songs and dances have been transmitted by word of mouth.

Music is a form of communication and it plays a functional role in African society. Songs accompany marriage, birth, rites of passage, hunting and even political activities. Music is often used in different African cultures to ward off evil spirits and to pay respects to good spirits, the dead and ancestors.

Although the musical styles and instruments vary from region to region, there are some common forms of musical expression. The most significant instrument in African music is the African drum. It expresses the mood of the people and evokes emotion. The beat of the African drum is the “heartbeat of the community” and its rhythm is what holds the dancers together.

Dance is an integral part of the African culture. and it utilizes symbolic gestures, masks, costumes, body painting and props to communicate. The dance movements can be simple or complex with intricate actions including fast rotation, ripples of the body and contraction and release. Dance is used to express emotion, whether joyful or sorrowful and it is not limited to just the dancers. Often spectators will be encouraged to join in.

The African masks that are used in dances have religious, ceremonial and functional origins. The artist who carves the mask will ceremonially purify himself and offer prayers to his ancestors for guidance before he begins the actual carving of the mask.

The African mask represents a spirit and it is believed that the spirit possesses the dancer as they wear the mask. The chosen dancer goes into a trance-like state in order to receive guidance and wisdom from the ancestors. The dancer will utter and moan the messages received and a wise man, who accompanies the dancer will translate the message.

Although music and dance are extremely important African traditions and are very common forms of communication, many African people express themselves in other art forms as well.

The Zulu people are well known for their intricate beadwork. The colour of each bead carries a specific meaning. The beads have been used to carry messages known as “ucu,” a Zulu term loosely translated as “love letters”.

It is an African tradition for young girls to send a boy a beaded bracelet of different colours. The boy will court her for a while and at the appropriate time, he will ask her the meaning of the beads.

Art and sculpture are prevalent in African culture., and the most common themes depict a couple, a woman and child, a male with a weapon or animal, or a “stranger.”

Couples are usually freestanding figures of the same size, representing the importance of “two as one.” A male and female couple in African art usually depicts strength and honour rather than love and intimacy, as it is uncommon for African men and women to publicly display their affection.

A mother and child couple can represent “mother earth” and her people or the strong bond between mother and child.

The male figure with a weapon or animal, represent honour to departed ancestors. African men are often honoured in warfare and there is a great emphasis on weaponry in African art, as it depicts survival and power.

When the stranger is represented in African art, it usually depicts someone from a foreign country or tribe that is not welcomed.

Animals A to Z List

The jungles on this planet are full of wild animals which vary in terms of appearance, habitat, food habits, etc. Compiling a jungle animals list is a tough task, considering that each animal belongs to a species or sub-species. Given below is an alphabetical list of animals that live in a jungle in which we have tried to compile as many species as possible.

Aardvark
Aardvarks are nocturnal animals native to the African continent. Measuring around 43 to 53 inches in length, aardvarks weigh somewhere around 110 to 180 lbs. They spend most of the day lazing in their burrows and set out in search of food after sunset. They are known to feed on termites most often, with their 12 inch specially designed tongue helping them extract termites from the mounds.

Antelope
Antelopes are ruminant mammals belonging to the Bovidae family, typically characterized by unbranched horns which never shed. Antelopes are categorized into different species, based on varying habitat and appearance. Around 90 of these species are native to Africa alone. Some of the commonly found species of antelopes are Arabian Oryx and Dorcas gazelle native to Arabian peninsula, Chinkara and Blackbuck native to India, Tibetan antelope and Saiga antelope native to Russia and Southeast Asia, etc.

Armadillo
Armadillos are placental mammals, typically characterized by a leathery armor shell on the back. Armadillo is a Spanish word, literally meaning the ‘little armored one’. This mammal has various sub-species with lengths varying between 5 to 59 inches, and weight between 3 oz to 120 lbs. Armadillos are lazy animals, and spend about 16 hours a day sleeping in their burrows. Rest of the time is spent hunting and feeding on beetles, ants, termites and other insects.

Baboon
Our planet is home to 5 species of baboons, namely, the Hamadryas baboon, Guinea baboon, Olive baboon, Yellow baboon and the Chacma baboon. Their size varies according to species, with the largest species being 47 inches in length and weighing 90 lbs. Omnivorous in nature, they feed on fruits, grasses, seeds, bark, roots, as well as meat. Some species are observed to eat birds, rodents, as well as young ones of larger mammals, like antelopes.

Bears
Bears are mammals belonging to the Ursidae family, found all over the northern hemisphere, as well as some parts of the southern hemisphere. There are eight living species of bears on the planet, with the prominent ones being the Black bears, Brown bears, Grizzly bear and the Giant Panda. Except for the Polar bear, which is completely carnivorous, and the Giant Panda, which is completely herbivorous, all other species of bears are omnivorous in nature.

Bison
Bison are members of Bovinae sub-family, native to the continents of America and Europe. There are two living species of bison, namely the American bison and the European bison, on the planet. The American bison measures around 7 to 11.5 ft in length and weighs between 930 to 2200 lbs, while the European bison is approximately 10 ft long and weighs 660 to 2000 lbs. They are herbivorous in nature, and thus are most often seen feeding on grass in plains.

Cheetah
Cheetah is regarded as the fastest animal on the land, with the ability to clock a speed of 0-60 miles per hour in just three seconds. It can grow on to attain a length of 3.5 to 4.5 ft, and weigh 77 to 143 lbs. Although it is believed that there are around six sub-species of the cheetah, the taxonomy of these species is yet to be ascertained. The two most prominent sub-species of Cheetah are the Asiatic cheetah, found in Asia as well as northern areas of Africa, and Northwest African Cheetah native to the western regions of Africa. This carnivorous animal hunts in broad daylight and mostly feeds on herbivores in the surroundings.

Chimpanzee
Chimpanzees are intelligent animals, who share 98 percent of the genetic blueprint of humans. These species can adapt themselves to various habitats, ranging from dense forests to open grasslands. They can grow up to a height of 4 to 5.5 ft. and weigh between 70 to 130 lbs. Most often they feed on plants, but at times they have also been seen feeding on insects as well as carrion. Though they walk on all fours most of the time, chimpanzees can also stand upright and walk in that position.

Cougar
The cougar, also referred to as the puma, mountain lion or panther, is one of the most powerful predators in the Americas. Cougars are found in many parts of the continent, ranging from forests in Canada to swamps in Florida. Cougars can grow to a length of about 3.25 to 5.25 ft and weigh about 136 lbs. These ambush predators feed on large preys such as elk, wild horses, White-tailed deer, armadillos etc. It is a non-scavenging animal, meaning that it doesn’t feed on carrion but only eats the prey it has killed.

Coyote
Coyote, or prairie wolf, are omnivorous mammals native to the continent of North America. They can grow up to 37 inches and weigh between 20 to 50 lbs. Coyotes mostly hunt in packs, which gives them the ability to bring down animals which are bigger than them. Most often they are seen feeding on insects, snakes, fruit, grass and carrion. At times however, they also attack considerably large mammals and their young ones. Coyotes are very good swimmers as well.

Deer
A deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the Cervidae family of animals. Almost all male deer species grow and shed horns ever year. This distinguishes them from animals with permanent horns such as antelopes. The Elk, native to North America and Europe, is the largest species of deer, while the Pudu, native to South America, is the smallest species. Other prominent species of deer include Reindeer, native to North America and White-tailed deer, native to continents of North and South America.

Elephant
Elephants are the largest land mammals on the planet Earth. Elephants are broadly divided into 2 sub-types, the African elephant, native to Africa and the Asian elephant, native to Asia. African elephants, with a height of 8.2 to 13 ft and weight of 5,000 to 14,000 lbs, are the largest land animals on the planet. Asian elephants are relatively smaller, with a height of 7 to 12 feet and a weight between 6,500 to 11,000 pounds.

Fox
A fox is a small or medium-sized canid, sporting a long narrow snout and a bushy tail. There are 37 identified species of this animal, spread all over the world. Native to almost all the continents, the Red fox is the most common species of fox. Fennec fox, the smallest of the fox species, grows to a length of about 9.5 to 16 inches, and weighs between 2.2 to 3.3 lbs. These omnivorous creatures feed on berries, fruits, fish, birds, rodents, rabbits, reptiles etc.

Giraffe
Giraffe, a ruminant mammal, native to Africa. It is the tallest of all living animals on the planet, with an average height of 14 to 17 feet. An adult male giraffe weighs about 2630 lbs, while its female counterpart weighs 1830 lbs. The range of this animal spreads from Chad to South Africa. Most often found in grasslands, giraffes venture into areas with dense vegetation in case of food scarcity.

Gorilla
Gorillas, native to Central Africa, are the largest living primates on the planet. These ground dwelling species of the Hominidae family are herbivorous in nature. The exact number of gorilla species is debatable but the most commonly found gorilla species include Western lowland gorillas found in Cameroon, Congo, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, and Mountain Gorilla found in Rwanda, Uganda and Congo.

Hedgehog
A hedgehog is a carnivorous mammal sporting a coat of stiff, sharp spines, native to Asia, Europe and Africa. Hedgehogs most often feed on worms, insects, snails, centipedes, mice, frogs and snakes. Though their eyesight is weak, they have a strong sense of smell and hearing. The coat of stiff, sharp spines helps them for defense against predators. If attacked they roll into a ball, deceiving the predator.

Hippopotamus
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Hippopotamus is a herbivorous mmmal native to the African continent. It is characterized by its tremendous size, enormous mouth with large teeth and stubby legs. Hippos are ranked third in the list of jungle animals according to their weight. These aggressive creatures are regarded as the most ferocious of the African wildlife. Found in abundance at one time, today they are battling for their basic survival, owing to excessive poaching and loss of habitat.

Hyena
The hyena is a carnivorous mammal native to the continents of Asia and Africa. At present there are four living species of the hyena, the Striped hyena, Brown hyena, the Spotted hyena and the Aardwolf. These animals have a strong jaw and equally strong digestive system which helps them to eat and digest even the teeth and the bones of their prey.

Jaguar
The jaguar is the only species of the panthera genus found in the American continents. It is the third largest feline in the world and one of the most prominent predators among the tropical rain forest animals. The animal largely resembles a leopard, but a close look differentiates it from leopards on the basis of its bulky built. The range of this solitary hunting stalk-and-ambush predator spans across areas ranging from dense forests to open terrain. The jaguar has one of the most powerful bites among the felines. It can pierce its sharp teeth right through the skull of the prey.

Koala Bear
Although it is referred to as Koala bear, this pouched mammal is actually not a bear. This marsupial carries its young one in the pouch for 6 months after its birth. Koalas are native to eastern Australia. Koalas can weigh approximately 20 lbs. They feed on eucalyptus leaves and hardly come out from these trees. They can stay without water for several days, deriving the necessary amount of moisture from the eucalyptus leaves. They spend eighteen hours of the day sleeping.

Lemur
Lemurs, native to the Madagascar Islands, belong to a group of primates known as the Strepsirrhines. They are mostly characterized by large, reflective eyes and wailing cries. The four families of lemurs include 99 species and their sub-species. One such species is the Aye-aye, which sports rodent-like teeth and a long middle finger. Growing to a length of 12 to 15 inches and weighing 5.5 lbs, Aye-aye is the world largest nocturnal primate.

Leopard
The leopard, the smallest among the big cats, is native to southern Asia and Africa. The Snow leopard, found in mountain ranges of central Asia, weighs between 60-120 lbs and grows to approximately 4 to 5 ft in length. The Clouded leopard, found in southeast Asia, weighs between 33 to 50 lbs and grows to approximate length of 2 to 3 ft. A leopard is most often characterized by its speed and ability to climb, which proves to be helpful traits when it comes to hunting in grasslands or mountainous regions.

Lion
Lions are predatory cats, once found all over the world but today restricted to Savanna grasslands in Africa and Gir forests in Gujarat, India. These animals are mostly characterized by a mane in the male species. An African lion grows to about 4.5 to 6.5 ft in length and weighs 265 to 420 lbs, while the Asian lion weighs about 300 to 500 lbs. Being carnivorous in nature, lions mostly feed on other herbivores.

Lynx Cats
The lynx is a solitary cat native to the continents of North America, Europe and Asia. There are four sub-species of lynx cats, Eurasian lynx found in Northern Europe and Asia, Canadian lynx found in Canada and Alaska, Iberian lynx native to Iberian peninsula in southern Europe and the Bobcat found in Canada, Mexico and the continental United States. Their size varies according to the sub-species, with weights ranging from 30 to 70 lbs.

Mongoose
Mongoose are carnivorous mammals native to most parts of Africa, southern Asia and Iberian peninsula. Though most of the mongoose species are terrestrial, some are aquatic while some prefer treetops. Their size and weight also varies according to the species, with length ranging from 7 to 25 inches and weight ranging from 12 oz to 11 lbs. They mostly feed on worms, insects, rodents, birds, frogs and reptiles.

Monkey
Monkeys are Cercopithecoid or Platyrrhine primates found all over the world. At present there are around 264 living species of monkeys on the planet. Monkeys are normally differentiated from the apes on the basis of their tails. The size and the weight of monkey species varies. The Pygmy Marmoset is approximately 5 to 6 inches tall and weighs between 4 to 5 oz, while the Mandrill is 3.3 ft tall and weighs around 77 lbs. Even the diet differs according to the species, with some species feeding on fruit, leaves, seeds, nuts, flowers, eggs and small insects.

Red Panda
The Red panda is a herbivorous mammal native to the Himalayas, Nepal, Central China and Burma to be precise. These creatures are crepuscular in nature, which means they are mostly active at dusk and dawn. A red panda grows to a length of 20 to 26 in and weighs between 12 to 20 lbs. Most often seen to be feeding on bamboos, Red Pandas also feast on fruit, acorns, roots and eggs. Red Panda has been declared as an endangered species, with only a few thousand individuals left.

Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros, mostly referred to as Rhino/Rhinos, are members of Rhinocerotidae family native to Asia and Africa. The three species of rhinoceros native to Asia are the Javan, Sumatran and Indian Rhinoceros, while the two species native to Africa are Black Rhinoceros and White Rhinoceros. Of the five Rhino species three species, namely the Black, the Javan and the Sumatran Rhino, are critically endangered. Rhinos weigh between 1500 to 4500 lbs. International poaching mafia is the biggest threat to their existence.
Skunk
Skunks are omnivorous mammals, mostly found in the Americas, particularly characterized by their defense mechanism, wherein they spray horrible smelling oily liquid produced by glands under the tail. It is very difficult to get rid of this smell. Skunks are around 8 to 19 inches long and weigh between 7 oz to 14 lbs. Though almost all the skunks are found in American continents, the recent addition to the family, the Asian stink badgers, is native to Asia.

Tiger
The tiger is an obligate carnivore, native to most parts of the Asian continent. Though the size differs according to the species, an average tiger can grow up to 13 ft and weigh up to 660 lbs. There are six living sub-species of the tiger, namely the Bengal tiger found in India and Bangladesh, Indochinese tiger found in China, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, Malayan tiger found to the south of Malay Peninsula, Sumatran tiger found on Sumatra Island in Indonesia, Siberian tiger found in eastern Siberia and South China tiger found in southern China. It is the apex predator in the food chain and feeds on a variety of herbivores ranging from a deer to a water buffalo.

Wild Dogs
Wild dogs are mammals belonging to the Canidae family, who resemble dogs, but at the same time are distinguished from jackals and wolves. African wild dogs are native to the open plains of the African continent. These canines are 29.5 to 43 in. in length and weigh between 39.5 to 79 lbs. Australian wild dogs, also referred to as Dingo, native to Australia, are 19 to 23 inches tall and weigh about 50 to 55 lbs. Wild dogs most often hunt in packs, which allows them to bring down animals bigger than themselves in size, such as wildebeests.

Wolverine
A wolverine is a powerful jungle animal, resembling a bear. Growing to about 26 to 34 inches in length and weighing between 24 to 40 lbs, it is the largest member of the weasel family. Its range is spread over most parts of the northern hemisphere, in North America, Europe and Russia. Being omnivorous in nature, wolverines feed on plants, berries, rodents, rabbits as well as carrion.

Wolves
Wolves are the largest members of the dog family, native to Eurasia and North America. Wolf is considered as one of the most dangerous species of the animal kingdom. They attain a length of about 36 to 63 inches and weigh between 40 and 175 pounds. They most often hunt in packs and have a tendency to bring down prey double their size.

Zebras
Zebras are mammals characterized by distinctive black and white stripes, native to Africa. The animal stands 3.5 to 5 ft tall and weighs 440 to 990 lbs. These herbivores are most often seen in herds and their primary diet is grass. There are three sub-species of zebras, Plains zebras found in Southwest Africa, Grevy’s zebras found in Kenya and Ethiopia and Mountain zebras found in Angola, Namibia and South Africa.
Other than these, the list of mammals found in the jungles include squirrels, bats, rabbits, etc. The 1100 known species of bats form around 20 percent of all living mammal species. Though mammals, bats use their modified forelimbs as wings to fly. Squirrels are found all over Asia, Africa, Americas and Europe, with some species endemic to a particular region, for instance Indian Giant squirrel found in South Asia. There are many fascinating facts about mammals which are still unknown to man.

Even though jungles have always been a subject of fascination for mankind, many of us wouldn’t be able to answer some basic questions, like, what animals live in the jungle? Intriguing because if you sit down to compile a list of all the jungle animals names, their species and subspecies, you will have a really long list. We have tried to make your task a bit easier by compiling a list of jungle animals.

A jungle is an area with dense vegetation marked by intense competition and struggle for survival between the jungle animal species. About 57 percent of the species of living things on the planet live in jungles. Animals inhabit all the surroundings, but more than half of the living animals on this planet are found in rainforests. Jungle animals are constantly involved in struggle to ensure their survival.

Contradictory to the popular belief that animals mean only mammals, in reality, the animal kingdom (or ‘kingdom Animalia’) also includes reptiles, birds and insects. The jungle animals list is dominated by predators which help in ensuring a proper balance of the ecosystem by playing an active role in the food chain. Knowing what kinds of animals live in the jungle can help us to understand the jungle ecosystem, and the importance of preserving it.

List of Jungle Birds:
There are around 10,000 living species of birds found all over the world, ranging from the 2 inch Hummingbird to the 8 ft Ostrich. Owing to the diverse nature of the jungle, many birds choose it as their habitat. Different types of birds are categorized into different orders, namely, Falconiformes, Galliformes, Strigiformes, Coraciiformes and Piciformes.

Coraciiformes
The birds of Coraciiformes order are mostly characterized by three forward pointing toes. While 90 percent of this group is made up of various species of Kingfishers, it also consists birds such as the bee eaters and the hornbills. The Puerto Rican Tody is the smallest bird in this group of birds, weighing between 5 to 6 gm, while the Southern ground-hornbill is the largest bird, weighing 4.8 to 13.6 lbs.

Falconiformes
Falconiformes are characterized by sharply hooked beaks, strong legs, raptorial claws and long and fairly broad wings, which help these birds in soaring high in the sky. The group consists of about 290 species of diurnal birds of prey, such as falcons, eagles and vultures. The smallest bird in this group is black-thighed falconet, found in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, which measures 5.5 in, weighs 1 oz and has a wingspan of 10.3 inches, while the largest species in this group is the Cinereous vulture, native to Europe and Asia, which measures 46 in, weighs 31 lbs and has a wingspan of 10 ft. Vultures are scavenging birds feeding mostly on dead carcasses. Some species such as Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle are found in United States.

Galliformes
Galliformes are characterized by their stout built and their short thick bills. Most of these birds are herbivores with the exception of a few who are omnivores. Their specially designed bills help them to forage on the ground to feed on roots, other plant materials and insects. There are around 250 living species of these birds which include turkeys, quails, pheasants and grouse. The ruffed grouse, one of the species of grouse is the state bird of Pennsylvania. The smallest bird among the galliformes is the Asian Blue Quail, which measures 5 in and weighs between 1 to 1.5 oz, whereas the largest is the North American Wild Turkey which measures 47 in and weighs 30 lbs.

Piciformes
The piciformes order of birds is made up of six families of arboreal birds such as woodpeckers and toucans. This group has about 400 different species of birds, half of which comprise different sub-species of the woodpecker. Most of these birds are insectivores, though some birds, such as barbets and toucans, do feed on fruits. Rufous Piculet, is the smallest bird, whereas Black-mandibled Toucan, one of the tropical rainforest birds, is the largest bird in this group.

Strigiformes
Strigiformes order of birds consists of about 200 living species of nocturnal birds of prey, found all over the world, except for Antarctica and Greenland. The group is largely made up of various species of owls. These nocturnal birds most often feed on small mammals, insects and other smaller birds. Having a wingspan of about 6.6 ft, the Eurasian Eagle Owl is the largest species in this order. These birds have adapted themselves to various environment including the tundra forests of arctic, which is home to the snowy owl or the Great White Owl or Arctic Owl.