What were matrilineal societies in Africa?
“Matrilineal” means kinship is passed down through the maternal line. The Akans of Ghana, West Africa, are Matrilineal. Akans are the largest ethnic group in Ghana….List of matrilineal or matrilocal societies.
| Group name | Akan |
|---|---|
| Country / Region | Ghana |
| Marriage | Both |
| Lineage | Matrilineal |
| Reference | Meyer Fortes |
What happens in the matrilineal society?
Matrilineality is a societal system in which a person’s descent is traced through their mother or maternal ancestors. In a matrilineal society property, such as land, is handed down from mother to daughter. Owing to this system they sometimes have a unique tradition that cannot be found in a patrilineal society.
Was ancient Africa matrilineal?
Ancient Africans had a deep-seated respect for women, Finch in the book Echoes of the Old Darkland explains that early man did not know the link between sex and birth. Prior to Islamic conquest of sub-Saharan Africa in the 12th and 13th centuries, the system of succession to the throne was matrilineal.
Why is the matrilineal society important?
In humans, this means that women inherit family property, children belong to their mothers’ lineages, or newly-married couples live in close proximity to the wife’s kin. Even in these “matrilineal” societies, anthropologists have claimed that men are more important than women.
What are some characteristics of a matrilineal society?
descent through mother (family name through mother), matrilocal residence system (husband lives in wife’s residence), and inheritance of parental property by daughter. Any society where these characteristics exist is considered to be matrilineal.
What is matrilineal society?
Matrilineal society, also called matriliny, group adhering to a kinship system in which ancestral descent is traced through maternal instead of paternal lines (the latter being termed patrilineage or patriliny).
What is a matrilineal culture?
Matrilineal refers to familial relationships that can be traced through a female. If the children in your culture take their mother’s last name, and not their father’s, this is a matrilineal tradition.
What is an example of matrilineal society?
Examples of matrilineal societies The Asante, or Ashanti, of Ghana are one of the few matrilineal societies in West Africa in which women inherit status and property directly from their mothers. In Minangkabau society, the man traditionally marries into his wife’s household, and the woman inherits the ancestral home.