An isolated village on Jebel Gurgei in the Jebel Si area of Northern Darfur, where people still lived in a very special type of house with flat-topped roofs, called “Torrontoga”. In the Fur language “tong” means house, and such houses are associated with a mythical people called Torro. One man is standing in front of the entrance, while two others are standing on the flat roof.
Jebel Gurgei, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
A man and his daughter stand outside a flat-roofed Torrontonga house (Fur: “Tong)”. Note that in those days the Muslim Fur of Jebel Si did not practice a strict Islamic dress code for females.
Jebel Si area.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
Women clearing a hill slope for sowing millet (Fur: “sona”). Men and women have separate fields that they cultivate individually and store the yields in their separately owned granaries (Fur: “nonum”, Arabic: “Dabanga”).
Jebel Si area.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
Beer-work party (Fur: “tawisa”) organized in connection with house building. Note the circular stone base of the building and the wooden frame of the conical roof that will be covered by thatch.
Jebel Si area, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
A beer-work party is organized in connection with house building. The workers are constructing the wooden frame of the conical roof that will be covered by thatch. What is emphasized in the beer-work party is solidarity among equal neighbours, instead of the hierarchy implied by paid work.
Jebel Si area, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
House-building party. Note the clay container for storage of grain (Fur: “nonum”) inside the stonewalls of the house. Ample provision of beer (Fur: “kira”) is a dominant feature of such mutual help undertakings.
Jebel Si area, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
Traditional sesame oil mill (Arabic: “assara”) carved out of a tree trunk. Note how the pounder in the middle of the mill is connected to the lever loaded with stones in the foreground. When the camel moves around the mill, this increases the force the pounder exerts on the sesame seeds and thereby increases the amount of oil extracted. The extracted oil is sold in the market (souq).
Jebel Si area, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
Women using a traditional gin (Fur: “maal”) to separate the seeds from harvested cotton (Fur: “nyiri”).
Jebel Si area, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
Slaughtering an ox (Fur: “nong”) for provision of meat (Fur: “nino”) to entertain guests coming to a circumcision ritual.
Jebel Si area, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
Celebrations in connection with circumcision of boys (Fur: “dogola kandi”, Arabic: “tahura”). Note the cowrie shells (Fur: “kandura”, Arabic: “wadda”) used as ornament in the hair of the lady to the left of the man in the middle. Cowrie have been reported to be used as a medium of exchange until 150 years ago and connected Darfur in a widespread exchange network from the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. All the time cowries have served as female ornaments and frequently used on ceremonial occasions. A cowrie shell has a form that often trigger metaphoric associations with the female genitalia.
Jebel Si area, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
Communal festivities at circumcisions are very important among the Fur. In this photo, women are dancing “the gazelle dance” ( Fur: “ferangabie”) around the hut where the circumcision (Fur: “dogola kandi”, Arabic: “tahura”) will be performed.
Jebel Si area, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
Drumming, singing, and dancing are important events connected with circumcision (Fur: “dogola kandi”, Arabic: “tahura”). Note the man dressed as a woman to the left of the drummers. He is a male relative of a boy to be circumcised. Also note the women with sticks and sometimes weapons ordinarily carried by men. A characteristic feature of circumcision rituals is that many participants are using cultural elements associated with the opposite gender.
Jebel Si area, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
Circumcision ceremonies include transvestitism by a male relative of the boy to be circumcised. In this photo, a man dressed as a woman is surrounded by people drumming and singing.
Jebel Si area, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
Circumcision festivities with procession of women carrying objects related to food making as well as others related to male activities like hunting and warfare. This procession is called “ferangabia” which in Fur language means “the dance of the gazelle”. Note the cowrie shells (Fur: “kandura”, Arabic: “wadda”) in women’s hair: the shape of cowrie lends itself to metaphoric association with the vagina (Fur: “sendi”).
Jebel Si area, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
A variety of cultural elements (associated with males as well as females) are improvised in the festive activities taking place at circumcision. On this photo a decorated camel (Fur: “kamal”) on which the boy to be circumcised rides from the place where he has been secluded during the liminal period (neither child, nor adult) to the place of circumcision that signify transition to manhood. Note the amber (Fur: “zumam”, Arabic: “zeitun” – meaning in fact olives) beads attached to the helmet. This combination of female and male associated elements emphasizes the liminal position of the boy to be circumcised.
Jebel Si area, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
Two Fur women are carrying water in ceramic pots (Fur: “tawu”) back to their village.
Jebel Si, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
A young Fur woman in an isolated village on Jebel Gurgei is leaving the family compound. Note that she is not dressed according to the Islamic codes, although she is a Muslim.
Jebel Si area, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
A group of nomadized Fur watering a donkey (Fur: “lel”) at their camp in the area of Jebel Si. Note the seasonal huts made of branches in the background. They are very different from the tents used by nomadized Fur in western Darfur. In the Jebel Si area nomadized Fur farmers do not change ethnic identity.
Jebel Si area, Northern Darfur.
Photo: Gunnar Haaland, 1969
