Fertility stake

Fertility is one of the great themes and essential concerns of African cultures, whether the fertility of women or of the land. The fruit of the mother’s womb and the fruit of Mother Earth have also been a constant in the Old Testament, and will remain so for generations to come. Daniel 7,12b-13: ‘… the Lord your God will maintain the covenant with you and be faithful to the oath he swore to your ancestors. He will love you, bless you and multiply you: he will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your soil; your wheat, your wine, your oil, the young of your cows and sheep, in the land he will give you as he promised your ancestors.’ Dt 28,4: ‘Blessed be the fruit of your womb, the produce of your soil, the offspring of your cows and the young of your sheep.’ These biblical words seem to find an echo in African traditions. Women’s fertility is often associated with the fertility of the fields. Rites, ceremonies and masquerades are often shared by both. Many African peoples live off the land, and only fertile land can guarantee their subsistence. Numerous rites and ceremonies involving masked dances are therefore devoted to it, especially at sowing and harvest time. Just as statuettes are dedicated to promoting women’s fertility, many masks are carved and consecrated so that, through prayers and the appropriate rites, known as agrarian rites, the powers of the other world will be favourable and grant fertility to the land. An infertile woman is a misfortune for the family and clan. It is the greatest shame that can weigh on a woman, and her greatest tragedy: without descendants, she can never be raised to the status of ancestor. Her spirit will remain wandering, and she will not be entitled to the funerary rites accorded to those who have left descendants. In many ethnic groups, including the Nandji, Fanti, Ashanti and Mossi, women commission dolls which, once consecrated, will promote fertility and protect health during pregnancy and childbirth. From childhood, girls practise being mothers with these dolls. A significant part of African statuary revolves around motherhood and women, just as a significant proportion of masks, especially zoomorphic ones, honour the fertility of the earth.

Fertility, whether of fields or people, is one of the central themes of traditional African societies and finds expression in numerous sculptural forms. In most African peoples, a woman’s inability to have children is the greatest misfortune that can befall a family. She loses her dignity as a woman and is forgotten, despised and pushed aside by her society until she is completely isolated. An infertile man, or one who has remained unmarried, faces everyone’s reproach, mockery and contempt. In either case, he may have to leave the village because life there has become unbearable. Ensuring descendants is paramount for families so that the lineage can endure. Men and women are made to pass on life; if they cannot, they lose the primary attribute of their human nature, just as barren land loses its nature as nourishing earth and becomes something arid, incapable of generating life. Land that bears no fruit is a great misfortune for the community, depriving it of necessary food.

Many rites and cults seek to promote fertility, usually linking women’s fertility with the fertility of the fields. The two form a whole. The spiritual forces to which these rites are addressed also take many material forms. Numerous masks and statues are made and consecrated for this purpose. One object used very frequently in many places is the fertility post, placed in front of the door of the hut of a woman approaching childbirth to protect her from adversity and prevent danger from entering. It is the watchman that guards the house and protects it from all evil. Like fertility dolls, statues and other objects carved for this purpose, these posts take different forms and sizes according to the ethnic group.

Female fertility stake. The woman has two horns on her head, so this stake, driven in at the doorway of women giving birth, asks not only for an abundance of children but also of game to provide food. Dark patina.