Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea: A History of the Liberian People Before 1800

Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea reveals the long-hidden story of those who lived in the region before Liberia was created. Here are a few of the inspiring revelations it contains:* The different languages and ethnic groups of Liberia share a common root.* The barkless "kaykay" dog found in Liberian villages were a favorite pet of Ancient Egyptian pharaohs.* Kola - once used as an ingredient in soft drinks - was discovered by the ancestors of Liberi ans.* Early European explorers learned from early Liberian seafarers how to navigate some dangerous currents and winds of the Atlantic Ocean.* Rice growers from West Africa's "Grain Coast" helped teach Americans how to grow rice. Today, the United States exports rice to West Africa, including Liberia.Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea took 30 years of research and uses documents first published in Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish and French. It draws on oral traditions, archaeological digs, historical linguistics, studies of cultural patterns embedded in masks and other forms of material culture, regional and continental histories, and even biological anthropology. Just as West African farmers burn a field to remove weeds, Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea demolishes many negative stereotypes. For centuries, African cultures have been portrayed as "strange," "weird," even "evil" through the use of words like "fetish," "witch," and "country devil." Instead, the book uses more neutral words to describe African culture, such as ethnic group (not "tribe") and energy or power (not "spirit"). This book will change Liberian history - and Liberians - for good!

"1125378811"
Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea: A History of the Liberian People Before 1800

Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea reveals the long-hidden story of those who lived in the region before Liberia was created. Here are a few of the inspiring revelations it contains:* The different languages and ethnic groups of Liberia share a common root.* The barkless "kaykay" dog found in Liberian villages were a favorite pet of Ancient Egyptian pharaohs.* Kola - once used as an ingredient in soft drinks - was discovered by the ancestors of Liberi ans.* Early European explorers learned from early Liberian seafarers how to navigate some dangerous currents and winds of the Atlantic Ocean.* Rice growers from West Africa's "Grain Coast" helped teach Americans how to grow rice. Today, the United States exports rice to West Africa, including Liberia.Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea took 30 years of research and uses documents first published in Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish and French. It draws on oral traditions, archaeological digs, historical linguistics, studies of cultural patterns embedded in masks and other forms of material culture, regional and continental histories, and even biological anthropology. Just as West African farmers burn a field to remove weeds, Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea demolishes many negative stereotypes. For centuries, African cultures have been portrayed as "strange," "weird," even "evil" through the use of words like "fetish," "witch," and "country devil." Instead, the book uses more neutral words to describe African culture, such as ethnic group (not "tribe") and energy or power (not "spirit"). This book will change Liberian history - and Liberians - for good!

50.0 In Stock
Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea: A History of the Liberian People Before 1800

Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea: A History of the Liberian People Before 1800

by C. Patrick Burrowes
Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea: A History of the Liberian People Before 1800

Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea: A History of the Liberian People Before 1800

by C. Patrick Burrowes

Hardcover

$50.00 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea reveals the long-hidden story of those who lived in the region before Liberia was created. Here are a few of the inspiring revelations it contains:* The different languages and ethnic groups of Liberia share a common root.* The barkless "kaykay" dog found in Liberian villages were a favorite pet of Ancient Egyptian pharaohs.* Kola - once used as an ingredient in soft drinks - was discovered by the ancestors of Liberi ans.* Early European explorers learned from early Liberian seafarers how to navigate some dangerous currents and winds of the Atlantic Ocean.* Rice growers from West Africa's "Grain Coast" helped teach Americans how to grow rice. Today, the United States exports rice to West Africa, including Liberia.Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea took 30 years of research and uses documents first published in Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish and French. It draws on oral traditions, archaeological digs, historical linguistics, studies of cultural patterns embedded in masks and other forms of material culture, regional and continental histories, and even biological anthropology. Just as West African farmers burn a field to remove weeds, Between the Kola Forest and the Salty Sea demolishes many negative stereotypes. For centuries, African cultures have been portrayed as "strange," "weird," even "evil" through the use of words like "fetish," "witch," and "country devil." Instead, the book uses more neutral words to describe African culture, such as ethnic group (not "tribe") and energy or power (not "spirit"). This book will change Liberian history - and Liberians - for good!


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780998390512
Publisher: Know Your Self Press
Publication date: 11/22/2016
Pages: 508
Product dimensions: 6.69(w) x 9.61(h) x 1.13(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction 1
Sons of Ham and Headless People 6
Eurocentrism and Ancient Egypt 8
The New Hamites: Fulas and Mandingos 9
An African Perspective on History 10
Language and Eurocentrism in African History 14
Eurocentrism in Liberian Studies 16
A New Total History 18
The Eden of West Africa 27
Niger-Congo Languages 33
Land, Clan and Gender 50
Sea Salt, Kola Seeds and Malagueta Spice 54
Shifting Winds, Ocean Currents and Natural Harbors 57
Taa's Town, Pottery and the Long-Distance Salt Trade 59
Stone Carvings as Evidence of Iron-Smelting 60
The Way of the Ancestors 71
The Energy in All Things 73
Masquerades as Homes to Abstract Powers 74
Ancestor Veneration, Not Worship 76
Shrines and Sacraments 78
Diviners, Prophets and Other Religious Authorities 80
Blacksmiths, Hunters and the Control of Life-force 82
Wisdom in Proverbs and Visual Signs 84
Sociopaths as Sources of Evil 85
West African Conception of Time 87
Egypt and Religions of the Book 95
The Mediterranean World 102
Lost Tribes of Israel? 104
Christianity's Refuge in North Africa 105
Islam - Habash to Südan 108
The Rise of Empires 115
International Trade 116
Mande Speakers along the Niger 120
Clans Change to Castes 122
Tributary States and Empires 123
The Advantages of Writing 125
Conversions to Islam 126
The Ghana and Mali Empires 128
Succession Fights and Migrations 129
Down from the Niger 139
Arrival of Southeast and Southwest Mande Speakers 141
Vai, Dama, Kono 143
Southwest Mande Speakers 146
Southeast Mande Speakers 147
People of the Poro and Sande 150
The Dark Side of Trade 151
The World Turned Upside Down 159
The Persistent Presence of Portuguese 161
Grains, God and Gold 162
A Napoleon Complex 165
Columbus, Spain and the New World 165
Early European Accounts 166
Gold from Coya 167
More Slaves for More Weapons and Horses 168
The Songhai Empire and Expansion of Islam 169
Dispersal of the Malinké 177
The Mane Conquest of the Sierra Leone Peninsula 179
Making Sense of the Invasion 180
The Quoia Invasion 182
Interpreting the Quoja Invasion 183
Emergence of Mende, Disappearance of Dama 188
A Movement that Shook the Entire Region 189
Into the Forest 195
Movement from Man 196
Migration into Western Liberia 197
The Loma and the Kokologi Agreement 201
Kpelle and Ma Interactions 202
Dispersal from Mt. Gedeh 204
Unique Features of the Southeast Region 209
"They work excellent well in Iron" 217
The French and English Enter the West African Trade 221
Local Farming and Foods 225
Nicolas Villault and the Voyage of the Europa 227
Intimacy and a Unique Handshake 232
Two-Story Huts & Sugar-Loaf Baskets 239
William Bosman on the Sexual Habits of Local Women 240
Wild Men, Fruitful Women and a Funeral 243
Amsterdam's Decline, England's Rise 246
Jean Barbot Visits Cape Mount and the Malagueta Coast 248
Scarification and Traditional Religion at Sestros 251
Surveyor William Smith and the Soundings of the Rivers 253
Lamentations and Chants of Grief 259
British Interpolers and French Adventurers 270
Guns, Rum and Rebellion 272
A Fisher of Men 276
African Resistance to Slavery 279
Crawling Ahead, Falling Behind 291
Cities: Seats of the Good Life? 293
"Hungry Times," Smallpox and the Plague 294
Human Labor and Other Sources of Energy 295
Farming and Foods 296
Meat and Other Sources of Protein 297
Clothes, Furniture and Dishes 298
Mud and Wood Dwellings 300
Civility and Sexual Mores 301
Transportation 302
Making Things 303
Markets, Money and Monopolies 304
How Europe Crawled Ahead of Africa 307
A New World Order 317
Elephants and Leopards 318
From Calicos and Batiks to "African" Fabrics 319
Brazil's Gifts of Domboy and Gbassajamba 320
From Palmwine to Brandy and Rum 322
Conclusion 331
Local Impact of the Slave Trade 323
Migration from the Niger 330
The Problem of "Purity" 332
The Lingering Legacy of de Sintra 333
Toward the Future 335
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews