The Hausa tribe is one of three prominent ethnic groups in Nigeria. It is also one of the largest tribes in West Africa. Hausas are unique in various aspects of their culture. They have several practices that are exclusive to them. Aside from the stereotypical traits of the Hausas that are well known to virtually everyone, there are some other important and interesting facts you need to know about them. Continue reading…
history / location
The Hausa live in different parts of West Africa. The Hausa tribe is a diverse but culturally homogeneous people living primarily in the Sahel and Sudan areas of northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger. Significant numbers also live in parts of Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Chad, Togo, Ghana and Sudan. The largest Hausa population lives in north-western Nigeria, an area commonly known as “Hausaland”, followed by those in adjacent southern Niger. Most cities in northern Nigeria have been predominantly Hausa inhabited since the Stone Age to the present day. These cities and towns include Kano City, Kastina, Abuja, Bauchi, Birnin Kebbi, Lafia, Makurdi, Sokoto, Suleja, Yola Zaria, Furhia, etc.
people and culture
The Hausa have unique cultural practices, most of which have stood the test of time. Their cultural practices have survived over time due to the strong native systems of government they have, unlike their counterparts who have had to easily submit to colonial rule. Their religion, manner of dress, diet, marriage, and language are all peculiar.
religion
Most Hausas practice the Islamic religion. This worship was imposed on them by traders from North Africa, Mali, Borno and Guinea. As the trade progressed, almost everyone embraced this religion, and they have stubbornly stuck to it ever since. Adherents of Islam are known as Moslems or Muslims and their practices are based on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as set forth in their holy book, the Quran. They hold their services in the mosque and practice praying five times a day. They believe in the existence of the Almighty, the Most High God whom they call Allah. The remaining minority practice traditional religion known as Maguzawa, usually belonging to some local cults.
The traditional Hausa way of life and Islamic social values have long been so intermingled that many of the core tenets of Hausa society are Islamic. In Islam, it is important to note that the custom of separating men from women is strictly observed in almost all situations.
language
The Hausa language has more native speakers than any other language in sub-Saharan Africa. It has an estimated 35 million native speakers and 20 million native speakers. The main Hausa-speaking area is northern Nigeria and Niger. Hausa is also spoken in northern Cameroon, Chad, Sudan and Ivory Coast by Fulani, Tuareg, Kanuri, Gur, Shuwa, Arabs and other Afroasiatic language groups. Hausa is written in Arabic letters and about a quarter of Hausa words are Arabic. Many Hausas can read and write Arabic. Many can also speak French or English. Regardless of ethnicity, most Hausa speakers are Muslims. Hausa often serves as the lingua franca among Muslims in non-Hausa areas.
meal
The Hausa tribe is very rich when it comes to food. The most commonly used foods include grains such as millet, rice, corn, or sorghum, which are ground into flour to produce foods popularly known as “tuwo,” which can be eaten with taushe, kaka, dagedage, etc. Ground bean cakes, kosai or wheat flour fried and eaten with sugar called fankasau can be eaten as breakfast porridge and sugar called koko.
Another interesting thing about food in the Hausa tribe is that there is an abundance of meat, especially beef, as they raise a lot of livestock. They have popular grilled beef specialties like Suya, Kilishi, etc. Cow’s milk known as Nunu, taken with Fura, is also one of their frequent and cherished meals. They also have a lot of root vegetables like onions, carrots, etc.
dressing
The Hausa are known for their elaborate dressing. They have a very restricted dress code, largely due to their religious beliefs. The men wear large, flowing dresses known as “Babban Riga” and a robe-like dress with “Jalabia” or “Juanni” patterns. The men may or may not wear hats known as “Fula”. The women can be recognized by their wrappers labeled “Abaya”, blouses, ties, shawls and hijabs. They also wear Hausa weave fabrics as their shared hairstyles. Hausa women also use a lot of jewellery, ornaments and paintings. The Lalli or Henna paintings and drawings are also an indispensable part of her makeup.
The Hausa tribe is also known for their prominent tribal characters, which they draw mainly on the face and sometimes on other parts of the body. The emergence of the Hausa tribal characters was used for identification. At some point in history, each clan/village had its own tribal traits that made it easy for any of them to identify their kin upon invasion, war, loss, or capture for slavery. But later the capitalist among them started to fool them by being creative and doing unnecessary tattoos on their bodies, especially on the women.
Before
Traditional Hausa marriage is largely based on Islamic rites and is not as time consuming or expensive as traditional Igbo and Yoruba marriage ceremonies. Early marriage and polygamy are very common and widespread in Hausa culture.
The process before marriage is somewhat similar to the other regions in Nigeria. When a man sees the woman he wants to marry, he must first get permission from her parents. The bride-to-be’s family will then conduct an investigation into the man’s background to ascertain his religious beliefs, ethics, moral and family customs, as well as every important detail related to his upbringing. The groom-to-be may see them briefly if approved by the woman’s family, but any form of physical contact, romance, or courtship prior to marriage is strongly encouraged. Once the woman accepts the offer of marriage, the man sends his parents or guardians, as well as older relatives, to formally ask for her hand in marriage.Gaisuwa .
Marriage is characterized by the bride price, which is provided by the groom’s family for the bride and a dowry for the bride, which is provided by her family. And after the gaisuwa, the dowry bidding begins. They usually try to keep it as low as possible, believing that a lower dowry attracts more blessings. The payment of dowry is known as sadaki , after which the sarana is followed by the act of fixing the wedding date. Then the wedding was called Fatihah Coming followed by the reception known as Walima . These two events will be organized depending on the decision of the two families involved.