Friday, January 22, 2010
Basket Weaving
Lately, Siaka's aunt has been teaching me how to weave baskets out of palm branch leaves. The women weave in underground rooms that they have dug out to keep the leaves cool and moist. I've had three lessons so far. One lesson was briefly interrupted be a very large green snake that accidentally slithered and feel into the pit. The women killed it and then resumed weaving.
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I assume the log in the middle of the pit is what you use to get in and out of the underground room. That must have taken them a long time to dig out that room, it looks so deep! Do the women sell these baskets or keep them for themselves?
ReplyDeleteThe women sell them and keep them for themselves. I don't know how long it took to dig it out. But it is so cool down there...as in, its like an air conditioned room in the middle of the African bush!
ReplyDeleteThe log is a palm tree trunk and, yes, it functions as a ladder. They carve out little notches for foot holds. They carve out the same kind of notches while the tree is still alive so they can climb it to get the fruit and they also tap them and ferment the juice to make palm wine (which sounds delicious, but isn't).