African Folklore: An Encyclopedia - Marshalls University

African Americans 979
performed, so the workers are usually acquainted with the repertoire of the performer. In
some cases, the performer might be asked to present a specific episode. In such cases,
whenever the narrator happens to forget any detail, members of the audience are usually
anxious to remind him. These performances, moreover, contain some elements of folk
dramas, such as an actor and an audience. But they lack other elements, such as costumes
or decorations. These minishows could be incorporated into folk dramas, but the fact that
they are usually performed by humorous figures relates them to the jocular narratives.
Graffiti
A subgenre, graffiti, is one of those peripheral genres of folklore which are usually found
in a recorded visual form. Graffiti is usually found on posters and drawings on walls,
sometimes on doors or windows. Any suitable surface can be used. In the Sudan Textile
Factory, this subgenre is widely observed in the dyeing section, and to a lesser degree in
the weaving department, but it is hardly ever observed in the embroidery department. In
the dyeing section the availability of the material to write with (i.e., the dyes) allows the
workers to express themselves in graffiti. In the embroidery section, however, general
cleanliness is strictly observed (another relevant factor is that there are more women than
men in the latter section). Graffiti is perceived as shouting or boasting, actions
traditionally encouraged among men but discouraged among women. Related to the
graffiti are the posters that are widely used throughout the city of Khartoum. These
posters are fixed on cars, walls, doors, and any other suitable surfaces. The major theme
of the posters is the fear of the Evil Eye, and sometimes an eye is drawn on a poster. One
of these posters was fixed on a newly installed electric machine, certainly in an effort to
protect the machine from the Evil Eye. Sometimes, a wall might be decorated with
posters that carry an advertisement, such as “My Toyota is Fantastic.”
Women’s Folklore
Several factors constrain observing and collecting the expressive behavior of the female
workers inside, as well as outside, the factory. The percentage of the females in the
factory is very small, not exceeding 1 percent. The majority are found in the embroidery
department. In fact, this department is dominated by females, in sharp contrast to other
departments.
Some folkloric genres might be considered a part of women’s folklore specifically,
such as folk dress. It is easily observed inside the factory that women are keen to adopt
exotic fashions, especially Egyptian. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, it is
difficult to find a woman in the urban setting who has mushat (the classic Sudanese
hairstyle). On the other hand, inside the factory, the tobe (traditional Sudanese folk
dress), still dominates among women.
In brief, women’s folklore inside the factory is slightly different from that which is
performed outside the factory, although in both locations their behavior and dress are
clearly linked to their gender. Many note that the behavior of the women generally
reflects the impact of the mass media, particularly television. This can be observed