Oral tradition relating to slavery and slave trade in Nigeria, Ghana ...

Foreword
W
ithin the framework of the “Slave Route” project, UNESCO
has undertaken a large compilation of oral traditions, memorable
testimonies of this tragedy.This living memory engraves in the
life of families and communities constitute a priceless intangible cultural
heritage that is becoming more fragile as generations are
replaced by new ones. It must be saved at all cost.
After the publication of works entitled “Tradition orale et
archives de la traite négrière” in 2001,“ Les sources orales en Guinée
et en Sénégambie ” and “ Tradition orale liée à la traite négrière et à
l’esclavage en Afrique centrale ” in 2003, UNESCO continues the
collection and the diffusion of data of the oral tradition relating to the
Slave Trade.
This time, it places at the disposal of the researchers but also
of the international community and general public information,
which was collected in Nigeria, Ghana and Benin by Dr. Alaba
Simpson of the University of Lagos.
The data collected make it possible to better know the conditions
of the first contact between Europeans and the societies and
inform us on how the slaves were captured, treated and sold. Certain
testimonies reveal with many details the role of the intermediaries
and local trade partners of the Slave Trade and slavery in these countries.
The heritage in the houses of ancient slaves confirms this
information, which was transmitted from generation to generation
and mostly orally. In the Dahomey, current Benin, accounts made it
possible to archaeologists to locate and discover remains of slaves
thrown in a common grave along the slave route.
This study is initially a historical research of which one of the
objectives is to help to determine the present, in particular antago-
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