Afrykański dom jako przestrzeń święta. Studiumetnologiczne zpółnocnego Togo
African House as aSacred Space. Ethnological Study of the North-Togo

Summary/Abstract: The house can be considered as ametaphor of life. It is aplace where human life begins and ends. It is also the proper place for preparing food and aplace to eat ameal. This paper, based on ethnological data from the North of Togo, presents African house as asacred space, separated from the outside world by the com- pound wall and is sanctified through the regular offe- ring of sacrifices being done inside. The comparative description of the house building in the different eth- nic groups shows multiple similarities. The only diffe- rence concerns the presence or absence of vestibule and the position of granary inside or outside courty- ard. The African household forms members of family living in the compound. It is agroup of kin bound through the common goal, the surviving. The group of kinship includes also the defunct who support and protect living members of family. The sacrifices offe- red in the honor of ancestors ensure material prospe- rity and procreation capacity of women. The house is also aplace of ritual enacting, especially in case of ri- tes of passage and rites of crisis. The African house is aproper place for maintaining the life – physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually.

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