La societe wolof a travers les contes de birago diop

Wolof society through birago diop tales

• Auteur / Autrice : ASSIA DERJ
• Direction : FRANCOIS-X CUCHE
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Études africaines
• Date : Soutenance en 1996
• Etablissement(s) : Université Marc Bloch (Strasbourg) (1971-2008)

Résumé

Dans les annees 60, le senegalais birago diop transcrit et remodele des contes traditionnels avec son style de conteur moderne. Il tente d'y faire connaitre sa culture et d'y peindre la societe qui l'a vu naitre, a travers trois principaux recueils: les contes d'amadou koumba, les nouveaux contes d'amadou koumba et contes et lavanes. Dans l'ensemble des contes de birago diop, la societe ouest-africaine est refletee. Cependant, c'est generalement le milieu wolof auquel appartient birago diop, qui se retrouve represente, avec non seulement ses structures familiales et sociales, sa vie quotidienne, sa philosophie mais egalement ses influences et ses mutations. Au niveau des personnages, de leurs actions et de leur philosophie, apparait une sorte d'ambivalence, reflet de ce dualisme qui existe au sein de la culture africaine. Ce dualisme est le reflet aussi d'une societe qui a perdu des valeurs, qui se retrouve entre deux civilisatio ns diametralement opposees, qui eprouve un malaise en face des mutations socioculturelles et qui a perdu tout son equilibre. Malgre la fervente defense de la societe africaine traditionnelle, birago diop trahit, a travers ses contes, ce trouble ressenti par sa societe voire par lui meme qui a subi l'influence a la fois de la culture occidentale et de la culture traditionnelle.

In the 60s, the senegalese birago diop transcribes and remodels traditional stories (tales) with a modern narrator style. By means of these tales, he tries to make his culture known and to paint his society. Among these tales, three main anthologies can be mentioned : amadou koumba tales, amadou koumba new tales and tales and lavanes. The west african society is reflected in all the tales of birago diop. Nevertheless, birago diop comes from the wolof environment, which is painted with its social and family structure, with its everyday life, its philosophy, as well as i ts influences and mutations. Concerning the characters, their actions and phylosophy, a kind of ambivalence appears as a reflection of this dualism characterizing the african culture. This dualism is also the reflection of one society, which has lost its own values; it is finding itself between two diametrically opposing civilizations, feeling uneasy in front of social and cultural mutations and losing all its balance. In spite of his attempt to defend traditional african society, birago diop reveals through his tales this uneasiness of his society and of himself, as he is under double influence of traditional and modern (western) culture.