I love wikipedia

[boyofbadgers]

From the page on the Mali Empire:

"Sundiata also instituted a universal constitution for the Mandinka and all subjects of his new empire. [...] He also put in place social and economic reforms including prohibitions on the maltreatment of prisoners and slaves, installing women in government circles and a system of banter between clans which clearly stated who could say what about in who."

Can this possibly be true? I mean, it looks like a simple typo that's been overelaborated by an overenthusiastic wikipedian, but I very much hope it's genuine.

Comments

[friend-of-tofu.livejournal.com]

*falls about laughing*

Oh, I needed that tonight!

[tansu.livejournal.com]

I reckon it's true.
The French Wikipedia page on Mali has this statement: " Pour rassembler ces clans, il instaure le système de parenté à plaisanterie." - To bring about social cohesion between these clans, he instituted a system of clan rapport / cousinage via jokes / banter.

The passage you quote first appeared on the English Wikipedia page on 29 September 2006.

The passage from the French Wikipedia predates this.

Also, becuase I have nowt better to do right at this minute, I looked up "mali keita plaisanterie" and found references to the "parenté à plaisanterie" concept, including this - http://www.lemali.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=85&Itemid=135 which says that it is a system whereby two people from the same tribe or from the same clan can joke and banter with each other, and must accept even harsh banter from each other.

I found it has a Malian name - sanankuya.

So, yep. A system of banter.

[juliet]

That is *ace*.

[badgermoonhare.livejournal.com]

It is true! (hi! I found your journal through a mention of your name on miss_newham's journal) I recall the concept of 'joking relationships' from my studies in anthropology, but I can't really give you any good references from off the top of my head.

There is an article on the subject here, thanks to Google, which seems rather interesting:
http://www.folklore.ee/folklore/vol14/dagaaba.htm

[badgermoonhare.livejournal.com]

"...institutionalized form of social interaction between two persons or groups in which one is permitted—or even required—to make fun of or tease the other, who, usually, is not permitted to take offense. The joking may be mutual (symmetrical) or formalized in such a way that one person does the teasing and the other does not retaliate (asymmetrical). (...)"

This is from the online version of the Encyclopædia Britannica

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

This is excellent stuff, thank you very much!

[badgermoonhare.livejournal.com]

Yer welcome! It was no trouble. And thank you for making me think of joking relationships.

[blech.livejournal.com]

A system of banter beats the pants off the rather nasty Pashtunwali (http://economist.com/world/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8345531) (from the ever-recommended Economist Christmas special, also featuring "Postmodernism And How Capitalism Subsumed It (Just Like Punk, Bitches)").