According to Senoufo mythology, the first animals that appeared on earth were: the chameleon, the turtle, the snake, the crocodile and the hornbill commonly called '' Ségen ''.
As for the hornbill, it is the protective bird of the sacred wood & forest and constitutes a symbol with strong cultural value by the expression and the symbolism it contains. In the past, when it disappeared from view, it portended near danger or some calamity. When the hornbill hatched, it referred to good harvests and abundance.
Beyond fertility, the hornbill contains three main concepts that characterize the Sénoufo:
A- His wide back = He endures a lot to protect his posterity, it looks like he takes a lot.
B- His big belly = the one who knows a lot but who does not say a word. It is knowledge, with which it covers itself, that does not reveal itself in plain sight.
C- The long and pointed beak = he is the one who speaks little. It is the expression of one who speaks only to engage and this commitment is a symbol of determination.
D- The legs: the legs firmly placed on the ground, mean that the Senoufo have their feet on the ground, well rooted and strongly linked to its origins and its culture.
Text credit: Noor Mohamed Coulibaly
Photo credit: Africa geographic
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