Speech Made Visible: The Irregular as a System of Meaning

Abstract

Bogolanfini are mud-dyed cloths painted by women of the Bamana tribe in Mali. Bogolanfini designs are regular geometric patterns, however they are invariably marked by “inaccuracies” and irregularities. It is argued in this article that these irregularities are not mistakes. Rather, they are intentional. The cloths are documents coding knowledge. The inaccuracies serve to conceal this knowledge from all but the initiated. They are analogous to the ambiguities in indigenous writing systems. In Bamana culture, direct speech is frowned on and metaphorical and ambiguous speech is favored. In some cases, direct communication of knowledge is believed to lead to madness. Hypothetically, the irregularities in Bogolanfini cloths reflect these cultural values concerning speech, writing, and communication in general.