Dream Dictionary

Dreams hold a special significance to the Malinkes. Below is a dictionary - abridged - to assist you in interpreting your dreams Malinke-style.

COW - If you dream of a cow, then be careful. This dream is a bad omen. There's a chance you may get eaten by a sorcerer. 

CRYING - Dreams seem to inhabit an opposite world, according to the Malinke. Thus, if you dream of tears, this heralds something positive and abundant that will come your way, be it money or children.

DARK CLOTHING - 

The dreaded sorcerer.

Much like the cow dream, if you dream of dark clothing, this is bad. You will get eaten by a sorcerer. Sorcerers, like djinnos, are bad spirits that eat human flesh. Often owls are believed to be sorcerers and will be killed upon sighting.

FISH - Congratulations! Dreaming of fish is a good sign; it means you will have a kid. In the West, we often think of having children as a financial drain. Here in Senegal, kids are considered a sound financial investment, since they will be the ones to provide for the parents later in life.

FLYING - Flying dreams are a good sign. You are able to escape from the flesh-eating sorcerer!

LAUGHTER - Like the crying dream, the laughing dream portends opposite results. Something will happen to you to cause tears in real life.

LIGHT CLOTHING - This is good! (Alas, I was not able to get any further explanation than "C'est bon, quoi.")

LION - If this king of the forest appears in your dreams, it's cause for rejoicing - you will come into some money! Lions, while they are a real fear here (one volunteer spotted one on the main road in the nearby Niokolo Koba Park), also represent heroic deeds. (Be looking out for a future entry on Sundiata Keita, the Lion King.)

MARRIAGE - Again, we have opposite implications here. If you dream of a marriage, soon someone in real life will die.

PERSON - If a specific person appears in your dream, they will soon enter your life. Recently, I dreamed that the husband of my host aunt, who has been away for months working in the gold mines, returned to Diakhaba. I told my Aunt Noba this and she became incredibly excited, telling me this meant he would be coming home soon. 'Soon' is often loosely defined here. A month later, and my uncle still hasn't showed up.

SNAKE - The snake, like the fish, means you will have a kid.

A snake bringing good news.

These twins slightly resemble my grandmother.

TWINS - Twins are very significant to the Malinkes. They are thought to have special powers of perception, particularly in the realm of dreams. My grandmother, for example - Hawa Soukho - often has dreams that come true, such as the death of certain people. Hawa is a Muslim version of the Christian name Eve. Often twins are named Hadama and Hawa, or Adam and Eve.

WATER - Water indicates a long life. My cousin, Soma, recently told me of a dream he had in which, Issa-like, he walked on water. This greatly pleased my family, who told him he would live to a ripe old age.

A glimmering, shimmering body of water.

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               The distinguished artists, hard at work.