Madi Derme will join us on WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2022 at 7:30 pm, Paris time, for an interview on his career as a horseman, an equestrian artist, and his action to make the Mossi horsemanship better known. He will tell us, according to the oral tradition, the myth of Princess Yennenga the slim one, and her white stallion.
In Burkina Faso, equestrian traditions are very much alive. They are inspired by the legendary epic of Princess Yennenga and the founding myth of the Mossi horsemen. The story of the princess comes exclusively from oral tradition.
Yennenga, whose name means "the slender one", was born in the town of Gambaga, in the north of present-day Ghana. Nedega, her father, was a great naba, a king whose kingdom dominated the Dagomb peoples. He ruled with authority and fairness, ensuring the prosperity of his kingdom. To protect his kingdom, the naba had a legendary cavalry, which constantly repelled attacks from surrounding kingdoms. The princess was the only child of the king, who despaired of having an heir despite his many wives. Although he was disappointed that he had no male heir, the king loved his daughter more than anything else, for she was the one most like him.
The princess had a passion for animals, especially horses. But she despaired of not being able to ride them like men, because she was a woman and her place was not on the back of this animal. Thus, she went through the initiation process in order to integrate the community of women, while wishing to be part of the community of men who can ride, go to war and are not obliged to do housework.
Yennenga and its legend are still very present today in Burkina. The national emblem of the country, represented on the coat of arms, is the white stallion that guided the princess.
One cannot talk about equestrian art in Burkina without talking about the Dermé family which is the reference of the horse in Burkina. This family, originally from Mali, was called by the Mogho Naaba for its knowledge of bronze. In addition to its knowledge of this alloy, it was a family of equestrian tradition. From generation to generation. And it is this tradition of the horse in the family which is currently perpetuated by the "Little" Madi Dermé of the fourth generation installed in Burkina Faso. Great rider, trainer, voltigeur, he was trained in equestrian arts by his family but also by the Centre des Arts Equestres et du Cirque of Valérie Fratellini.
Madi Derme will join us on WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2022 at 7:30 p.m., Paris time, for an interview on his career as a horseman, an equestrian artist, and his action to make the Mossi horsemanship better known. He will tell us, according to the oral tradition, the myth of Princess Yennenga the slender, and her white stallion. During the interview, you will be able to support Madi and the Festival of Equestrian Arts of Burkina in Ouagadougou with a Collaborative Financing, with Sur Les Pas des Chevaux and Rebecca Fortuné Jeanson.
The interview will be broadcasted on the website of Cheval en Conscience and on the Youtube channel HERE
Armoiries du Burkina Faso représentant l'étalon blanc de Yennenga.
(c) Wikipedia Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo de Madi Derme (c) Antoine BASSALER
Avec nos remerciements à Rebecca Fortuné JEANSON
Extraits de l'article de Jérôme William Bationo sur
https://abb-burkina.org/2017/03/04/lepopee-de-yennenga-revisitee-par-madi-derme/
Pour en savoir plus sur le FIDAE (Festival International des Arts Equestres):
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