The Daily Ritual of Greeting among the Baatɔmbu of Benin
Résumé
Greeting litanies composed of two asymmetrical roles, with one person declining a series of inquires and the other supplying the standard replies, are frequent in Africa. This study of the elaborate greeting ritual of the Baatɔmbu (Bariba) examines aspects of the social structure and cultural values reflected in the routine that could explain why the Baatɔmbu reserve the verbally active role for the person of superior status, whereas other societies allot that role to one of inferior status. Some often-neglected nonverbal aspects of greeting are included and their importance in analyzing status display, routine structure, and manipulation are shown.