West African Writing Systems

In this video we discuss the ancient writing system of West Africa. The video makes it clear that West African writing systems are not recent inventions, and the people who use these scripts have been literate for thousands of years. It explains that West African writing systems are maintained in West African Secret Societies, like the Poro Society. You can find out more about these writing systems in the articles below:

T.E. Beslow, From Darkness of Africa to the light of America).Gail Stewart,Notes on the present-day usage of the Vai script in Liberia (African Language Review 6,(1967)p.71)

 D. Dalby, Further indigenous scripts in West Africa and etc.,ALS,10,pp.180-181.

 David Diringer,The Alphabet (London,1968, pp.130-133)

K.Hau, Pre-Islamic writing in West Africa, Bulletin de l'IFAN, t35, ser.B,No.1 (1973)pp.1-45).

S.W. Koelle in Narrative of an expedition into Vy country West Africa and the Discovery of a system of writing,etc.(London,1849)

 S.W. Koelle, Outline grammar of the Vai language--and an account of the discovery and nature of the Vai mode of syllabic writing, London,1854).

Winters,C.A.(1983a)."The Ancient Manding Script",In Blacks in Science:Ancient and Modern, (ed) by Ivan van Sertima, (New Brunswick:Transaction Books ) pages 208-214.

Winters, Clyde. (2011.) Olmec (Mande) Loan Words in the Mayan, Mixe-Zoque and Taino Languages . Current Research Journal of Social Science Year, Vol: 3 Issue: 3 Pages/record No.: 152-179. http://maxwellsci.com/print/crjss/v3-152-179.pdf

Winters, Clyde. (2013). African Empires in Ancient America. Createspace, Amazon.

Winters, Clyde. (2013a). Atlantis In Mexico: The Mande Discovery of America. Createspace, Amazon.

Winters, Clyde. .(2015). Olmec Language and Literature. Createspace,Amazon.