The Senoufo cosmogonic myths trace the origins of the universe, humankind, and invisible forces. At the heart of these stories is “Koulotiolo”, the Supreme Creator, often associated with a female entity, “Nyéléni”, an ambivalent figure of fertility and power. The world, according to these myths, might emerge from a primordial word, from chaos organized by higher spiritual principles.

These stories explain the arrangement of the cosmos according to which the earth, the sky, the waters, and human beings are created according to a sacred order that rites must maintain. They also introduce moral categories: good, evil, transgression, often embodied by symbolic figures (the serpent, fire, water). [1] indicates that in African societies, these cosmogonic stories are closely linked to ritual practices and the spatial organization of the village, which is found among the Senoufo in the orientation of altars and sacred spaces.

Senoufo etiological myths explain the origins of cultural elements that are the birth of totemic clans, the institution of the Poro, the emergence of certain plants or agricultural practices, and dietary prohibitions. These stories provide symbolic legitimacy for local norms and customs. For example, the prohibition of consuming certain species of animals is explained by a story in which a totemic ancestor saves a group of humans. Similarly, the stages of Poro initiation are all associated with mythical events, recalled at each phase of the ritual. [4] emphasizes that “etiological myths are instruments of social regulation, because they encode the memory of prohibitions and ancient alliances between men and invisible forces”.

Heroic myths feature exemplary figures that are hunters, warriors, diviners, or founders of lineages. These characters, often endowed with supernatural powers, embody the virtues valued by Senoufo society (bravery, wisdom, self-control, and loyalty to ancestors). These stories are closely linked to initiatory education. During the Poro, young initiates hear the story of a hero or ancestor, whose trials symbolize the stages of the transition to adulthood. These stories are performed through songs, masks, and ritual dances. According to [6], the African heroic myth does not aim to deify a man, but to propose a model figure that reinforces the community ideal.

Among the Senoufo of Bagoué, education is not limited to the transmission of practical or academic knowledge. It is part of a holistic perspective in which the individual is trained to become a full member of the society through a long initiation process based on oral tradition, rites, and mythical symbols. This traditional education is primarily driven by the institution of the Poro which is the central pillar of community life and cultural sustainability.

Senoufo myths play a fundamental role in the education of young people. In the initiation schools of Poro, mythical stories are transmitted as coded teachings on the origin of the world, the role of the individual, the place of the collective, and the tests necessary for maturity.

Thus, each myth becomes an educational tool that permits youth to learn the values of discipline, solidarity, respect for elders, and self-control. These virtues are embodied in the mythical figures (heroes, sages, spirits). According to [12], “Senoufo initiatory education relies on mythical, allusive, and coded language to convey profound moral truths”. The myth is not a simple narrative but an educational performance.

4.1.1. The Poro as a School of Life

Initiation of Poro is reserved for males and to a lesser extent for females, particularly elderly and menopausal women. It is the most structured educational space in the Senoufo society. Initiation prepares young people to assume their future roles in the community by transmitting to them ancestral values, rules of conduct, self-control, solidarity, loyalty, justice, and honor ([11]).

The education provided in the Poro is spiritual, moral, and social. Through progressive initiation cycles, young people are confronted with symbolic and physical challenges that allow them to discover the world of ancestors, spirits, and the invisible laws that govern the Senoufo universe ([5]). This process helps to create a strong bond between the individual and the community, thus strengthening group cohesion.

4.1.2. Transmission of Traditional Knowledge

The knowledge transmitted within the Poro includes both mythological knowledge and practical skills (agriculture, music, ritual dance, crafts, and traditional medicine). This form of pedagogy is based on observation, repetition, memorization, and symbolization. Knowledge is transmitted by elders, holders of the sacred words and guarantors of tradition ([10]).

Myths, tales, proverbs, and initiation songs are used as powerful educational tools. They not only teach the history of the people, but also rules of conduct in interpersonal relationships, family responsibilities, and attitudes to be adopted toward nature and the sacred ([3]).

4.1.3. Social Integration and Identity Building

Initiation into community life aims to make everyone a fully integrated social being. Through Poro, the youth becomes mature. It teaches how to speak in public, respect elders, and be helpful. This training is a school of traditional citizenship, where individual responsibility is always linked to collective interest ([5]). New initiates are identified by visible signs, such as tattoos, body markings, specific clothing, and initiatory names. According to [11], these elements allow the young initiate to feel part of a lineage, a village, a people. They foster a strong sense of identity, essential in a society based on interdependence.

4.1.4. Conflict Prevention and Social Stabilization

Initiation also instills the values of peace, dialogue, and emotional control. By teaching young people respect for elders’ authority, resolving disputes according to traditional procedures, and avoiding humiliating others, Poro helps prevent social tensions. Thus, it plays a peacemaking role within the community ([10]). This educational system preserves social balance because it prepares future leaders, heads of families, notables, and mediators to act according to collective ethics. Initiation thus becomes a regulatory mechanism that ensures generational stability and the continuity of social institutions ([3]).

The educational functions of the Poro among the Senoufo of Bagoué go beyond individual training. They are part of a collective project of social and spiritual construction. Initiation, based on cosmogonic myths and ancestral values, allows each generation to anchor itself in a symbolic order that guarantees community unity and stability. In this way, the Senoufo transmits not only knowledge, but also a way of life based on harmony, responsibility, and memory.

Myths also contribute to social organization. They justify clan structures, age hierarchies, sexual division of labor, and ritual roles. By recounting the origins of taboos, totems, or alliances, they establish collective benchmarks and strengthen solidarity. They also play a role in symbolic control. When an individual violates a norm, an explanatory myth is often invoked to symbolically denounce the transgression. This indirect pedagogy allows for non-violent correction while maintaining community harmony. [6] explains that “in African societies, myth functions as an implicit code of ethics, always available to be activated according to the circumstances of social life”.

On a spiritual level, Senoufo myths express the relationship between the living being, the dead, and invisible forces. They structure offering rituals, invocations, and divinatory practices. Through myth, ancestors still speak, spirits guide, and deities interact with humans.

Each religious ceremony or phase of the Poro is accompanied by a specific mythical narrative, often sung or mimed through masks. This narrative serves to invoke sacred memories and ensure continuity between the visible world and the afterlife. According to [9], “for the Senoufo, myth is ritual speech; it articulates memory, sacredness, and the permanence of ancestral ties”.

Among traditional African peoples, cosmogonic myths play a fundamental role in structuring society. These creation stories not only explain the origin of the world but also constitute symbolic and normative references that regulate social, political, and spiritual behavior. In northern Côte d’Ivoire, particularly in the region of Bagoué, cosmogonic myths are deeply rooted in cultural practices, particularly through Poro rites, initiation stories, and sacred songs. They outline a world architecture in which each element of humanity, nature, and spirit occupies a precise place, guaranteeing harmony and social stability.

Thus, understanding the cosmic order as it is formulated in Senoufo cosmogonic narratives allows us to grasp the foundations on which social organization rests. This work aims to analyze the way in which the Senoufo of Bagoué draw inspiration from the mythical world to build and maintain the stability of their society.

5.1.1. Main Creation Stories

In the region of Bagoué, between the Senoufo, creation stories feature “Koulotiolo”, the supreme entity, as the creator of the sky, the earth, and all living beings. According to oral tradition, the world was born from a cosmic egg containing the primordial elements such as water, fire, earth, and air. This initial germ was opened under divine impulse to give birth to the ordered universe ([5]).

The mythical ancestors, sent by “Koulotiolo”, shaped the earth and established the first laws of coexistence. These stories are transmitted during initiation ceremonies and through symbolic tales in which natural elements, such as trees, rivers, and mountains, are endowed with a soul and a spiritual function ([11]).

1)TheSymbolismofUniversalOrder

In Senoufo cosmogony, the world order is conceived as hierarchical, circular, and complementary. The sky represents the world of invisible forces and ancestors, the earth that of the living, and the subsoil that of the dead and spirits. This tripartite structure reflects a balance that must be preserved to ensure the survival of the community ([3]).

Each natural element is perceived as a link in a sacred chain, and rituals aim to maintain or restore this cosmic harmony. Social disorder is often interpreted as a reflection of an imbalance in the invisible world, hence the need for a social life based on the principles of order and equity transmitted by myths ([10]).

2)CosmicOrderasanArchetypeofSocialOrder

The Senoufo social order is based on a strict distribution of roles, functions, and responsibilities, whose origins can be found in traditional cosmology. The creation myth provides a structuring model for the organization of castes, lineages, and institutions. It serves as a normative framework that legitimizes social hierarchies and rules of conduct. Thus, each group of blacksmiths, farmers, and initiates to Poro occupies a specific place in the society, echoing the orderly arrangement of the cosmos ([5]). Respect for this order becomes a collective imperative guaranteeing peace, solidarity, and social balance.

3)DistributionofSocialRolesInspiredbyCosmogony

Social organization is strictly regulated by structures inherited from the cosmic model among the Senoufo of Bagoué. The different castes of blacksmiths (Koulotigui), farmers, hunters, and griots are considered embodiments of the complementary forces of the world. Each group plays an essential role in the balance of society, echoing the constituent elements of the universe ([5]).

The Poro system, an educational and initiatory institution, plays a major role in the distribution and recognition of these roles. It introduces young people to the knowledge of cosmic and social laws, preparing them to assume their responsibilities with wisdom and respect ([10]).

4)TheSacralizationofSocialNorms

Rules of conduct, taboos, and traditional laws are based on cosmogonic narratives. They are not only social or legal, but also spiritual. For example, breaking a norm can be perceived as an attack on the divine order, potentially leading to supernatural sanctions ([11]).

Traditional justice, administered by elders, is therefore a reactivation of the will of the ancestors and “Koulotiolo”. It aims to restore broken harmony, not to punish in a purely repressive sense. This justice is therefore restorative, respectful of cosmic balance, and deeply rooted in mythical tradition ([3]).

5.1.2. Social Stability and Community Sustainability through Myths

Cosmogonic myths are not simply narratives of the past. They are alive and continually reactivated through rituals, songs, proverbs, and institutions such as the Poro, which plays a fundamental role in transmitting values ([10]). By reaffirming the original order established by divine forces, Senoufo cultural practices consolidate social cohesion and strengthen community resilience in the case of crises and changes. Respecting the balances inherited from myth becomes a means of ensuring stability in the present, while preparing future generations to perpetuate social harmony.

1)MythasaToolforSocialCohesion

Cosmogonic narratives are central to Senoufo collective identity. Passed down within the family, at funerals, or during Poro rites, they recall the foundations of society and strengthen bonds between individuals. Myth serves as a link between generations, teaching respect, hospitality, solidarity, and obedience to social rules ([5]).

The Poro, as a living extension of myth, structures community life, transmits fundamental values, and ensures the continuity of traditional knowledge. It introduces young people to social and spiritual responsibility, thus ensuring the reproduction of cosmic order in daily life ([10]).

2)CulturalResilienceandStabilityintheFaceofChange

In a contemporary world marked by urbanization, individualism, and socioeconomic upheaval, Senoufo myths continue to play a role in social regulation. Faced with modern uncertainties, they provide communities with solid symbolic reference points. By relying on mythical narratives, the Senoufo group preserves its unity, stability, and identity ([11]). Thus, the use of myths in conflict resolution, family crisis management, and reconciliation rites demonstrates that these narratives retain remarkable social effectiveness. They help re-anchor individuals in a system of collective values where order and balance take precedence over personal interests ([3]).

The cosmic order as described in Senoufo cosmogonic myths, constitutes a powerful model of social organization. It is beyond a symbolic representation of the world and can be considered a concrete guide for the management of society. Through social roles, rules of conduct, initiation rites, and traditional justice, the Senufo of Bagoué translate the principles of an orderly and harmonious world into their daily lives. This constant connection to myth guarantees sustainable stability, based on respect for the balances inherited from their ancestors. In this respect, myths are not from the past. They are a living pillar of social stability.

Ancestors are omnipresent in Senoufo myths. Whether they are creators, heroes, founders, or intercessors, they embody an indisputable moral and spiritual authority. The recitation of the myth is often an act of recalling or summoning this authority.

This ideological presence of ancestors serves to legitimize the patriarchal order, lineage hierarchies, and the mechanisms of power transmission in the Poro or chiefdoms. By returning to the “words of the elders”, the myth reinforces the value of tradition and makes it difficult to question established structures. [2] explains that “in Senoufo initiation stories, the hero only becomes great if he aligns himself with the laws of the ancestors. This is an ideology of fidelity rather than transgression”.

Finally, Senoufo myths convey an ethic of solidarity. Individual destiny has value only if it is inscribed within that of the group. Heroism is not a personal feat, but rather sacrifice or devotion to the clan, the lineage, or the community.

The stories show that those who transgress the collective order (lies, pride, individualism) are punished or marginalized, while those who respect the common rule are rewarded with social recognition and ancestral blessings. [9] showed that “the Senoufo myth instills a morality of shared responsibility, where each being is the guardian of a social and cosmic balance”.