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Bassa compounds are known and referred to by particular names. These names are gotten from two main sources, the name of the clan, and the name of the family head.
As children earlier, the Bassa build their compounds either according to their clan grouping or their family units. Thus a clan may get its own portion of land in the village from where each of its members build their houses that cluster into a very large compound. Different clan families may however be scattered into various family units making up its own compound. To refer to a compound therefore, these two areas are taken into consideration. If the compound is made of all clan members coming together to build its houses in the same compound area, then that compound names as the Ashashama compound, the Edigishi compound, the Arusameshe compound, etc. if one is going to such a compound he identifies it by the name of the clan. When compounds are built on family basis rather than clan clusters, each family head stands out as symbol of the family. His name will therefore be the name by which that family/compound is known and referred by. Thus there are compounds bearing such names like the compound of kure, the compound of Jere, the compound of Sheneni, the compound of Daruwana, etc. the man whose name is used is usually the eldest and most respected member of the family. Bassa settlement pattern is a special area of kin interest. The villages are small enough for intimate social interactions and friendliness. Each person is well kwon and his problems taken and settled as community problems. The spatial nature of the village and the fact that each man and woman has her/his own house or room makes for good individual privacy. The whole vaillage is protected by the numerous deities and gods chiefly among which is the Ijili. |