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Master of the Killer Ants
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Program Overview
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NOVA reveals the spiritual rituals
of the African Mofu people as they go through their harvest cycle, and follows
the efforts of the tribe to bring an ant to its village to rid a home of
termites.
The program:
introduces the Mofu people of the Mandara Mountains in the central African
country of Cameroon. notes the
end of the Mofu's dry season, and the community's task of sowing
before the rainy season the sorghum seeds they depend on for food. presents
the prayer used to call the killer red ant, jaglavak, to help drive out the
termites. reviews
the social structure of a termite colony—soldiers defend the mound,
workers feed and care for the young and take care of the nest's
construction, winged ants leave the nest to start new colonies, and the queen
lays eggs. provides
details about the termite queen. shows
some of the rituals of the Mofu people, including a rain stone ceremony used in
response to the draught. describes
the Mofu's belief in a symbiotic relationship between a species of bird
and ant that depend on each other for sorghum seeds. revisits the problem of the termite to find
that the ant has not come in answer to their prayers, so children are sent to
find the killer red ant. shows how
the children gather insects for food, which are later prepared and eaten. recounts
the finding and gathering of the jaglavak. identifies characteristics of the red ant—it is an army ant and a
predator with great strength and tenacity. details
the attack of the jaglavak on the termite colony, noting the strategic plan of
immobilizing the much larger soldier termites and driving the queen away from
the nest. follows the Mofu as they
complete their harvest rituals, including gathering and threshing the sorghum,
removing the skin from the seeds, and stocking the granaries.
Taping Rights: Can be used up to one year after program is recorded off the air.
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