Kraal

Kraals are villages of migrating African tribes built primarily for defensive purposes as enclosures. In the lane along the entrenchment built out of thorny branches, buildings are placed in a sequence adhering to the frame. The area left unbuilt in the depth of the village is not public domain. More often than not, it is surrounded with corrals to provide a sheltered area to pen livestock. This is why we often use the term “corral village” in Hungarian. Developed like a fractal, its upgraded version for permanent use is found in Ba-ila, a village of the African Ila tribe in Zambia. The smaller kraals of the tribal families create a monumental circle with a diameter of several hundred metres. Removed from this framework, like a medal on a necklace, only the house of the chieftain and his family is a free-standing structure. The houses of families of various sizes and social status form smaller enclosures within the village in a sequence starting from the focal point to the entrance to the area. Their positions reflect their relative rank within the hierarchy of the community. The three layers of the fractal form a nice tracery on schematic floor plan designs. The simple circular ground plan of the hut is echoed in the kraal of the family, while these horseshoe-shaped units make up the village itself, integrated as an enclosure.