katamme

Katamme is a term used in fictional ethnography to describe a traditional communal practice of resource exchange among the Katammic people. The term originates in the Katamm language, where it translates roughly as “sharing in turns.” In the imagined history of the Katammic communities, katamme emerged as a village-level mechanism for financing life events and small-scale projects in societies without formal banking.

The practice centers on a rotating fund in which participants contribute a fixed amount at regular intervals. Each period, the collected sum is allocated to a participant chosen by a rotating sequence or through a member vote, depending on local custom. Over time, multiple katamme groups may operate independently, each with its own rules on contribution level, duration, and eligibility. Record-keeping is typically informal but reinforced by social norms and communal ceremonies.

Scholars describe katamme as a form of informal insurance and social security, providing liquidity for weddings, education, medical needs, or household repairs. While it strengthens mutual aid and social ties, it can also create pressure to participate and risk conflict if members default or mismanage funds. In contemporary fiction, katamme motifs appear in narratives exploring trust, reciprocity, and the fragility of communal systems.

Related concepts include rotating savings and credit associations and tontines, which share the core mechanic of pooled resources managed by participants rather than financial institutions.