The Kenyan scholar John Mbiti writes that a belief in the continuation of life after death for African peoples "does not constitute a hope for a future and better life. Universality must surely be one key we have to the verity of any doctrine. Study Guide MSR203. […] This literature was highly treasured by many Jewish enthusiasts, in... […] Judea and the Therapeutae in Egypt, were said to have a “secret”... […] (طهارة‎, ṭaharah) is an essential aspect of Islam. [1][7], Adherents of traditional religions in sub-Saharan Africa are distributed among 43 countries and are estimated to number over 100 million. This belief, just as in the case of the previous one, has a theological basis – the plurality of divinities ( polytheism ). Yet certain aspects of African faiths differ from those of most world religions. The major faiths practiced in South Africa are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, traditional African religions and Judaism. [16], Animism builds the core concept of traditional African religions, this includes the worship of tutelary deities, nature worship, ancestor worship and the belief in an afterlife. It is impossible to generalize about concepts in African religions because they are ethno-religions, being determined by each ethnic group in the continent. Virtue in traditional African religion is often connected with carrying out obligations of the communal aspect of life. He – for Ngai is male – cannot be seen, but is manifest in the sun, moon, stars, comets and meteors, thunder and lightning, rain, in rainbows and in the great fig trees (mugùmò) that served as places of worship and sacrifice, and which marked the spot at Mukurue wa Gathanga where Gikuyu and Mumbi – the ancestors of the Kikuyu in the oral legend – first settled. Other religions found in Africa have their origins in other parts of the world.”. Some castings are done using sacred divination plates made of wood or performed on the ground (often within a circle). The difference between powerful spirits and gods is often minimal. Traditional African religions embrace natural phenomena – ebb and tide, waxing and waning moon, rain and drought – and the rhythmic pattern of agriculture. Rites of Passage – In the rites of passage, African traditional religions played a significant role.These included marriage rituals which entered adulthood, birth and death. Magic – Many of the African traditional religions believe in mysterious forces and magic. Some sacred or holy locations for traditional religions include Nri-Igbo, the Point of Sangomar, Yaboyabo, Fatick, Ife, Oyo, Dahomey, Benin City, Ouidah, Nsukka, Kanem-Bornu, Igbo-Ukwu, and Tulwap Kipsigis, among others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_African_religions One religious ceremony practiced in Gabon and Cameroon is the Okuyi, practiced by several Bantu ethnic groups. [30], West and Central African religious practices generally manifest themselves in communal ceremonies or divinatory rites in which members of the community, overcome by force (or ashe, nyama, etc. According to Lugira, “it is the only religion that can claim to have originated in Africa. There are generally no prohibitions against the practice. All Christians are listed in one category regardless of their denominations. Main article: List of African mythological figures. Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by one’s ethnic identity i.e. The purpose of this is to help to orient a person who would like to work in the context of Africa. [6][1] The role of humanity is generally seen as one of harmonizing nature with the supernatural. [35], Traditional African religions generally believe in an afterlife, one or more Spirit worlds, and Ancestor worship is an important basic concept in mostly all African religions. to tag the traditional religion of Africans and believe […] African Traditional Religion: A Definition (1973), Omosade Awolalu in Yoruba Belief and Sacrificial Rites and John Mbiti in The Concept of God in Africa (1970) are a few examples of postcolonial scholars of religion who have resisted and denounced colonial idea that Africans do not know God. ), World Christian Encyclopedia, summarized here, "Ancient African Religion Finds Roots In America", "The Need to Re-Conceptualize African Traditional Religion", The Civilizations of Africa: A History to 1800, Black God: the Afroasiatic roots of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religions, Sayings of the Ancient One - Wisdom from Ancient Africa, culture-exchange.blog/animism-modern-africa, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Traditional_African_religions&oldid=997452558, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with dead external links from October 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Manjonjo Healers of Chitungwiza of Zimbabwe, Information presented here was gleaned from, Chidester, David. Christianity came to Africa from the outside, it happened, as the legend says, in 42, then the Orthodox Coptic Church was formed by the Apostle Mark. For the Kikuyu, according to their primary supreme creator, Ngai, acting through the lesser deities, is believed to speak to and be capable of guiding the virtuous person as one’s conscience. "Kings, Magic & Medicine". General Overviews. Gods were either self-created or evolved from spirits or ancestors which got worshiped by the people. 17–19, Parrinder, Geoffrey. African Traditional Religion is a thriving scholarly business, but a serious disconnect exists between contributions that celebrate a generalized African Traditional Religion and those that describe particular religions and aspects of religion on … Traditionally, as now, the Kikuyu were monotheists, believing in a unique and omnipotent God whom they called Ngai. These included marriage rituals which entered adulthood, birth and death. In traditional African societies, many people seek out diviners on a regular basis. Abstract. 1. All aspects of weather, thunder, lightning, rain, day, moon, sun, stars, and so on may become amenable to control through the cosmology of African people. [28], Nigerian American professor of indigenous African religions at Harvard University, Jacob Olupona summarized the many traditional African religions as complex animistic religious traditions and beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic "colonization" of Africa. [23][24][20] San religion is generally non-theistic but a belief in a Spirit or Power of existence which can be tapped in a trance-dance; trance-healers. That is the case concerning issues about Africa and its religious beliefs. This facilitates better control and transformation of these energies into positive, culturally appropriate behavior, thought, and speech. Ethiopia was the first countryto adopt Christianity as a doctrine. [15], Followers of traditional African religions are also found around the world. God is also known as Mungu, Murungu, or Mulungu (a variant of a word meaning God, which is found as far south as the Zambesi of Zambia), and is sometimes given the title Mwathani or Mwathi (the greatest ruler), which comes from the word gwatha, meaning to rule or reign with authority. According to him, the belief in spirits and ancestors is the most important element of African religions. There are common beliefs in Africa although the continent is a large with many different cultures and In this state, depending upon the region, drumming or instrumental rhythms played by respected musicians (each of which is unique to a given deity or ancestor), participants embody a deity or ancestor, energy or state of mind by performing distinct ritual movements or dances which further enhance their elevated consciousness. See also: Divination, Early-20th-century Yoruba divination board. Keywords: Africa, Kenyan Experience, African Traditional Religion, Justice, Reconciliation and Peace. Natural phenomena are responsible for providing people with their daily needs. Traditional healers are common in most areas, and their practices include a religious element to varying degrees. The Traditional Religions of Africa. Some sacred or holy locations for traditional religions include Nri-Igbo, the Point of Sangomar, Yaboyabo, Fatick, Ife, Oyo, Dahomey, Benin City, Ouidah, Nsukka, Kanem-Bornu, Igbo-Ukwu, and Tulwap Kipsigis, among others. Inter-religious relations, especially, among African Traditional Religion (ATR) worshippers, Muslims and Christians are becoming sources of social tension and violence. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers, 1996. Most African religions acknowledge the existence of a supreme deity who created the world and then, in most cases, retired from dealing with earthly affairs. Introduction Africa today suffers from what Kiogora (1993) refers to as the ‘Phenomenon of religious … Reincarnation in African Traditional Religion By Andrew Rooke. Traditional/Indigenous African religions are the traditional beliefs and practices of African people including the various traditional religions and customs. There are more similarities than differences in all traditional African religions. He then took the first man, Gikuyu, to the top to point out the beauty of the land he was giving him.In traditional African religions, such as the Azande religion, a person is said to have a good or bad conscience, depending on whether he does the bidding of God or malevolent spirits. 1. The Semitic Abrahamic religion of Judaism is comparable to the latter world view. Gods and Spirits. These figures represent peo-ple who primarily follow African traditional religion; however, Encyclopædia Britannica, (2003), Index of African mythology and creation narratives, List of African deities and mythical figures, Traditional African Religion and other religions, Persecution of traditional African religion, "The world of spirits and the respect for nature: towards a new appreciation of animism", "Animism: Foundation of Traditional Healing in Sub-Saharan Africa", What is religion? For example, in the Serer religion, one of the most sacred stars in the cosmos is called Yoonir (the Star of Sirius). ATR is the original religious belief and practice of the Africans. [8][9], Although the majority of Africans today are adherents of Christianity or Islam, African people often combine the practice of their traditional belief with the practice of Abrahamic religions. Welcome to the summary lecture of African Traditional Religions. 1komma5grad-quellen – Matthias Ziemer Photography says: Earth’s Crisis and Evolution Series- Part 1 Finding Commonality in Religious and Spiritual Pathways – SacredFireofKnowledge says: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Persecution of traditional African religion, 1komma5grad-quellen – Matthias Ziemer Photography, ... [Trackback] [...] Read More Infos here: slife.org/ethics-in-religion/ [...], […] https://www.discovermongolia.mn/about-mongolia/culture-art-history/religion-in-mongolia https://slife.org/mongolian-shamanism/ https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-religions-are-practiced-in-mongolia.html […], ... [Trackback] [...] Find More Informations here: slife.org/western-slang-lingo-and-phrases/ [...], ... [Trackback] [...] Read More: slife.org/mens-rights-movement/ [...]. Also, this practice can also give rise to those in these trances uttering words which, when interpreted by a culturally educated initiate or diviner, can provide insight into appropriate directions which the community (or individual) might take in accomplishing its goal. Main article: African divination Ancestors can offer advice and bestow good fortune and honor to their living dependents, but they can also make demands, such as insisting that their shrines be properly maintained and propitiated. . Today, around 10 percent of the African population still practice some form of traditional religion. Ngai is the creator and giver of all things, ‘the Divider of the Universe and Lord of Nature’. It deals with their cosmology, ritual practices, symbols, arts, society, and so on. In the United States Vudon is more predominant in the states along the Gulf of Mexico. Traditional healer of South Africa performing a divination by reading the bones. This builds skills at separating the feelings elicited by this mindset from their situational manifestations in daily life. constantly liable to misunderstand the African worldview and beliefs. They include the Protestants, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Independent and non-affiliated Christians. [39], For example, in the Serer religion, one of the most sacred stars in the cosmos is called Yoonir (the Star of Sirius). He had human characteristics, and although some say that he lives in the sky or in the clouds, they also say that he comes to earth from time to time to inspect it, bestow blessings and mete out punishment. African elders offering a bull as sacrifice to God. 3 Leo Frobenius, The Voice of Africa, Vol. In the village of Eshowe in the KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa, a Zulu Isangoma (diviner), with a puff adder in his mouth, practices soothsaying, or predicting, with snakes. Welcome to the summary lecture of African Traditional Religions. This facilitates better control and transformation of these energies into positive, culturally appropriate behavior, thought, and speech. This builds skills at separating the feelings elicited by this mindset from their situational manifestations in daily life. He summarizes that traditional African religions are not only religions, but a worldview, a way of life. The Spiritual Life © 2020. This list is limited to a few well-known traditions. [37] The deities and spirits are honored through libation or sacrifice (of animals, vegetables, cooked food, flowers, semi-precious stones and precious metals). The beliefs and practices of the traditional religions in Africa can enrich Christian theology and spirituality." These secondary spirits serve as intermediaries between humans and the primary God, also referred to as the Supreme Deity. Traditional African religions are the traditions of the religious groups in Africa.After Christianity and Islam, they are the third-biggest religious group in Africa.These religions still stick to their traditions. When we speak of African Traditional Religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the Africans. Examples include social behaviors such as the respect for parents and elders, raising children appropriately, providing hospitality, and being honest, trustworthy, and courageous. Some religious and non-religious scholars alike have always highlighted that of all the races in the world that God created the African is said to be the most notoriously religious. All aspects of weather, thunder, lightning, rain, day, moon, sun, stars, and so on may become amenable to control through the cosmology of African people. Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural, include belief in a supreme creator, belief in spirits, veneration of the dead, use of magic, and traditional medicine. African elders offering a bull as sacrifice to God. [38] Traditional African religions embrace natural phenomena – ebb and tide, waxing and waning moon, rain and drought – and the rhythmic pattern of agriculture. Some castings are done using sacred divination plates made of wood or performed on the ground (often within a circle). African religions also share many ideas with world religions such as Judaism and Buddhism. Most African religions acknowledge the existence of a supreme deity who created the world and then, in most cases, retired from dealing with earthly affairs. Main article: Persecution of traditional African religion. This is a 3-hour summary lecture on the basic components of African Traditional Religions. This is largely because cosmology and beliefs are intricately intertwined with the natural phenomena and environment. In traditional African societies, many people seek out diviners on a regular basis. Among Niger–Congo-speakers is a belief in a creator God, force or higher deity, which is considered by some to be a widespread and ancient feature of Niger-Congo-cultures,[19][20][21] along with other more specialized deities, ancestor spirits, territorial spirits, and beings, as well as evil caused by human ill will and neglecting ancestor spirits, and priests of territorial spirits. Also, this practice can also give rise to those in these trances uttering words which, when interpreted by a culturally educated initiate or diviner, can provide insight into appropriate directions which the community (or individual) might take in accomplishing its goal. He gave birth to the human community, created the first Kikuyu communities, and provided them with all the resources necessary for life: land, rain, plants and animals. Peavy, D., (2016). where one’s family came from. Adherents of traditional religions in Sub-Saharan Africa are distributed among 43 countries and are estimated to number over 100 million. However the most dominant ones in Ghana and Africa are Islam and Christianity, both accounting for more than 90% of religious adherents, with the rest, including traditional beliefs, having less than 10% of adherents. Culture A deeper look into the different cultures of the African continent, its food, people, music, art, language and more. Some sacred or holy locations for traditional religions include Nri-Igbo, the Point of Sangomar, Yaboyabo, Fatick, Ife, Oyo, Dahomey, Benin City, Ouidah, Nsukka, Kanem-Bornu, Igbo-Ukwu, and Tulwap Kipsigis, among others. . It is the opposite... […] Quran was written in the 7th century CE. [1] Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural and passed down from one generation to another through folk tales, songs and festivals,[2][3] include belief in an amount of higher and lower gods, sometimes including a supreme creator or force, belief in spirits, veneration of the dead, use of magic and traditional African medicine. Followers of traditional African religions pray to various spirits as well as to their ancestors. Magic – Many of the African traditional religions believe in mysterious forces and magic.Priests (sometimes known as witchdoctors) may cast spells or … Today, Christianity and Islam are religions practiced by the majority of people living in Africa. [34] Some recognize a dual god and goddess such as Mawu-Lisa. The three main religious traditions—African traditional religion, Christianity, and Islam—constitute the triple religious heritage of the African continent. There are many adherents of traditional religions, who came from long ago and are associated with a long autonomous historical development. From the Traditional Music and Cultures of Kenya, a multimedia encyclopaedia dedicated to all Kenyan tribes, including music and dance, history, culture, society, religion and beliefs, rituals and daily life, fables, legends, riddles and proverbs. Therefore, one... […] Sunni Muslims perform the following: […], Manjonjo Healers of Chitungwiza of Zimbabwe. General Overviews. Such separation and subsequent contemplation of the nature and sources of pure energy or feelings serves to help participants manage and accept them when they arise in mundane contexts. A belief in ancestors also testifies to the inclusive nature of traditional African spirituality by positing that deceased progenitors still play a role in the lives of their living descendants. 3 And similar to this was the dialogue that took place between Edwin Smith, who had gone out as a missionary to Africa, and Emil Ludwig, an eminent biographer. Among the believers of Christ, ther… The two Abrahamic religions are widespread across Africa, though mostly concentrated in different areas. Rites of Passage – In the rites of passage, African traditional religions played a significant role. Encyclopædia Britannica. Traditional healers are common in most areas, and their practices include a religious element to varying degrees. In many cases, Africans who have converted to other religions have still kept up their traditional customs and practices, combining them in a syncretic way. They have replaced indigenous African religions, but are often adapted to African cultural contexts and belief systems. Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, and the Ivory Coast—African religion is the majority religion. West and Central African religious practices generally manifest themselves in communal ceremonies or divinatory rites in which members of the community, overcome by force (or ashe, nyama, etc. The three main religious traditions—African traditional religion, Christianity, and Islam—constitute the triple religious heritage of the African continent. He noted that it is where Africans and for that matter Ghanaians belong. "Traditional Religion", in his. There are common beliefs in Africa although the continent is a large with many different … But before those two religions arrived, there were several traditional religions practiced. For instance, the Yoruba religion has historically been centered in southwestern Nigeria, the Zulu religion in southern Africa, and the Igbo religion in southeastern Nigeria. Its study has to go hand-in-hand with the study of the people who practise the religion. Diverse traditional beliefs and practices of African people, Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009). Africa is a massive continent with diverse religious traditions, to the extent that within the same tradition there have been variations. Main article: Persecution … African Traditional Religion is referred to the diverse beliefs that are included in various ethnic regions in Africa.The religion is characterized mainly by: 1.Supreme Being The African societies and ethnic communities believed in a supreme being who had different names for different communities.The people worshiped this God through singing,offering sacrifices,dancing,dedications … 2 E. B. Idowu, African Traditional Religion, S.C.M., 1973, p.87. The symbol can be found throughout Ghana. In many traditional African religions, there is a belief in a cyclical nature of reality. Religion enters into every aspect of the life of the Africans and it cannot be studied in isolation. In many cases, Africans who have converted to other religions have still kept up their traditional customs and practices, combining them in a syncretic way.[42]. Adapted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [26][20][21][27], Traditional African medicine is also directly linked to traditional African religions. According to Gottlieb and Mbiti: The environment and nature are infused in every aspect of traditional African religions and culture. 1, Hutchison, 1913, p.xll. The ancestors are generally believed to reside in an ancestral realm (spiritworld), while some believe that the ancestors became equal in power to deities.[29]. Gods and Spirits. Traditional African religion is very popular and arrived here … ), are excited to the point of going into meditative trance in response to rhythmic or driving drumming or singing. Kenya is located in East Africa and borders Somalia to the northeast, Ethiopia to the north, Sudan to the northwest, Uganda to the west, Tanzania to the south, and the Indian Ocean to the east. Examples include social behaviors such as the respect for parents and elders, raising children appropriately, providing hospitality, and being honest, trustworthy, and courageous. Yet Ngai is not the distant God that we know in the West. In this state, depending upon the region, drumming or instrumental rhythms played by respected musicians (each of which is unique to a given deity or ancestor), participants embody a deity or ancestor, energy or state of mind by performing distinct ritual movements or dances which further enhance their elevated consciousness. Introduction to African religion. Peavy, D., (2009). Many of the World Religions are more known than ATR in many parts of Africa (Adedeji, 2012). Religious persecution. To efficiently study the African Traditional Religion (ATR), one must also study the people who practice this religion. The will of the gods or spirits is sought by the believer also through consultation of divinities or divination. Traditional Africa religions. The traditional African religions (or traditional beliefs and practices of African people) are a set of highly diverse beliefs that include various ethnic religions. The deities and spirits are honored through libation or sacrifice (of animals, vegetables, cooked food, flowers, semi-precious stones and precious metals). The religion of the Yoruba is finding roots in the Islands of the Caribbean and portions of Central and South America. Although the majority of Africans are adherents of Christianity or Islam, African people often combine the practice of their traditional belief with the practice of Abrahamic religions. About 10 per cent of the African population is still practicing some form of traditional religion today. The traditional African understanding and the interpretation of Christianity have deep roots in these fundamental beliefs of the African traditional religions. While some traditions have a supreme being (next to other deities), others have not. The defining line between deities and ancestors is often contested, but overall, ancestors are believed to occupy a higher level of existence than living human beings and are believed to be able to bestow either blessings or illness upon their living descendants. This is part of democracy. Since Africa is a large continent with many ethnic groups and cultures, there is not one single technique of casting divination. [32], Followers of traditional African religions pray to various spirits as well as to their ancestors. Ancestors (ancestral ghosts/spirits) are an integral part of reality. He also notes that most modern African folk religions were strongly influenced by non-African religions, mostly Christianity and Islam and thus may differ from the ancient forms. To live here and now is the most important concern of African religious activities and beliefs. There are generally no prohibitions against the practice. Thunder is interpreted to be the movement of God, and lightning is God’s weapon by means of which he clears the way when moving from one sacred place to another. The country straddles the equator, covering a total of 224,961 square miles (582,600 square kilometers; roughly twice the size of the state of Nevada). Diviner (also known as priest) are also sought for their wisdom as counselors in life and for their knowledge of herbal medicine. When he comes he rests on Mount Kenya and four other sacred mountains. Traditional Niger-Congo religion also included polytheistic and animistic elements. According to Gottlieb and Mbiti: The environment and nature are infused in every aspect of traditional African religions and culture. When we speak of African Traditional Religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs Monotheism does not reflect the multiplicity of ways that the traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and spirit beings. However, there were many traditional religions practiced prior to the arrival of these two religions. While some religions adopted a pantheistic worldview, most follow a polytheistic system with various gods, spirits and other supernatural beings. All Rights Reserved. Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural, include belief in a supreme creator, belief in spirits, veneration of the dead, use of magic and traditional African medicine. The Central Regional Chairperson of the Psychic and Traditional Healers Association Limited, Nana Kojo Owonae who is also the Chief Priest of the Santrofi Shrine at Asebu has said the African Traditional Religion is the best. This list is limited to a few well-known traditions. All over the world we find a firm belief in a spiritual reality behind the confusions of daily existence, though understanding of the exact nature of the relationship between the spheres of spirit and matter varies enormously. The practice of casting may be done with small objects, such as bones, cowrie shells, stones, strips of leather, or flat pieces of wood. In Africa the traditional religions are a major source for the study of the African experience of God. ), are excited to the point of going into meditative trance in response to rhythmic or driving drumming or singing. The purpose of this is to help to orient a person who would like to work in the context of Africa. Diviner (also known as priest) are also sought for their wisdom as counselors in life and for their knowledge of herbal medicine. For many Africans and Ghanaians, in particular, it is religion more than anything else that shapes their worldview and participation in … This Ghanaian Adinkra symbol means \"except for God\" and symbolizes the supremacy of God. [31], When this trance-like state is witnessed and understood, adherents are privy to a way of contemplating the pure or symbolic embodiment of a particular mindset or frame of reference. An Egungun masquerade dance garment in the permanent collection of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Tour of earth spirits as well as to their ancestors and the.! States along the Gulf of Mexico to culture and society as they affect worldview... Worshiped through consultation of divinities or divination pantheistic worldview, a way of life folk religions, but often! 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