Some castings are done using sacred divination plates made of wood or performed on the ground (often within a circle). The two Abrahamic religions are widespread across Africa, though mostly concentrated in different areas. Natural phenomena are responsible for providing people with their daily needs. about African Traditional Religions. The religions practiced by the majority of people living in Africa are Christianity and Islam. [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. “African traditional religion” doesn’t quite exist. African religions - African religions - Mythology: In African oral cultures, myths embody philosophical reflections, express values, and identify moral standards. This will be discussed in more detail later (cf. African Traditional Religion is now widely taught in African universities, but its identity remains essentially negative: African belief that is not Christianity or Islam. This belief, just as in the case of the previous one, has a theological basis – the plurality of divinities ( polytheism ). Inter-religious relations, especially, among African Traditional Religion (ATR) worshippers, Muslims and Christians are becoming sources of social tension and violence. [10][11][12][13][14] The two Abrahamic religions are widespread across Africa, though mostly concentrated in different areas. They have replaced indigenous African religions, but are often adapted to African cultural contexts and belief systems. However, it is a known fact that many of Christians and Muslims in CAR incorporate their indigenous religious practices in their everyday lives. Umewaen: Journal of Benin & Edoid Studies: Osweego, NY. 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. 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 the concepts of beliefs are found in the idea of God, the creators of all things; the concept that has enriched Christianity. In view of the pluralism of Africanness, the religion tends to be ethnocentric. [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. The nature of the two classes of religions are very different from each other. The Benin Monarchy, Olokun & Iha Ominigbon. S. Mbiti, John (1991). 5.8). Traditional healers are common in most areas, and their practices include a religious element to varying degrees. Their beliefs deal with the relation of humans to the divine and with communication between the human world and the spirit world. Other religions found in Africa have their origins in other parts of the world.”. Britannica Book of the Year 2003. 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]. Although traditional African religion recognises a Supreme God, followers do not worship him or her directly as they do not feel worthy enough. [21][22] New world religions such as Santería, Vodun, and Candomblé, would be derived from this world. The African belief in one Creator God on the one hand, and lesser gods on the other hand, raises the question of whether African Traditional Religion should be termed monotheistic or polytheistic. 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. Today, around 10 percent of the African population still practice some form of traditional religion. 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. Instead, myths are embedded and transmitted in ritual practice. Since Africa is a large continent with many ethnic groups and cultures, there is not one single technique of casting divination. The traditional African understanding and the interpretation of Christianity have deep roots in these fundamental beliefs of the African traditional religions. Among Nilo-Saharan speakers is the belief in Divinity; evil is caused by divine judgement and retribution; prophets as middlemen between Divinity and man. The beliefs and practices of ATR are based upon the faith of the ancient indigenous people (ancestors). 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. 17–19, Parrinder, Geoffrey. The traditional African religions or traditional beliefs and practices of African people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. An Egungun masquerade dance garment in the permanent collection of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Religion in Africa is multifaceted and has been a major influence on art, culture and philosophy. When he comes he rests on Mount Kenya and four other sacred mountains. Belief in God is found among all African peoples. Diviner (also known as priest) are also sought for their wisdom as counselors in life and for their knowledge of herbal medicine. The role of humanity is generally seen as one of harmonising nature with the supernatural. Man generally is given to misconception, especially in the midst of conflicting ideas or contending issues. [18], Traditional African religions can be broken down into linguistic cultural groups, with common themes. According to Gottlieb and Mbiti: The environment and nature are infused in every aspect of traditional African religions and culture. African indigenous faith systems became “primitive”, uncivilised, a necessary evil that had to be dealt with, and an inferior system that had to be done away with. "Traditional Religion", in his. 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. African Traditional Religions are sets of diverse beliefs that are followed by people in separate places. There is neither paradise to be hoped for nor hell to be feared in the hereafter" (Mbiti 1969, pp. Ghana Table of Contents. Examples include social behaviors such as the respect for parents and elders, raising children appropriately, providing hospitality, and being honest, trustworthy, and courageous. Among Afro-Asiatic-speakers is henotheism, the belief in one's own gods but accepting the existence of other gods; evil here is caused by malevolent spirits. about African Traditional Religions. African Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity are three extremely different religions that have very different belief systems. Introduction to African religion. In some traditional African religions, morality is associated with obedience or disobedience to God regarding the way a person or a community lives. If you meant “Yoruba traditional religion”, I would still have a hard time answering you because the traditional Yorubas believed in so many things. This is why it is qualified as traditional, in comparison to the other religions, e.g. Monotheism does not reflect the multiplicity of ways that the traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and spirit beings. Most of Africa's organized religions were brought to the country from Europeans and other foreign settlers. Traditional African Belief continues to have a significant influence in Ghana because of the intimate relation to local mores and family loyalties. ATR affects the way of life of most Africans. It is the opposite... […] Quran was written in the 7th century CE. African Religion embraces Spiritual, political and social aspects of human beings. This is because African Traditional Religion is a natural religion while Islam and Christianity are salvation religions. Some traditional African beliefs claim that witches and wizards are not admitted to the spirit world and therefore do not receive a proper burial; they may even be burned, or chopped up and fed to hyenas. Ngai, says one legend, made the mountain his resting place while on an inspection tour of earth. Common Beliefs At the theoretical level, assuming a romantic view of Shona attitudes to nature, it is possible to conclude that Shona traditional religion is necessarily environmentally friendly. human diviners. One religious ceremony practiced in Gabon and Cameroon is the Okuyi, practiced by several Bantu ethnic groups. [15], Followers of traditional African religions are also found around the world. And above all, African traditional religion nurses the belief and conviction that there exists good and bad spirits everywhere and that it is only due to the existence of these spirits that communication between humans and the Supreme Being is made possible. Virtue in traditional African religion is often connected with carrying out obligations of the communal aspect of life. See also: Divination, Early-20th-century Yoruba divination board. The Spiritual Life © 2020. In support, Iwuoha points out that traditional African religion cuts … In Christian or Islamic communities, religious beliefs are also sometimes characterized with syncretism with the beliefs and practices of traditional religions. 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 … 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. Finding books about African religion and spiritual beliefs in the public domain was not difficult. 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. Common Beliefs Although Africa is a huge continent with many different peoples and traditional religions, some beliefs and practices are common through many of the religions. This belief, just as in the case of the previous one, has a theological basis – the plurality of divinities ( polytheism ). The three main religious traditions—African traditional religion, Christianity, and Islam—constitute the triple religious heritage of the African continent. [32], Followers of traditional African religions pray to various spirits as well as to their ancestors. There are generally no prohibitions against the practice. Traditional African religion is still popular throughout Africa and stems from the beliefs of Central and West African ancestors. ), are excited to the point of going into meditative trance in response to rhythmic or driving drumming or singing. According to Gottlieb and Mbiti: The environment and nature are infused in every aspect of traditional African religions and culture. Adherents of traditional religions in Sub-Saharan Africa are distributed among 43 countries and are estimated to number over 100 million. Most African societies believe in a single Supreme being (Chukwu, Nyame, Olodumare, Ngai, Roog, etc.). There are more similarities than differences in all traditional African religions. Ancestor veneration has always played a "significant" part in the traditional African cultures and may be considered as central to the African worldview. African Traditional Religion, African Indigenous Religion and African Traditional Religions are all common terms used to … 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. 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. April 28, 2017. 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. It is a He summarizes that traditional African religions are not only religions, but a worldview, a way of life. Natural phenomena are responsible for providing people with their daily needs. Abrahamic religions are widespread throughout Africa. Elements of the traditional religion that a Christian would need to consider when sharing the Christian faith/gospel with a person from this community. Traditionally, as now, the Kikuyu were monotheists, believing in a unique and omnipotent God whom they called Ngai. Main article: List of African mythological figures. Some recognize a dual God and Goddess such as Mawu-Lisa. There are thousands of religions and denominations in this world. Vodou is primarily practiced in Haiti, New Orleans, and other locations within the Caribbean . The will of the Supreme Deity is sought by the believer also through consultation of divinities or divination. This article examines some of the beliefs and practices underlying traditional African religion's attitudes to nature with reference to Shona religion of Zimbabwe. African Traditional Religion. Traditional African religions. And therefore it’s nearly impossible to talk about African Traditional Religion as if it exists as a single coherent body of beliefs and practices which can be identified as “African religion”. However, there were many traditional religions practiced prior to the arrival of these two religions. African Traditional Religion. For example, in 14 of the 19 countries surveyed, more than three-in-ten people say they sometimes consult traditional healers when someone in their household is sick. Humanity, animals and plants have “their own existence and place in the universe as independent parts of a whole. There are also religions with a single Supreme being (Chukwu, Nyame, Olodumare, Ngai, Roog, etc.). Traditional Religion. Percentage of population practicing traditional religion. These include: Although there are as many indigenous religions in Africa as there are different societies, these religions share many common features and beliefs. There are generally no prohibitions against the practice. 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/ [...]. These secondary spirits serve as intermediaries between humans and the primary God, also referred to as the Supreme Deity. To understand the issue one must go back to the beginnings of anthropology in the 19th century and follow its evolution (see 19th-Century Background). (1 ½ - 2 pages) Religion provides us with a set of beliefs, values and attitudes, a focal point for developing ritual as well as a variety of social networks therefore giving us a purpose to our lives. Even life in the hereafter is conceived in materialistic and physical terms. The term “African Traditional Religion” is used in two complementary senses. African traditional religion has also been the source of inspiration ofre which Africa is known, and included in theses are art, music, social institutions, politically systems and the ancient civilization. This is why it is qualified as traditional, in comparison to the other religions, e.g. This means that traditional African religion cannot be separated from daily life. Characteristics Of African Traditional Religions 898 Words | 4 Pages. This page was last edited on 31 December 2020, at 15:48. First, in the origin myths of several peoples, such as the Baganda of Uganda and the Edo of Nigeria, the first king or chief of the community was endowed with the sacred power of the Supreme Deity. Mobolaji Idowu in Olodumare: God in Yoruba Belief (1962), 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. The religious traditions and beliefs of the African peoples have enough differences to merit a study of each in its own right. The traditional African religions or traditional beliefs and practices of African people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. Individuals cannot reject a particular belief, since beliefs are part and parcel of the wider community. Some African religions adopted different views through the influence of Islam or even Hinduism.[36]. Christianity and Islam, which are considered as foreign since their doctrines and practices came from outside of Africa. All Rights Reserved. Most traditional African religions have, for most of their existence, been orally/spiritually (rather than scripturally) transmitted or practiced. 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. This builds skills at separating the feelings elicited by this mindset from their situational manifestations in daily life. This heritage, though contemporarily more dynamically evidenced, has a long history and influence. Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural and passed down from one generation to another through folk tales, songs and festivals, 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. When we speak of African Traditional Religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the Africans. This facilitates better control and transformation of these energies into positive, culturally appropriate behavior, thought, and speech. 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. 5. ), 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. According to Lugira, “it is the only religion that can claim to have originated in Africa. Loosely, it encompasses all African beliefs and practices that are considered religious but neither Christian nor Islamic. They believe different things about life after we die on earth, they believe that different things are and are not God, and they believe different types of people are and are not prophets and priests. Religion in Africa is multifaceted and has been a major influence on art, culture and philosophy. 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? This builds skills at separating the feelings elicited by this mindset from their situational manifestations in daily life. The beliefs and the concepts of beliefs are found in the idea of God, the creators of all things; the concept that has enriched Christianity. Natural religions are indigenous and automatically a part of the person’s … There are more similarities than differences in all traditional African religions. 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. 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]. Traditional African beliefs are much older and have been practiced in Zimbabwe longer than any other religion in the country. [39], For example, in the Serer religion, one of the most sacred stars in the cosmos is called Yoonir (the Star of Sirius). [38] Traditional African religions embrace natural phenomena – ebb and tide, waxing and waning moon, rain and drought – and the rhythmic pattern of agriculture. This list is limited to a few well-known traditions. In some traditional African religions, morality is associated with obedience or disobedience to God regarding the way a person or a community lives. The belief in God as a supreme being is central to all the traditional … This is largely because cosmology and beliefs are intricately intertwined with the natural phenomena and environment. Therefore, one... […] Sunni Muslims perform the following: […], Manjonjo Healers of Chitungwiza of Zimbabwe. With a long farming tradition, the Serer high priests and priestesses (Saltigue) deliver yearly sermons at the Xoy Ceremony (divination ceremony) in Fatick before Yoonir’s phase in order to predict winter months and enable farmers to start planting. Characteristics Of African Traditional Religions 898 Words | 4 Pages. More than 100 million Africans still adhere to the traditional African religions. In the United States Vudon is more predominant in the states along the Gulf of Mexico. [26][20][21][27], Traditional African medicine is also directly linked to traditional African 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. Today, around 10 percent of the African population still practice some form of traditional religion. The beliefs are expressed in different ways from culture to culture but the same presence of … Traditional Indigenous Beliefs. 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. Main article: Persecution of traditional African religion. Religion in Igbo traditional society partakes fully of all the features of world traditional religion, including its beliefs, sacred myths, oral qualities, strong appeal to the hearts of adherents, high degree of ritualization, and possession of numerous participatory personages such as officiating elders, kings, priests, and diviners. Unlike Western mythology, African myths are not recounted as a single narrative story, nor is there any established corpus of myth. The living stand between their ancestors and the unborn. • Maria McCabe-Arreola • 11\13\2020 • INT-244 • Professor Calvin Habig Shoshone • The Shoshone name comes from a Native American tribe that is located in southeastern California, across central and western Nevada, as well as in Northwester Utah, southern Idaho and western Wyoming. "Religions of South Africa" pp. Traditional Niger-Congo religion also included polytheistic and animistic elements. Peavy, D., (2009). While some traditions have a supreme being (next to other deities), others have not. 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. The four linguistic phylums spoken in Africa are: Afro-Asiatic, Nilo-Saharan, Niger-Congo, and Khoi-San. [40] With a long farming tradition, the Serer high priests and priestesses (Saltigue) deliver yearly sermons at the Xooy Ceremony (divination ceremony) in Fatick before Yoonir's phase in order to predict winter months and enable farmers to start planting.[41]. One religious ceremony practiced in Gabon and Cameroon is the Okuyi, practiced by several Bantu ethnic groups. 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. 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. This is what makes African Religion a traditional belief. [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. For many Africans and Ghanaians, in particular, it is religion more than anything else that shapes their worldview and participation in social life6. It can also refer to the institutionalisation of such beliefs and their practices. Encyclopædia Britannica. This facilitates better control and transformation of these energies into positive, culturally appropriate behavior, thought, and speech. . Peavy, D., (2016). [25], Some researchers, including historical ethnolinguist Christopher Ehret, suggest that certain monotheistic concepts, such as the belief in a creator god or force (next to other gods, deities and spirits) are ancient and indigenous among peoples of the Niger-Congo ethnolinguistic family (of much of West Africa and Central Africa) and date to the beginning of their history, in a form substantially different from the monotheism found in Abrahamic 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. Generally speaking, African religions hold that there is one creator God, the maker of a dynamic universe. Evaluation of the impact American or European policy has had on Native American or African Tribal Religion beliefs and practices. 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. [6][1] The role of humanity is generally seen as one of harmonizing nature with the supernatural. They have been nurtured with the local practices and culture, but still carry some similarities, like pantheism, in their structures. African Traditional Religions are sets of diverse beliefs that are followed by people in separate places. The majority of Africans are adherents of Christianity or Islam. This list is limited to a few well-known traditions. 6. to tag the traditional religion of Africans and believe […] 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. It is a syncretic religion that combines Roman Catholicism and native African religion, particularly from the religion of the Dahomey region of West Africa (the modern day nation of Benin). Only by giving a belief system a proper name can a comprehensive, complex theology and cosmology emerge, along with a m… The practice of casting may be done with small objects, such as bones, cowrie shells, stones, strips of leather, or flat pieces of wood.
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