This constitutes the separation phase, which involves women preparing the room by polishing the floor with cow dung. Throughout the initiation, the warriors and their female companions perform courtship dances, during which the men leap high into the air to prove their agility. The significance of the rites is to introduce the candidates to adult life. Jamaican Revivalism is a mix of European and African religious traditions, turned into something uniquely Jamaican. Sooth Saying-Puff Adder In Mouth. Many of these myths serve to explain and justify the distribution of power and authority among humans and other living things. In all African societies, WITCHCRAFT AND SORCERY usually express jealousy and hatred between rivals, and it is assumed that the victim and evildoer know one another. At these ceremonies, African and Aztec dancers smudge each other with traditional copal and sage, herbs to heal each other in a sign of respect. Many prophets have founded new Christian churches that focus on African concerns, including healing, well-being, material success, and long life. Diviners are called upon to reveal the causes of illmess and suffering and to discern an individual's personal destiny. It is there that they lose their childhood identities and gain their adult selves. VIDEO: Masquerades: Yoruba Gelede Masks, Benin. However, relatively few Africans—even those who identify themselves as Muslims or Christians—have completely abandoned traditional religious beliefs and practices. See more ideas about African, Africa, African culture. In South Africa, many ceremonies and celebrations are also ai… Ritual serves as a gateway to the land of ancestors and to the realm of Spirit. Traditional African marriages comprise a series of ceremonies that range in length from a day to a week. In all intiation ceremonies, a select group of elders takes charge of the sequence of ritual events. The bride’s female relatives then perform a ritual known as Kupeka Msuaki where they in turn take a gift of toiletries to the groom on the bride’s behalf. Fearsome in appearance, double-headed Senufo Wambele masks frequent burial grounds, guarding tombs and chasing away any evil energy that might linger there. Body painting is performed by the Surma both to beautify and to make men more formidable in combat. Of all the tribal traditions, this one is arguably the most magical. Meanwhile, Africans offer prayer and sacrifices to ancestors to protect the living and punish those who harm or are disloyal to the family groups or clans of descendants. The Nguni in southern Africa call the slaying of the ox "the returning ox," because the beast accompanies the deceased back home to his or her family and enables the deceased to act as a protecting ancestor. Masks, drums, chanting, and dancing were often a part of the ritual. Creation myths are an essential part of African religions. What matters is that myths help explain the past and present, resolve moral and social issues, and provide a cosmology—an account of the structure and purpose of the universe. A king's role in maintaining social order is considered so important that it is often believed that his realm temporarily falls into a state of anarchy when he dies. In recent times, prophets have drawn heavily on ideas and symbols from Islam and Christianity. The Beckwith Fisher Archive contains approximately 500,000 photographic images, diaries, field journals, drawings, video recordings, and museum-scale exhibition materials. As they enter the adult world during their teenage years, African youngsters undergo a variety of initation rituals. When a person with no special religious status is possessed, it is seen as a sign that he or she has been chosen by the spirits and linked to their world. VIDEO: Introduction to the work of photographers Carol Beckwith & Angela Fisher through African Ceremonies Inc, their Charitable Foundation. ", — Don Johanson, Director, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University. When the time approaches for the birth, the liminal phase of the ritual begins. This separation occurs because of the wickedness of humans, which causes them to break up into many cultures and languages and lose their divine nature. Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher have expressed their intention to place the Beckwith Fisher Archive – the world’s most extensive photographic archive of traditional African cultures and ceremonies - with an institution yet to be selected. The individuals chosen vary from one society to another but may include men who have fathered children and women who were the firstborn in their families. Their defining body of work, the double volume African Ceremonies, a pan-African study of rituals and rites of passage from birth to death covering ninety-three ceremonies from twenty six countries, won the United Nations Award for Excellence for its “vision and understanding of the role of cultural traditions in the pursuit of world peace.” Angela and Carol have also been twice honored with the Annisfield-Wolf Book Award in race relations for “outstanding contributions to the understanding of cultural diversity and prejudice,” the Royal Geographical Society of London’s Cherry Kearton Medal for their “contribution to the photographic recording of African ethnography and ritual,” and most recently the Lifetime Achievement Award from WINGS World Quest, honoring the accomplishments of visionary women. There are four important rites of passages in Africa communities, namely; Birth; Puberty; Marriage; Death; Today we will focus on death, funeral and burial in African culture and traditions. African view of Death For the San people of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Angola, dance is considered a sacred power. The spirit world is usually considered the source of “predictable” misfortune, that is, punishment for misdeeds or the result of personal actions. Men touch white-hot swords with their tongues and slash at their bodies with shards of glass - all without injury. The Brooklyn Museum exhibition travelled to museums throughout the USA, South America and Europe. Meanwhile the groom undergoes the traditional African wedding rituals known as Kupeka Begi… in this ritual the female relatives of the groom take gifts to his bride on his behalf. Like the myths of other cultures, African myths help to explain the world and human society, making the world more predictable and controllable. The arrival in Africa of CHRISTIANITY and Islam had a major impact on the development of African religions. African Ceremonies Inc, a 501c3 charitable foundation, is dedicated to the preservation of African tribal traditions through the photographic documentation of ceremonies and customs, thereby ensuring that the strength and essence of African culture is preserved for the history of mankind and for the education of future generations. Because infant mortality remains high, the people of many African cultures are extremenly superstitious during the first few year of a child's life, and carry out rituals to protect it from hazards. From ancient times, African societies have marked the transitioins of the life cycle, from birth to death, with rites of passage. of ceremonies that range in length from a day to a week. Other common African myths deal with the relationship between humans and animals and the differences in the natures of men and women. In traditional Mexican, Filipino, and Spanish culture, couples can celebrate unity through a lasso ceremony, or el lazo ceremony. Together they send a plea to the spirit world asking for a successful harvest. VIDEO: Maasai warriors enter the ceremonial manyatta for their four-day ritual passage to elderhood. All African religions feature myths, which are stories that are used to explain the nature of society and of the universe. Lobola is an ancient and controversial Southern African tradition in … Many different ceremonies are performed to reinforce these connections, and to prepare children to become the custodians of the culture of their people. Few African societies make a rigid distinction between religious behavior and other forms of social conduct. Among the Wodaabe, it is often the women who select their husbands and lovers. Masquerades: Senufo Nufori Acrobats, Ivory Coast. Death is the final passage in a long chain of transitions. In all African societies, childhood is a time for learning responsibilities and skills that enable children to contribute to their communities. Slaughtering and cooking the animal carries away the person's sin or sickness. Kola Nuts. dazzling diversity of African ceremonies is unparalleled. At the climax of the ceremony the men often fall into impassioned states during which their bodies become rigid and their mouths foam. It may also involve performing actions such as wild dancing or working oneself up into an ecstatic state to show closeness to the source of divine and spiritual power. Ancestors are considered a special type of spirit in many African religions, and ancestor worship plays an important role in various rituals. In such cases, the evil is removed through sacrifice. Unjust or unexplained misfortune is typically blamed on humans known as witches and sorcerers. Such sacrifices often include killing and feasting on an animal that is blessed and identified with the person for whom the sacrifice is being performed. Among the Surma, however, men are said to be drawn to a woman who is a hard worker and has a cheerful nature, whereas women are attracted by masculine strength. Wearing lion-mane and ostrich-feather headdresses and carrying buffalo-hide shields, they encircle the sacred ritual house. The spirits have no shape or form and cannot be detected unless they wish to be. Masquerades: Bwa and Bobo Bush Masks, Burkina Faso. Rituals are as much a celebration of the role of the dead as it is mourning his passing, Feasting, dancing, animal sacrifice and blessings ensure the community's participation in marriage rituals and bond the two families to each other and to their larger world. VIDEO: Wodaabe males spend hours beautifying themselves in preparation for the Yaake charm dance. Initiation rites have many symbolic meanings in my area Ika. For Maasai babies, however, names are so important that they are bestowed by village elders soon after birth. This, combined with Beckwith and Fisher’s extraordinary photographic skills, creates an intimate portrayal of ceremonies long held secret that might have never been recorded. Diviners, the men and women who perform divination, are believed to speak for spiritual forces. After the room is cleaned thoroughly, no one is allowed into it until the mother is nearing the time for the delivery. Yet certain aspects of African faiths differ from those of most world religions. Santería, also known as Regla de Ocha, Regla Lucumí, or Lucumí, is an African diasporic religion that developed in Cuba between the 16th and 19th centuries. Generally the rituals called on the spirits of ancestors or the spirits of nature for help and assistance. A major distinction from one African religion to another is that each has its own unique set of spirits. Others have merged ideas from indigenous and foreign faiths into religious groups that are unique to Africa. Interesting Facts about Traditional Religions of Ancient Africa Many Africans regard myths as representing basic truths, though they may be clothed in fanciful narratives. This is considered particularly important during the annual Donga stick-fight tournament, when males battle with six-foot wooden poles to prove masculinity and win the hands of the most desirable women. A typical birth ritual among the Ndebele-speaking people of Zimbabwe begins with the woman leaving her husband during her ninth month of pregnancy to go to her own parents' home. Many wedding ceremonies in different countries have different traditions. The Foundation is also dedicated to carrying out community and individual projects, serving the needs of the groups with whom Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher have lived. In addition to regular sacrifices, special purification sacrifices can be performed at any time to heal individuals struck down by sickness, physical or psychological harm, or moral impurity. The occurrence of evil may be unexpected, may spring from a sense of guilt, or may be punishment for antisocial actions. (See also Death, Mourning, and Ancestors; Divination and Oracles; Healing and Medicine; Initiation Rites; Islam in Africa; Masks and Masquerades; Mythology; Prophetic Movements; Spirit Possession; Taboo and Sin. Pre-Marital Introduction Ceremonies, aka “Courtship” No matter how long you’ve been courting your … These ceremonies are rooted in healing rituals dating back to before the enslavement of African peoples and the conquest of Mexicans in North America. Africans use divination to explain and combat forms of evil and to identify its source—either spirits or other humans. The whole community comes together around a fire for several hours or even an entire night, led by healers and elders. The youth are ritually introduced to the art of communal living. Male circumcision is a practice that is being carried out in Africa like … The institution to be chosen must be a venue for ongoing study and research, committed to making the Archive accessible to students, scholars, and the general public, thereby insuring that the legacy of Africa’s ancient cultures is preserved and understood by future generations worldwide. During this time the two photographers would produce 14 universally acclaimed books. VIDEO: Once every three years, devotees of the Voodoo deity Koku gather for a spectacular seven-day celebration called Kokuzahn. Putting a price on the bride. One of the great challenges in African cultures is to find a balance between the age-old tensions of romantic passion and family stability. The possessed person often does not recall the experience. One of their most integral tribal traditions is the trance dance (also known as the healing dance). In order to display their charm, the dancers form long lines, rise up on their toes, roll their eyes and flash their teeth. Not all of the transitions in life are dramatic: some are seasonal, such are the ritual blessing of the earth before harvesting crops or going hunting. This period of seclusion, which may be long or short, is marked by symbolic reversal of the normal order—such as wearing forbidden clothes or eating forbidden foods. A Boloye band accompanies acrobatic Nufori dancers as they tumble before mourners at a funeral. Thirty years ago American-born Carol Beckwith and Australian Angela Fisher met in Kenya and began a relationship with the African continent that would profoundly alter and shape their lives. All of the males of the same age in a community participate as a group in the communal ceremonies that mark each transition. It can also be initiated by spirits through possession of humans. A man lies with a mortar on his chest, while shea nuts are pounded in the vessel causing no harm to the man underneath. In this state, they … This unique archive, created during a thirty-year period of dedicated work, encompasses 120 distinct cultures from 37 African countries. It is an exhibit that both preserves and presents the power, complexity and celebration found within the rituals of African tribal life. they also paint young girls, competing to produce the most decorative designs. In rites of passage, the person being initiated is typically separated from the everyday world both physically and symbolically. Traditions Regarding Pregnancy As the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are mainly of the Christian religion there are fewer ceremonies and traditions relating to childbirth and childhood, however these are prevalent in may African tribes. However, the deeper meaning of the myths may be available only to individuals who have the special training or insight needed to communicate with the world of the spirits. Most still turn to local gods for help with traditional problems or situations. The pregnant wo… 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. The performances serve to bring communities back into harmony with the spirit world and with each other, through shared activity and entertainment. Children are encouraged to take an active part in communal ceremonies and thereby begin their first steps on a journey that encompasses all the realms of human experience. Maize porridge is ooked in a calabash with no bottom. The fact is that Africa is prodigiously rich in rituals of all kinds. At these ceremonies, African and Aztec dancers smudge each other with traditional copal and sage, herbs to heal each other in a sign of respect. The most common regular sacrifices are rites of passage, which are rituals performed at important moments of transition in a person's life. Togolese people in traditional clothes dance the religious voodoo dance. Another form of communication with the spirit world is the practice of divination. By eating the animal's flesh together, the community symbolically renews the communal bond that was disrupted by the pollution of the affected individual. Their numerous photographic exhibitions have received acclaim in museums and galleries throughout the world, including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, National Geographic Museum, Smithsonian Museum of African Art, Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, Borges Cultural Center of Buenos Aires, National Museums of Kenya, and venues in Australia, Europe, and Japan. Belief in witchcraft and sorcery occurs among urban Africans as well as among rural folk. To begin their training, intiates often enter a special place, a sacred forest or a ritually built house. A type of divination called oracle consultation is sometimes used to determine guilt. Many diviners act as mediums, communicating with spirits through possession or trance. Across the world, communities mark major transitions in life through celebrations and ceremonies. Nor are all of them communal: many are personal, such as the passage from health to illmess. Communication between humans and the spirit world can be led by human intermediaries—such as priests, diviners, or prophets—in the form of prayer, visions, prophecies, and sacrifice. to the accompaniment of Voodoo drum rhythms, worshippers spin into possessed states and perform extraordinary feats after summoning the powr of their god through a series of offerings made in the Koku fetish shrine. As with sacrifice, one effect of possession is the purification of the victim and a change of status, such as being removed from certain family or social obligations. VIDEO: After harvest, Surma men paint each other's bodies with intricate patterns, using a paste made from chalk found at the riverbank. In almost every instance, as life changes, Africans appeal to spiritual forces for help and guidance. However, while the God of Christians and Muslims is concerned about all humans, the supreme deity of African religions generally cares only for the people of a particular society. It arose through a process of syncretism between the traditional Yoruba religion of West Africa and the Roman Catholic form of Christianity.Adherents are known as creyente ("believers"). Hundreds of millions of Africans now claim one of these faiths as their chosen religion, and Africa is currently the site of a dramatic growth in Christian converts. The elaborate adornment seen at weddings reflects the importance of the occasion. They are often associated with a sacred site, which may serve as their dwelling place or shrine. Masquerades: Bedik Harvest Masks, Senegal. South African wedding traditions and customs are filled with a lot of rights and rituals that have to be done to appease the ancestors to guide and protect the newlyweds on their quests towards the marital journey. Among the Massai, for example, a male moves from role to role - from young cattle herder to bachelor warrior to married family man to elder of the community - through a series of ceremonies extending over 25 years. The evildoer may be punished or even killed, especially if accused of witchcraft or sorcery on many occasions. Traditionally this is also the time that Wodaabe women select their husbands and lovers. In many African cultures, masquerades are used to dramatize and reinforce the spritiual and social values of the community. Dogon Burial and Masked Dama Ceremony: Following death, the body of a Dogon villager is hoisted hundreds of feet up in the Bandiagara escarpment and laid to rest in the ancient caves of the Tellem ancestors. Rites of passage have value for both the individual and the community. In some African religions, the supreme deity continues to have dealings with humans after creating the world. Although African rites of passage appear similar, there is notable difference in the style of celebration. These rites provide individuals with instruction about what will be expected of them during the next phase of their lives. African religiousness is not a matter of adherence to a doctrine but is concerned with supporting fecundity and sustaining the community.African religions emphasize maintaining a harmonious relationship with the divine powers, and their rituals attempt to harness cosmic powers and channel them for good. The wedding ceremonies of Swazi and Zulu traditionalists involve elaborate rituals aimed at ensuring the future cooperation of the ancestors of the bride and groom. Interested institutions may inquire at African Ceremonies Inc, a 501c3 charitable foundation. The following portraits reveal the extraordinary diversity of traditional bridal dress and jewelery designs across the continent. The Wodaabe of Niger do not name a child before its 12th birthday so that he or she cannot be identified by the spirit of death. The upheaval caused by European colonization of Africa inspired many prophets who promoted political as well as religious change, including some who led their followers into battle for independence. These images are the result of a long, enduring and deeply respectful relationship with tribal peoples. This … Representing panthers, Nufori are intended to frigthen as well as entertain. Myths tell about the creation of the world, ancestral origins, historical events, and heroes. Through these “journeys of the spirit,” as the West African shaman and teacher Maildoma Patrice Some has called them, people are able to transcend the everyday concerns of life to connect with their own spirits and with the spirit world. More often this duty falls to a host of lesser spirits or mystical beings. The creation story emphasizes the separation between humans and the divine, which is often represented by the division between the earth and the sky. Male Circumcision with Knife. Recording the Past, Supporting the Future. Traditions and ceremonies are disappearing rapidly across Africa. During this annual event, men compete with one another to be chosen as the most alluring by a group of female judges. As divine beings, rulers in many African cultures traditionally symbolize the welfare of the state and are responsible for the security and prosperity of their people. Contact and communication between the living and the nonliving are at the heart of almost all African religions. Their journeys have taken them over 270,000 miles, through remote corners of 40 countries, and to more than 150 African cultures. African religions also share many ideas with world religions such as Judaism and Buddhism. Individuals with professional skill or knowledge may be able to convince a spirit to possess them through dancing, hyperventilation (becoming dizzy by rapid breathing), or the use of drugs. The common experiences that they undergo during the intiation period also bind the individuals together and reinforce the idea of community. Remedies for the problem are based on this rivalry and may include forcing the accused person to withdraw the evil or misfortune. It is to rituals, dances, masquerades, storytelling and folk celebrations with all their theatrical elements, then, that one must look for such an African definition. The Wodaabe also place great emphasis on physical beauty and personal charm. Exhibtion Curator — William Siegman, Curator, Brooklyn Museum of Art, 2000Photographers — Carol Beckwith & Angela Fisher, African CeremoniesExhibtion Coordinator — www.photokunst.com, “Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher are not only truly remarkable ). In most traditional African societies, the worlds of the living and the dead are perceived as equally real. In consulting an oracle—usually a material object or a place thought to contain spirits—the diviner asks it to respond to a series of yes-or-no questions to reveal a person's guilt or innocence. Honour, please and thank the ancestors elaborate adornment seen at weddings reflects the importance of the deity... Spirits or mystical beings at Grave site, which are stories that are used to determine.. Long-Standing unpopularity in the natures of men and women or sorcery on many occasions portraits reveal the causes illmess. 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