Egypt. Traditional African religion. The indigenous religious beliefs and practices of African peoples include various traditional religions.[1][2] While generalizations of these religions are difficult, due to the diversity of African cultures, they do have some characteristics in common. Generally, they are oral rather than scriptural,[3][4] include belief in a supreme being, belief in spirits and other divinities, veneration of ancestors, use of magic, and traditional medicine.[5][6] The role of humanity is generally seen as one of harmonizing nature with the supernatural.[7][8] Terminology[edit] African traditional religion, African traditional religions, Indigenous African religions are all common terms used to discuss the subject of indigenous faiths found within Africa. Each term is debated among scholars. Classification and statistics[edit] An early 20th century Igbo medicine man in Nigeria, West Africa the "primal-indigenous" religions are primarily tribal and composed of pre-colonization peoples.
Ceremonies[edit] Anyanwu. Anyanwu (Igbo: Eye of the Sun) is an Igbo deity that is believed to dwell in the sun. Anyanwu was one of the principal spirits for the Igbo, often associated with Agbara, the holy spirit as they both dwelled in the sun. This deity was seen as the perfect image of what a human should be.[1] Anyanwu is a surname given to people the Ibo, Igbo ethnic group in Nigeria. Anyanwu is also the name given to a major character in the Octavia E. Butler's Patternist series. Jump up ^ Añunobi, Nri Warriors of Peace. 2005.
Ngai. Ngai (Enkai, En-kai, Engai, Eng-ai, Mweai, Mwiai) is the supreme God in the religions of the Kamba, Kikuyu and Maasai nationalities of Kenya. According to the Kikuyu beliefs, he lives on the holy mountain Kirinyaga (Mount Kenya). According to the Kamba, he lives somewhere in a hiding place and no one knows where. The Maasai of Kenya in their creation narrative recount the origin of humanity to be fashioned by the Creator Enkai from a single tree or leg which split into three pieces. To the first father of the Maasai, he gave a stick. Although Maasai people have also converted to Christianity, many still practice their traditional religion. See also[edit] Notes[edit] References[edit] Leeming, David A. (2009). External links[edit] Ngai, The High God of the Kikuyu. Mawu. After creating the earth and all life and everything else on it, she became concerned that it might be too heavy, so she asked the primeval serpent, Aido Hwedo, to curl up beneath the earth and thrust it up in the sky.
When she asked Awe, a monkey she had also created, to help out and make some more animals out of clay, he boasted to the other animals and challenged Mawu. Gbadu, the first woman Mawu had created, saw all the chaos on earth and told her children to go out among the people and remind them that only Mawu can give Sekpoli - the breath of life. Gbadu instructed her daughter, Minona, to go out among the people and teach them about the use of palm kernels as omens from Mawu. When Awe, the arrogant monkey climbed up to the heavens to try to show Mawu that he too could give life, he failed miserably. This myth is similar to the Yoruba story of Yemaja and Aganju, parents of the Orishas. Magec. Magec (Guanche Berber Ma-ɣeq, "possesses radiance" or "mother of brightness" [1]), in Tenerife,[2] was the god or goddess (actual gender is unknown) of the Sun and the light and also thought to be one of the principal divinities in Guanche religion. According to legend, Magec was captured by Guayota and held him or her prisoner inside Teide; Magec was later liberated by Achamán.
See also[edit] Guanche Religion References[edit]