CHI-WARA GOD OF GOOD FORTUNE IN AGRICULTURE HARVEST. South Sahara (sub-sahara) comprises west Africa, central Africa, east Africa and southern Africa. In about 6000 BC men began a settle way of life. They farmed, Fished, raised domestic animals and built houses. A few thousand years later men began to work in metals, such as copper, bronze, iron, gold and silver. They had powerful leaders and kings who developed kingdoms, empires and cities. In due course these fell and perished due to wars and outside influences Our ancestors believed God has giving power to spirit or lesser gods. Some of these spirits were once human beings. But they became spirits through the help of other spirits. An example is Shango the god of thunder of the Yoruba in Nigeria. Shango is always either represented as an armed rider on horseback or by the symbols of the thunderbolt used to invoke him.Thunderbolt are stones axes of prehistoric cultures. Our ancestors believed that the stone dropped from the sky, and the stone are therefore charged with magic. Shango staffs keep off evil and work miracles. The staff often portrays a kneeling woman who represents fertility. Other spirits control the rivers, mountains, fire, rain, thunder and fertility of women, animals and crops. They supervise fishing, hunting, the arts, agriculture, justice, war, peace, medicine, travelling and all human activities. For instance, Chi-Wara is a spirit. It taught the Bambara carved antelope masks to remember the spirit Chi-Wara. These masks are used in Agriculture activities and rituals, thats clearing the land, planting, reaping the first fruits, harvesting and storing food. The masks are used with special costumes in a dancing before the clearing of the land for farming. There are also female spirits or goddesses like Mother Earth -Odudua of the Yoruba (Nigeria) and Asaase Yaa from my own tribe, Akan (Ghana). Images of the goddesses are modeled in clay or carved in wood. The images are decorated with hairstyles, sanctifications and painting of symbolic patterns. The goddesses are shown with children because they stand for fertility. Women give offsprings and prayers to these goddesses for a successful marriage and many children. Yàw.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 12:55:02 +0000
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