Tuesday 25 September 2012

Other African Myths

I looked at some more ideas in African tradition and belief that could have some connection with the river god and how I could give it context

Earth

Regard Earth as a female deity who rules over all people and creatures, it lives and gives birth to ever new generations. The idea of earth as all four elements and worshipped in ceremonies to make it rain and control the values of life and death, nature obeys her except for man.

Afterlife

Soul of an individual lives on after death and some believe that more than one spiritual essence lives within one person known as the life soul or bio spirit. The life soul is said to retain the individuals identity even when separated from the body. Some believe that this can separate during a person's life, in times of danger therefore can never killed. Once danger is passed then soul can return to the body.

This could translate to spirit suggestion as something that appears from a source rather than being it's own thing.

Http://www.gateway-africa.com/stories/  - full of fables and poems

e.g  Rain - Naturally the African weather played the most vital part in the lives of the Hottentots, just as with the Bushmen, but the former had livestock to care for.
 They needed good rain for grazing and had many feasting and dancing rituals to bring on the desired rainfall. They also sent parties into the veld to search for the elusive chameleon, which was supposed to bring rain. When found it was buried stomach upwards in the earth, and special care was taken not to injure it. The people firmly believed that it would rain the same day. When this happened (hopefully for the chameleon's sake this was often), and after sufficient rain had fallen, or the rolls of thunder had grown quite frightening, the chameleon was dug up and set free. A substitute for the chameleon was the yellow cobra which, however, did not fare so well. It was half killed before burial, and only finished off when no more rain was required.  Other practises to bring on rain were the burying of round stones in the veld, and sending those who had been born during a rainstorm to walk alone in the bush. If the rainstorm turned into hail, the last born child o the family was asked to step outside and put a hailstone in his mouth until it melted. It was thought this would surely make the hail slacken. If the storm persisted, and the family became desperate, one of the old ladies were sent outside and told to pick up her hind karos and bend over. The weather then became shy and the rain retreated in embarrassment!

Bad Spirit Superstition

When a man is sick, it means that an evil spirit has entered his body.






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