African divination

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Anthropology of religion
Bag with objects for divination. Africa, 1880-1920. Front vi Wellcome L0057645
Basic concepts
Social and cultural anthropology

African divination is divination practiced by cultures of Africa.

Cultures of Africa circa to the year 1991 C.E. were still performing and using divination, both within the urban and the rural environments. Diviners might also fulfill the role of herbalist. [1] Divination might be thought of as a social phenomenon, [2] and is thought of as central to the lives of people in societies of Africa (circa 2004 at least). [3]

The following peoples are known to have practiced divination are, Nigeria, [4] Burkina Faso, Kenya, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Togo, [1] Benin, [5] Uganda and Zaire, [1] the Ivory Coast and western Ghana, [6][7] the Democratic Republic of Congo, [6][8] Cameroon, [9] and Egypt. [10][11][12]

Tongo

Kpa-Mende people

Divination is the specialty of these people within Tongo, specifically the Sherbro area. [13]

Nigeria

Yoruba of Nigeria

The Yoruba [4] have a system of divination known as Ifa. Ifa invokes the god Yoruba god Orunmila who provides divinatory insight. [6] The Yoruba Ifa Odu verses are a corpus used for the purposes of divination. [1]

The Yoruba diviner might use sixteen cowrie-shells instead of the Ifa method, [4] or sixteen palm nuts. [6] According to the Yoruba tribe, men and women are both allowed to practice the sixteen cowrie method, but only men are allowed to practice Ifa [4]

Kapsigi and Higi of Nigeria

The Kapsigi and Higi people of north eastern Nigeria use crabs for divination. [9]

Ndau tribe

the Nyamso lo

The diviner is called the Nyamso lo.The Nyamso lo has divinatory powers because of being possessed and then controlled by a sentient force known as the Zinthi ki. [14]

The Zinthi ki

The Zinthi ki is friendly and comes to the diviner from a place which is further away, is never a living human friend of relative [14]

possession by the Zinthi ki

While possessed, the Nyamso lo is unconscious of the happenings which occur. In possession by Zinthi ki, the Nyamso lo might shudder, tremble and rock a little, with eyes either tightly shut, or open with a glassiness to them, and speaks with a voice which is unnatural in it's hoarseness and from being gutteral. [14]

Nilotic people of the Sudan

Identifying a sorcerer

In cases and situations where ill and hurt or harm has been done by a sorcerer or suspected sorcerer, divination is used to both confirm or deny the presence of sorcery and if a sorcerer is found to be responsible, to then identify the sorcerer. [15]

Protection from sorcery

Protection from sorcery is afforded by a diviner by recourse to amulets, for which the diviner might take payment for, or alternatively, the diviner might assist with the direct punishment of a sorcerer by occult means, for the explicit reason of effecting a cure for the affliction. [15]

the Atout

J. W. Burton made a study of the practice of divination of these peoples, particularly the Atuot. [1]

A belief held by the Atout is of behaviour which is deemed improper causing disharmony in a world which is harmonious, and the punishment of sickness, ignorance and death is made by God which is only alleviated by divination. [5]

Muslim diviners

The faqih [15] of Muslim societies, who is the theologian and jurist thought the most learned, [16] also fulfills a role as a diviner. [15]

peoples of Madagascar

Antemoro

P. Vérin and N. Rajaonarimanana made a study of the Antemoro system of divination within the Madagascan peoples. [1]

Sakalava

Sikidy is a system of mathematical divination used by the ombiasa (diviner) within the Sakalava peoples. Sikidy uses acacia seeds. [17]

Sikidy divination:

The deity Zanahary is the guiding deity for the divination, according to Sakalava belief.[17]

The ombiasa begins by making four piles of acacia seeds, then finds the number of seeds in one of the piles.[17]

If the number of seeds in this pile is an odd number of seeds then one seed is set aside, if even then two are set aside. This process is continued with each pile until another (fifth) pile is created by the seeds put aside, and from this situation more measuring of seeds is made, the degree of counting depending on a decision by way of sacred knowledge which the ombiasa has, by up to the creation of twelve piles. [17]

By way of the influence of Zanahary, each pile is assigned a status as either slave or prince and assigned as being one of the cardinal points, and by this means the ombiasa is led to the divinatory conclusion. [17]

the Batammaliba and Gar-speaking peoples of northern Togo and Benin

Rudolph Blier made a study of the diviner in the context of the health care system of the Batammaliba peoples of northern Togo. [1]

The upon [5] divinator who fulfills the role of a consultant [1][5] is central to the health care system of the Batammaliba and Gar-speaking peoples. [5]

the Lobi of Burkina Faso

P. Meyer studied divination within the Lobi. [1]

A belief held by the Lobi is of behaviour which is deemed improper causing disharmony in a world which is harmonious, and the punishment of sickness, ignorance and death is made by God which is only alleviated by divination. [5]

The Lobi diviner is connected to a god known as a Wathil, and the Wathil is the diviners personal god.[18]

The Lobi diviner usually does not fulfill any other role than divination, and might see between five to twenty clients per day. The diviner is expected to not refuse anyone who wants a divination, if the diviner refuses then the Wathil expresses disapproval. [18]

The status afforded to the Lobi diviner depends upon the quality of the service provided only, which is, the status held corresponds to the accuracy of the divination. [18]

Sierra Leone

the Temne

The Temne of Sierra Leone contain individuals who practiced divination at a time circa the year 1991.(R. Shaw 1991). [1]

Temne divination practice is an adoption of practices from outside of the Temne tradition. The divination of the Temne is from Mande practices. [19]

Uganda

Nyole

The Nyole of Uganda contain individuals who practice divination (S. Reynolds 1991). [1]

The lamuli (diviners) use books for divination. The books used by the lamuli might be The Holy Qur'an, the Sa'atili Habari and the Abu Mashari Faraki. [17]

Divination by the use of books is thought to have begun by way of the first influence of Ali bin Nasoor who was a trader from Oman who settled in Busolwe, and also by the influence of other Swahili or Arabic traders. [20]

Findings of an investigation made by S.R. Whyte found the majority of people (in the sample) went for divination consultations for reasons of their own bad or failed health (please see reference page 16). [20]

Kenya

Divination specialism exists in Kenya. [21]

Peoples

The Giriama and Swahili of Kenya contain individuals who practice divination (D. Parkin 1991). [1]

In Malindi, spirit-medium diviners are known as aganga a mburuga. Aganga a kuvoyera are both diviners and healers, who are additionally experts in locating withcraft. This last capacity is thought important because of business situations giving rise to accusations of witchraft. [21]

Method

Swahili use the mostly astrological and numerological text, Falak, to divinate, based on an earlier text 'ilm al-Falak, which was used by Arabic and Omani to teach Africans astronomy and astrology. [21]

Differentiation by gender

One investigation found within the Kaya area (of the Mijikenda peoples [22]) most diviners were male, while within the Magarini area they were female. In Malindi circa 2009, most diviners were female. [21]

Ivory Coast and Ghana

Baule

The Baule people live within the Ivory Coast [23] they have diviners who divine by trance and by another means, [6] the Baule make a contraption for the purposes of oracular divination, called a ghekre, which contains mice. [6] The Baule diviners are can be male or female. The diviners have paraphernalia, and this is hats, mallets, display weaponry and iron gongs, and the diviner also possesses a fine-art sculpture(s) of the human figure. [23]

Mice divination: A mouse of the variety field mouse is put within a cylindrical vessel within which vessel the mouse has something to eat. As the mouse eats it displaces little batons attached to the side of a tortoise shell tray within the vessel. As the batons fall they create a unique pattern on the ground and the diviner looks at these to tell the divination. [23] The type of mouse living within the Ivory Coast includes the Baer's wood mouse, Forest soft-furred mouse and Miller's striped mouse. [24]

Senufo

The Senufo peoples [6] know their diviner as a Sando. [25]

the Democratic Republic of Congo

the Pende peoples

The diviners of the Pende use instruments for divination. [6][8]

the Yaka peoples

The Yaka people contain individuals who divine. [26] Yaka divination which is mediumistic originated in the ngoombu cult, [27]

A. Almquist studied the Pagibeti, R. Devisch studied the Yaka, [1] while the country was known as Zaire (pre-August 1992). [28]

South Africa

Xhosa

The Xhosa peoples contain individuals who practice divination. [29]

Amazulu

The diviner of the Amazulu [30] (the Zulu people [31]) of South East Africa [31][32] is known as Izinyanga Zokabula, or an Inyanga. [30]

Diviners are said to have soft heads. [30]

Initiation

The man, to begin with, abstains from certain foods, and does not eat much. He complains about bodily pain. He dreams many things (he has become a house of dreams). He finally becomes ill and goes to a diviner to seek help, but the man stays unwell for perhaps two years. At this time he is already possessed by the Itongo. His hair falls out. His skin is now dry. About this time he becomes aware of his divinatory powers which are heard and seen by his sneezing and yawning repeatedly, and is also now liking snuff very much, taking this often. He suffers convulsions in illness and has water poured over him, at which time the convulsions stop for a while. He cries and weeps. During the night sometimes others go to sing with him, after he has awoken them with his own singing, after having composed a song. His body is now emaciated. During the initiation the sleep pattern of the initiate changes to a number of brief periods and awaking to be active singing songs and leaping inside and outside (like a frog). The village make an effort to make the initiates Itongo white. At this time, a well-respected and known Inyanga makes ubulawo (an emetic) for the initiate, the initiate and the Inyanga spend two days together, then the initiate is himself an Inyanga. [30]

Impepo

The initiating Inyanga first eats black impepo, to take away dimness from the inner sight, then white impepo. White impepo is used to maintain trueness of inner sight after the black impepo. Both are emetics. The Inyanga sleeps with black impepo (under the head) to make the dreams clear and true. [30]

Cameroon

The Kapsigi and Higi people of Cameroon use crabs for divination. [9]

Egyptian

The people of Egypt began divination practices using air, earth, fire and water during the Ptolemaic period. Native populations of Egypt began practice of these things by way of Grecian individuals who themselves had learnt about divination from Babylonia. [12]

See also

Kuba divination

Obi divination

Opele

Opon Ifá

Iyalawo

Sources

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 P.M. Peek (Drew University) (1991). African Divination Systems: Ways of Knowing. Indiana University Press. p. 2,3,4. ISBN 0253343097. Retrieved 2015-12-25.African systems of thought
  2. ↑ L.S. Grillo (2013-05-28). Divination: Perspectives for a New Millennium. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, (edited by Dr P. Curry - University of Wales). p. 41. ISBN 1409481131. Retrieved 2015-12-26.
  3. ↑ M. Alpheus Masoga (University of Natal) (2004). Becoming Ngaka: Coming to terms with Oral Narrative Discourses (in) Orality, Literacy, and Colonialism in Southern Africa. BRILL. ISBN 9004130861. Retrieved 2015-12-26.Issue 46 of Semeia studies
  4. 1 2 3 4 W.R. Bascom (& Salacǫ) (1993). Sixteen Cowries: Yoruba Divination from Africa to the New World. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0253208475. Retrieved 2015-12-25.Volume 847 of Midland Books
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 N.S. Murrell (University of North Carolina Wilmington) (2010-01-25). Afro-Caribbean Religions: An Introduction to Their Historical, Cultural, and Sacred Traditions. Temple University Press. p. 46. ISBN 1439901759. Retrieved 2015-12-25.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 A. LaGamma, J. Pemberton, MOMA (P. de Montebello) (2000). Art and Oracle: African Art and Rituals of Divination. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 5,7,8. ISBN 0870999338. Retrieved 2015-12-25.
  7. ↑ A. Dalby (October 28, 2015). Dictionary of Languages: The definitive reference to more than 400 languages. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 80. ISBN 1408102145.
  8. 1 2 D. Kabozi (S.L. Danver) (2015-03-10). Native Peoples of the World: An Encylopedia of Groups, Cultures and Contemporary Issues. Routledge. p. 72. ISBN 1317464001. Retrieved 2015-12-25.
  9. 1 2 3 W. van Beek (2013). Reviewing Reality: Dynamics of African Divination. LIT Verlag Münster. ISBN 3643903359. Retrieved 2015-12-25.Volume 50 of African Studies
  10. ↑ D.W. Nabudere (2011). Afrikology, Philosophy and Wholeness: An Epistemology. African Books Collective. ISBN 0798302550. Retrieved 2015-12-25.
  11. ↑ E.L. Harris (1998-09-01). Ancient Egyptian Divination and Magic. Weiser Books. ISBN 1578630363. Retrieved 2015-12-25.
  12. 1 2 E.A. Wallis Budge (1930). Amulets and Superstitions: The Original Texts with Translations and Descriptions of a Long Series of Egyptian, Sumerian, Assyrian, Hebrew, Christian, Gnostic, and Muslim Amulets and Talismans and Magical Figures, with Chapters on the Evil Eye, the Origin of the Amulet, the Pentagon, the Sw?stika, the Cross (pagan and Christian), the Properties of Stones, Rings, Divination, Numbers, the Kabbâlâh, Ancient Astrology, Etc. Courier Corporation. p. 443. ISBN 0486235734. Retrieved 2015-12-25.
  13. ↑ J. Knight ( Queen's University), European Association of Social Anthropologists (2000). Natural Enemies: People-wildlife Conflicts in Anthropological Perspective. Psychology Press. ISBN 0415224403. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
  14. 1 2 3 Kam'ba Sima ngo (& N. Curtis Burlin) (1920). Songs and tales from the dark continent: the authoritative 1920 classic, recorded from the singing and the sayings of C. Kamba Simango, Ndau tribe, Portuguese East Africa, and Madikane ?ele, Zulu tribe, Natal, Zululand, South Africa. Courier Corporation. p. 15,16,17,18. ISBN 0486420698. Retrieved 2015-12-25.Dover books on music
  15. 1 2 3 4 personnel of U.S. Department of the Army (1986 - 1998). Sudan. Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress Country Studies/Area Handbook Series (U.S. Department of the Army). Retrieved 2015-12-29. External link in |publisher= (help)
  16. ↑ O. Roy, A. Sfeir (2007) - The Columbia World Dictionary of Islamism Columbia University Press ISBN 023114640X [Retrieved 2015-12-29]
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 J.K. Olupona (Harvard Divinity School) (2014). African Religions: A Very Short Introduction. OUP USA. p. 48. ISBN 0199790582. Retrieved 2015-12-26.Volume 377 of Very Short Introductions
  18. 1 2 3 T.N. Washington, P. Meyer cited by T.N. Washington (Grambling State University) (2014). Manifestations of Masculine Magnificence: Divinity in Africana Life, Lyrics, and Literature. Oya's Tornado. p. 154. ISBN 0991073002. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  19. ↑ R. Shaw (Tufts University) (2002). Memories of the Slave Trade: Ritual and the Historical Imagination in Sierra Leone. University of Chicago Press. p. 70, 71. ISBN 0226751317. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  20. 1 2 S.R. Whyte (University of Copenhagen) (1997). Questioning Misfortune: The Pragmatics of Uncertainty in Eastern Uganda. Cambridge University Press. p. 16, 65. ISBN 0521595584. Retrieved 2015-12-26.Volume 4 of Cambridge Studies in Medical Anthropology
  21. 1 2 3 4 J. McIntosh (Brandeis University) (2009). The Edge of Islam: Power, Personhood, and Ethnoreligious Boundaries on the Kenya Coast. Duke University Press. p. 229,281. ISBN 0822390965. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  22. ↑ Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests UNESCO [Retrieved 2015-12-30]
  23. 1 2 3 H.B. Werness (California State University) (2003). Continuum Encyclopedia of Native Art: Worldview, Symbolism, and Culture in Africa, Oceania, and North America. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 81. ISBN 0826414656. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
  24. ↑ A. Duff, A. Lawson (2004). Mammals of the World: A Checklist. Yale University Press. p. 85, 86. ISBN 0300103980.
  25. ↑ T.J. Bassett (University of Illinois) (March 2006). The Peasant Cotton Revolution in West Africa: Côte D'Ivoire, 1880-1995. Cambridge University Press. p. xix. ISBN 0521788838. Retrieved 2015-12-25.Volume 101 of African Studies
  26. ↑ R. Devisch (2013). Reviewing Reality: Dynamics of African Divination. LIT Verlag Münster. ISBN 3643903359. Retrieved 2015-12-25.Volume 50 of African Studies
  27. ↑ R. Devisch (Arizona State University) (2004). Divination and Healing: Potent Vision. University of Arizona Press. p. 243. ISBN 0816523770. Retrieved 2015-12-25.
  28. ↑ G. Nzongola-Ntalaja (Howard University) (2004). From Zaire to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Nordic Africa Institute. p. 5. ISBN 9171065385. Retrieved 2015-12-26.
  29. ↑ N Lily-Rose Mlisa (2013). Reviewing Reality: Dynamics of African Divination. LIT Verlag Münster. ISBN 3643903359. Retrieved 2015-12-25.Volume 50 of African Studies
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 H. Callaway (1868). The Religious System of the Amazulu: With a Translation Into English, and Notes. J.A. Blair.
  31. 1 2 E.A. Eldredge (2014). The Creation of the Zulu Kingdom, 1815–1828. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 1107075327. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  32. ↑ United Nations: Department of Peace Keeping Operations (January 2004). South East Africa Drain Map (PDF). United Nations. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
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