Kemetic History of Afrika * Blue Lotus*: Landmarks of the rich & dramatic history of S. Africa

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Landmarks of the rich & dramatic history of S. Africa

The history of South Africa is irrevocably linked to the history of Africa, one of contrast and diversity.

A history marked by the rise of complex societies and migrations and a tribute to all its people who adapted to the challenges of nature with enthusiasm and courage.

A way of life where people’s livelihood depended on hunting, gathering and the herding of animals within a certain area. The introduction of iron changed the African continent irrevocably and was a large step forward in the development of its people.

Start your history of South Africa tour by clicking on any of the subjects in the menu below;

AFRICAN BACKGROUND COLONIZATION OF THE CAPE
ANCIENT TIMES 1820 SETTLERS
THE SAN AND THE KHOI PEOPLE MFECANE / DIFAQANE (TOTAL WAR)
ORIGINS OF THE BLACK PEOPLE THE GREAT TREK
SETTLEMENT OF THE BLACK PEOPLE VOORTREKKER / ZULU WAR
FIRST EUROPEAN DISCOVERERS DISCOVERY OF GOLD AND DIAMONDS
EARLY EUROPEAN SETTLERS ANGLO / ZULU WAR
THE SLAVES ANGLO / BOER WARS
THE FRENCH HUGUENOTS THE APARTHEID ERA
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African background,...

The discovery of iron and its use created the potential for agriculture, which changed the lifestyles of the African people forever. Population numbers rose and a pattern of migration started, a pattern that would develop into the mass migration of black people from the great lakes in central Africa to the north, east and south of Southern Africa. It is known as the southern migration, a key factor in South Africa's history.
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Ancient times,...

The famous fossilized scull of one of the very first ancestors of humankind, known today as Mrs. Ples. It is believed to be 2,5 million years old and was found in the Sterkfontein caves at the Cradle of Humankind area. It is on display in the Transvaal museum in Pretoria - History of South Africa
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The history of man in South Africa covers such a vast period of time that it is difficult to determine exactly where to start. A possible choice could be the development of Hominidae (human race) five million years ago, or maybe 2,3 million years ago with the development of the genus Homo. Archaeological evidence suggests that both Homo habilis and Homo erectus inhabited southern Africa and that modern humans have lived in South Africa for over 100,000 years.

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The San and the Khoi people,...

Battle Cave, ancient dwelling-place of the Bushmen (San) in the Injusati valley in the Drakensberg mountains, famous for its scenes depicting the San people’s way of life and their rock art on the cave walls - History of South Africa
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Together they are called the "Khoisan", a term that has been used to describe their broad similarity in cultural and biological origins. It is derived from the names "Khoikhoi" and "San". "Khoikhoi" was the original name used by the Hottentots in reference to themselves and "San" was the name the Bushmen used when they referred to themselves. They are the first known inhabitants of South Africa, believed to have emerged from the same gene pools as the black people, but to have developed separately.

more about the "San" and the "Khoi" people >>>

Origins of the black people,...
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Zulus ploughing the land like in the old days - History of South Africa
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With the development of the iron blade, reaping became easier and agriculture took on a whole new meaning. Populations grew faster than before and people were encroaching on each other's land. This necessitated an enlargement of territory, which led to a mass migration of African peoples from the Great Lakes in central Africa, to the North, East and Southern Africa, known as the southern migration. Some anthropologists believe that this migration process could have taken up to 2 000 years.

more about the Bantu people migration into South Africa >>>

Settlement of the black people,...

The above is the generally accepted view of the origins and spread of the Bantu people in three phases during the southern migration - History of South Africa

Many of the Bantu speaking tribes who came from central Africa during the Southern Migration, established themselves in today's KwaZulu-Natal, further along the southern coast and in Mpumalanga. Other tribes tended to move more into the interior. Although their languages and culture did have similarities, they were far from identical. The black population of South Africa can be divided into several ethnic groups, of which the Nguni speaking people form a major part. Other main groups are the Sotho, the Venda and the Shangaan-Tsonga.

more the settlement of Black people in South Africa >>>

First European discoverers,...

A replica of the ship in which in which Portuguese seafarer Bartolomeu Dias rounded the southern tip of Africa in 1488, calling it the "Cape of Good Hope". It is on display in the Dias museum in Mosselbay - History of South Africa
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The white population arrived on the South African scene long after the black people. Bartolomeu Dias, a Portuguese seafarer, was the first European to sail around the southern point of Africa in 1486. He named it "The Cape of Good Hope" ("Cabo de Boa Esperanca"). Nine years were to pass before Vasco da Gama, another Portuguese seafarer, attempted a voyage around the southern point of Africa. Although the Portuguese were the first to travel around the Cape, they were not seriously interested in southern Africa.

more about the early history of the The Cape of Good Hope >>>

Early European settlers,...

The first Europeans to settle in South Africa were the Dutch seafarer Jan van Riebeeck and his crew, who arrived with their three ships in Table Bay in 1652. The local inhabitants in the Cape at that time were the Khoisan people - History of South Africa

On 6 April 1652, the Dutch seafarer Jan van Riebeeck arrived in Table Bay with his three ships. His mission was to establish a supply station on behalf of the Dutch East India Company ( V.O.C.). Originally, the V.O.C. did not intend to establish a full-fledged colony at the Cape, but it committed itself when it gave nine Company servants their freedom in 1657 to establish private farms in the Rondebosch area below the eastern slopes of Table Mountain.

more about the early European Settlers and the Cape colony >>>

The Slaves,...

Cape Malay minstrels, many of them descendents of the Malay slaves imported by Jan van Riebeeck in 1658, having their annual street carnival with their own unique Malay music and singing - History of South Africa
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The importation of slaves greatly enlarged the population of the Cape. Slaves were imported from other parts of Africa, Madagascar, India and East Asia. They were mainly used as labourers and servants but many of them were skilled carpenters and bricklayers. Their skills played an invaluable role in speeding up the progress and development of the Cape. The intermingling between the slaves and the European population marked the beginning of the coloured community un the cape.

more about the slaves in South Africa’s Cape colony Cape colony >>>

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The French Huguenots,...

The Huguenot monument and museum in Franschhoek, in commemoration of the settlement of the French Huguenot refugees in the Cape colony in 1689
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In 1689, some 180 Huguenot refugees were brought to the Cape after Louis XIV had banned Calvinism in France. They settled mainly in what was then known as the "Olifantshoek vallei" (elephant corner valley), known today as Franschhoek and Franschhoek valley. People from Germany, Scandinavia, Flanders and Switzerland also contributed to the diverse population of the Cape. With their love and knowledge of wine making, the French settlers stood at the cradle of South Africa’s famous wine making culture of today.

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Colonization of the Cape,...

Entrance to the Castle of Good Hope, the oldest stone building in South Africa. The fort was built by the Dutch colonists over the period 1666 to 1679, to protect the Colony against invasion from across the sea - History of South Africa
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After the French revolution, the newly founded Republic of France conquered the Netherlands in 1795. The Netherlands became known as the Batavian republic and the ruler of the Netherlands, Prince William of Orange, had to flee to England. In England, the prince asked the British to prevent France from taking possession of the Dutch colonies. Britain obliged and, as a result, became involved with the Cape. Not all the inhabitants of the Cape however were in favour of British occupation.

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1820 Settlers,...

One of the beautiful beaches of Algoa bay, known as Summerstrand beach at Port Elizabeth with the Boardwalk and casino in the background - History of South Africa
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Following the Napoleonic wars, Britain was experiencing a serious unemployment problem and Lord Somerset was therefore keen to entice British immigrants to the Cape. He also thought that they would help to maintain peace on the border between the Fish and Sundays Rivers. In 1819, the British government decided to send emigrants to the Cape. Only 4000 of the 90,000 applications were approved. The first settlers arrived in Table Bay on 17 March 1820. From there they were sent to Algoa Bay, today known as Port Elizabeth.

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Mfecane / Difaqane (Total War),...

Young Zulus performing a traditional Zulu warrior dance at the Shakaland museum in Zulu land - History of South Africa
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One of the most significant historical occurrences in the early history of South Africa was the Mfecane. The term Mfecane in the Nguni language means "destroyed in total war". In Sotho it is Difaqane, meaning "hammering" or "forced migration / removal". The great Zulu and Sotho tribes fought each other for space and domination throughout Southern Africa, killing and displacing hundreds of thousands of people across the sub-continent. A key figure in this all-out battle among the African tribes was the great Zulu king Shaka.

more about the rise of the Zulu nation in south Africa >>>

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The Great Trek,...

Historical scene at the Voortrekker Monument museum in Pretoria, depicting the "Laager" (encampment) of a Voortrekker family on their journey into the interior of South Africa - History of South Africa
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Over a time span of three years starting in 1835, some 12,000 Voortrekkers (pioneers) left the Cape Colony and trekked (moved) into the interior by ox wagon. In time, these Voortrekkers started to build a unique identity and started calling themselves Afrikaners. They also developed a hybrid language, Afrikaans, which stemmed from high Dutch but incorporated strong French, Malay, German and Black influences. The Afrikaans-speaking descendants of these people would later simply be called “Boere” (boers or farmers).

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Voortrekker / Zulu war,...

The Blood River monument, a replica of the fortified "Laager" (encampment) of Andries Pretorius and his men in commemoration of the battle of Blood River in 1838 between the Voortrekkers and the Zulus - History of South Africa
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Many of the Voortrekkers leaving the Cape colony, decided to move to the Natal region, on the eastern coast of South Africa. At that time Natal was largely inhabited by the Zulus, who had developed into one of the strongest and most powerful black nations of Africa. So the land in natal was not for the taking. Having left the Cape on March 1837, Voortrekker leader Piet Retief and his party of about 400 Voortrekkers opted for Natal as their destination. They initiated negotiations with reigning Zulu king Dingane, to obtain land.

more about the Voortrekker-Zulu war and the Battle of Blood River >>>

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Discovery of Gold and Diamonds,...

The Big Hole of Kimberley, place of the biggest diamond rush the world has ever seen. 50,000 miners dug a hole of around 300 x 200 meters and close to 1100 meters deep - History of South Africa
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With the discovery of diamonds and gold in the 19th century, urbanisation started in earnest in South Africa. People came from all over the world to stake their claims in the diamond fields. New towns were established to accommodate the huge influx of people. When gold was discovered in the Transvaal (Pilgrim’s rest, Barberton and the Witwatersrand), a similar process took place. Mining magnates such as Cecil John Rhodes and Barney Barnato, who both had interests in the diamond industry, also became involved in the mining of gold.

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Anglo / Zulu war,...

The battlefield at Isandhlwana hill where a British force of some 1700 men armed with guns and canon, were virtually wiped out by more then 20,000 spear-wielding Zulu warriors - History of South Africa
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In the second half of the 1800’s Great Britain saw itself faced with two colonies, two independent "Boer" republics and several independent African territories including a very powerful Zulu Kingdom, with little control over any of them. As part of the British efforts to consolidate their power, the British High Commissioner for South Africa requested Zulu king Cetshwayo to virtually disarm his entire army. The Zulu's had no such inclination what so ever and the Anglo / Zulu war as it is known today was under way.

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Anglo / Boer wars,...

Melrose House in Pretoria, where the peace treaty of Vereniging was signed on the 31st of May 1902, ending the second Anglo-Boer war - History of South Africa
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With the discovery of diamonds and gold the British realized that there was great wealth for the taking outside the Cape Colony. In 1877 they annexed the region where the “voortrekker boers” had founded their "Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek" (South African Republic, also called The Republic of Transvaal), 25 years before. The boers were infuriated and on 16 December 1880 they declared themselves independent from Great Britain and shots were fired by Transvaal boers at Potchefstroom, marking the start of the first Anglo / Boer war.

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Sesen (The Lotus) Symbol of The Sun, Creation, Purity and Rebirth

Lotus Flower, the radiant yellow center of the Egyptian blue lotus (nymphaea cerulae) resembles the Sun emanating from the primeval waters as told in the myth of creation. At night the flower closes and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises and opens again. - According to Egyptian creation myth, it was a giant lotus which first rose out of the watery chaos at the beginning of time. From this giant lotus the sun itself rose on the first day. Both the blue and white varieties were used in medicinal preparations. In mathematics, the lotus hieroglyph symbolized the number one-thousand. It is also symbolic of Upper Egypt and represents the resurrection of Isis.

IMHOTEP

MULTI - GENIUS - PRIEST, SCRIBE, HEAD PHYSICIAN, ARCHITECT, SAGE, MAGICIAN, VIZER TO KING DJOSER - HIS NAME MEANS - "ONE WHO COMES IN PEACE" - HE WAS THE WORLD'S FIRST ARCHITECT WHO BUILT EGYPT FIRST PYRAMID. HE WAS AN ASTROLOGER, HE WAS CHIEF MINISTER TO DJOSER AROUND (2630-2611 BC) THE SECOND KING OF THE THIRD DYNASTY. HE IS KNOWN FOR BUILDING THE STEP PYRAMID. IMHOTEP BEST WRITINGS WERE "MEDICAL" HE IS BELIEVED TO BE THE AUTHOR OF THE SMITH PAPYRUS IN WHICH OVER 90 ANATOMICAL TERMS AND 48 INJURIES ARE DESCRIBED. IT HAS BEEN STATED THAT IMHOTEP TREATED; TUBERCULOSIS, GALLSTONES, APENDICITIS, GOUT, ARTHRITIS, HE ALSO PROFORMED SURGERY AND SOME DENTISTRY, HE ALSO KNEW POSITION OF VITAL ORGANS AND CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD SYSTEM. HIS PRESTIGE INCREASED WITH LAPSES OF CENTURIES. HIS TEMPLES IN GREEK TIMES WERE THE CENTERS FOR MEDICAL TEACHING.

Proto-historic figure of Tera-neter, nobleman of the Anu race the first inhabitants of KMT

The "Tera-neter" tile is predynastic being found by British Egyptologist W.M. Flinders Petrie (1853-1942) in the early temple at Abydos underneath the dynastic temple. The figure is on a green glazed faience. Petrie, famously known as "The Father of Pre-history". Petrie, excavations at Nagada and Ballas in Upper Egypt nearly 100 years ago unearth nearly 2200 ancient graves. The Aunu People. Besides these types, belonging to the north and east, There is the aboriginal race of the Anu, or Aunu, people (written with three pillars), who became a part of the historic inhabitants. The subject ramifies too doubtfully if we include all single-pillar names, but looking for the Aunu, written with the three pillars, we find that they occupied Southern Egypt and Nubia, and the name is also applied in Sinai and Libya. "These Anu were agricultural people, raising cattle on a large scale along the Nile, shutting themselves up in walled cities for defensive purposes. To this people we can attribute, without fear of error, the most ancient Egyptian books, The Book of the Dead and the Texts of the Pyramids, consequently, all the myths or religious teachings. I would add almost all the philosophical systems then known and still called Egyptian. They evidently knew the crafts necessary for any civilization and were familiar with the tools those trades required. They knew how to use metals, at least elementary metals. They made the earliest attempts at writing, for the whole Egyptian tradition attributes this art to Thoth, the great Hermes an Anu like Osiris, who is called Onian in Chapter XV of The Book of the Dead and in the Texts of the Pyramids. "Dynasty II, Tombs. The IInd dynasty came to terms with the earlier Aunu people, and the first king took the name Hetep-sekhemui, "peace of the two powers." By the middle of the dynasty, the Aunu people began to control the rule, and Set appears on the royal name instead of Horus. By the end of the dynasty, the two scepters were "united in peace" by Kho-sekhemui". "Some of the most obvious public works of the Ist dynasty were the carrying on of earlier undertakings. The great historical maces, and the irrigation works, had been developed under the Scorpion king of the Aunu, and both may have originated much earlier. Many vases and bowls (HR, xii, xvii, xix, xxxiv) bear his name."

Professor Cheikh Anta Diop (1923-1986)

In His Lab , At the University of Dakar. An outstanding Historian,Egyptologist, Philosopher, and Chemist, - ---“In this chapter I hope to demonstrate that the origin of the civilization of Egypt (khem) was black African, specifically Ethiopian or Anu . . . The history of Black will remain suspended in air and cannot be written correctly until African historians dare connect it with the history of Egypt. In reviewing Egypt’s beginnings, we find an advanced civilization already intact from the earliest Dynasty. This fact has perplexed historians down through the ages. Common sense dictates that if Egypt began fully mature, then its civilization must have originated elsewhere . . . . [Herodotus] The ‘Father of History’ was told that the first man to rule Egypt was Min, who lived so long ago that Egypt was still under water: ‘in (Min’s) time the whole country, except the district around Thebes, was marsh, none of the land below Lake Moeris, was then showing above water. To this place from the sea [Nowe] is seven days passage up the river . . . . Cheik Anta Diop, The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality (originally published Nations Negres et Culture) 1955 - (Published in English in 1974)

QUEEN TIYE

Born in Nubia, Queen Tiye was the Great Royal Wife of Amenhotep III, mother of Amenhotep IV (later known as Akenhaton), and mother-in-law of Nefertiti. Highly prestigious during the reign of both her husband and son, she exerted her influence as queen consort and queen mother of Egypt over a fifty-year period. In addition, she shaped Egyptian fashion and altered the prevailing view regarding royal women. Married at an early age, her husband fiercely admired her and displayed his love lavishly by building temples and massive statues where she sits by him as an equal, a feat unparalleled in that time; dedicated a number of shrines to her; and even created a monumental artificial lake for her. She was glorified by her husband as "... The most praised, the lady of grace, sweet in her love, who fills the palace with her beauty, the Regent of the North and South, the Great Wife of the King, the lady of both lands..." Wielding her power and taking charge at this juncture in the nation's history, she used her political influence and astute decisions to maintain Egypt's authority. She averted key national crises by becoming Secretary of State when her husband's physical and mental powers deteriorated with age; and redirected political decisions to her attention when her son Akenhaton neglected his political duties while preoccupied with his religious innovation (named the Heretic King, Akenhaton was the first ruler in recorded history to believe in monotheism).

Alkebulan-Centric Kemetic Sciences

The Master Keys to the Study of Ancient Kemet~ 1. Cultural Antiquity and Continuity Starts in Pre-Dynastic Times and Go to 640 A.D. We must remember this when reading or listening to presentations about Kemet. Even those who eventually conquered Kemet adopted its culture. 2. Older is Better. The older architecture is superior to the later works. It's as if the art and discipline was forgotten with time. 3. The Entire Orientation of the Ancient Kamites is Southern. Word for face and South, right and West, left and East, North and back of head are respectively the same. 4. The Origin of the Kamites is Southern. 5. Leadership is Southern. The main leadership that ruled ancient Kemet always came from the South 6. All Invasions Were Destructive. No one donated culture to ancient Kemet. 7. Arabic Migration Mixes with Nubian People in the Kemetic Valley at and After the Time of Muhammad. Arabic people come in from Syria and Assyria in large numbers for the first time as the first large population of settlers after Muhammad. And with Islam, you have the first change in the fundamental culture of Kemet. 8. Science Generated Religion. The ancient Kemetic people got religion by studying aspects of nature. Nature, when viewed systematically, represents "God" anywhere you look. If you keep seeing the same patterns and rules repeated over and over again in nature, you suddenly realize that there is something bigger that you can't grasp that is behind all this. Therefore, you study yourself into religion. The religion that the Kemetic people developed through study is the same religion that others borrowed from the ancient Kamites without study. Science generated religion, it generated philosophy, and it generated general culture (religion was not Sunday). 9. There is No Dualism in Kemetic Culture. Dualism in interpretation philosophically or culturally is a western phenomenon. (Example, Kierkegaard: It's got to be either this or that). The priest was a scientist. No split between a person searching truth through one means and a person seeking it through another. No split between science and religion, the sacred and the secular. ~ (From a lecture given by Dr. Asa G. Hilliard, III, a.k.a. Nana Baffour Amankwatia

KMT'S OLDEST KNOWN BOAT - ABYDOS SHIPS

In 1991 in the desert near the temple of Khentyamentiu, archaeologists uncovered the remains of 14 ships dating back to the early first dynasty (2950-2775 BC), possibly associated with King Aha, the first ruler of that dynasty. These 75 foot long ships are buried side by side and have wooden hulls, rough stone boulders which were used as anchors, and "sewn" wooden planks. Also found within their desert graves were remains of the woven straps that joined the planks, as well as reed bundles that were used to seal seams between planks. The Abydos ships have the honor of being the world’s oldest planked boats. The ancient Egyptians were creating ships with technological skills far beyond their time, well before the invention of the wheel. Egyptologists suspect that simple light rafts made from bundled papyrus reeds may have been made by hunter-gatherers who moved to the Nile Valley during the Upper Paleolithic period; of course, no specimens remain today. However, there is evidence of the presence of boats in the Naqada II culture, which immediately preceded the dynastic period. Archaeologists have unearthed red painted pottery with designs that include boat motifs as important symbols, and some interpretations stress the boats were used in a religious or ritual capacity. Further evidence for the early use of boats lies in tomb reliefs (ship building scenes were among the most popular motifs in tombs), paintings, and model boats dating from predynastic times through the New Kingdom.

Egyptian Eclipse Disc

The Sun god Atum is the eclipsed Sun passing the second contact of a total eclipse Ra/ Re is the eclipsed Sun shining past the third contact as the Diamond Ring effect. The Scarab Khepri was a representation of the dark New Moon. The Hawk Horakhty, Horus - is the Sun through totality. The Great Sphinx was the Egyptian 'Lord of Solar Eclipses'. Hathor was the Egyptian goddess of solar eclipses. The God Aten of the Amarna Revolution is the shadow bands phenomenon. Inundation of the Nile Month of Thoth.

GREAT AFRICAN KINGS

THUTMOSE III - SMITING ASIATIC CAPTIVES - KARNAK SEVENTH PYLON - FROM THE 4 CORNERS OF AFRICA. Thutmose III - Pharaoh of Egypt (1504-1450 BC) Thutmose III was a member of one of the greatest families in the history of African royalty. A Family which laid the basis for the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt. Shaka - King of the Zulus (1818-1828) With cunning and confidence as his tools, Shaka built a small Zulu tribe into a powerful nation of more than one million people, and united all tribes in South Africa against Colonial rule. Moshoeshoe-King of Basutoland (1815-1868) For half a century, the Basotho people were ruled by the founder of their nation. Moshoeshoe was a wise and just king who was as brilliant in diplomacy as he was in battle. He united many diverse groups, uprooted by war, into a stable society where law and order prevailed. Tenkamein - King of Ghana (1037-1075 A.D.) The country of Ghana reached the height of its greatness during the reign of Tenkamenin. His principles of democratic monarchy and religious tolerance made Tenkamenin's reign one of the greatest models of African rule. Khama III The Good King of Bechuanaland (1837-1923) Khama distinguished his reign by being highly regarded as a peace-loving ruler with the desire and ability to extract tecnological innovations from Europeans while resisting their attempts to colonize his country. Menelek II - King of Kings of Abyssinia (1844-1913) Menelek was an overshadowing figure of his time in Africa. He converted a group of independent kingdoms into the strong, stable empire known as the United States of Abyssinia (Ethiopia). Affonso I - King of the Kongo (1506-1540) Affonso I, was a visionary, a man who saw his country not as a group of separate cultures, but as a unified Christian nation fully equipped with advanced knowledge and tecnology. Affonso I, was the first ruler to modernize Africa on a grand scale. Taharqa - King of Nubia (710 - 664 B.C.) At the age of sixteen, this great Nubian king led his armies against the invading Assyrians in defense of his ally, Israel. During his 25-year reign, Taharqa controlled the largest empire in ancient Africa. ! We will expound throughout time to make you very much more aware of the who we are and what we are. Peace

SPIRIT OF SANKOFA *

Sankofa is an Akran word that means, "We must go back and reclaim our past so we can move forward; so we can understand why and how we came to be who we are today." The Asante of Ghana use an Adinkra symbol to represent this same idea and one version of it is similar to the eastern symbol of a heart, and another version is that of a bird with its head turned backwards taking an egg off its back. It symbolizes one taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present in order to make "Positive Progress Through the Benevolent Use of Knowledge. Adinkra symbols are used by the Asante to express proverbs and other philosophical ideas. These ideas are numerous and are used throughout the world because of their aesthetic and spiritual beauty. Sankofa has since been adopted by other cultural groups in the area and around the world. In the Toni Morrison novel Song of Solomon the reoccurring motif of flight as a way to escape is indicative of sankofa. The protagonist Milkman returns and recovers his past, and by doing so he is able to fly. Sankofa is also the name of the step dance team at Williams College.

QUEEN NEFERTITI--Egyptian or Prussian woman?

I was once asked by someone, who was aware of my view that African art objects in European museums should in principle be returned to Africa, which of the African queens in European museums, Nefertiti or Ida was the most beautiful. My answer, not surprising for him, was that I could only really appreciate the full beauty of the ladies now kept in European captivity when they are released and freely return to their home countries; that for me beauty was more than the physical appearance. I need to see these persons in their social and cultural environment and to appreciate the respect and the veneration their people bring to them. Surely, their charisma can only be understood when they are with people who regard them as part of themselves and their history. I need to hear the songs of praise that the existence and the activities of these persons have generated. I know this is perhaps difficult for many Europeans who attach great importance to physical appearance and have no use for the spiritual attributes of such persons. Europeans are very likely to measure the nose and other parts of the body as they do with prisoners. The ethnologists, especially the Germans were famous for that. African art objects are not simply objects to be admired but objects with a function and raison d’être. We are what we are not because of the length of our noses and the size of our heads but because of the circumstances of our birth, our function in society and our own achievements. But the famous African queens are not the only African cultural objects illegally held in European collections. There are all the Benin bronzes, Akan gold, Nok terra cotta, various kotas from Central Africa, stools, statutes and various sculptures from the Akan, Baule, Chokwe, Dan, Dogon, Fang, Guro, Hamba, Senufu, various religious and other cultural objects, including precious artistic manuscripts from Magdala, Ethiopia. The Louvre, Quai Branly Museum, the Ethnology Museum, Berlin, the British Museum, the Ethnology Museum, Vienna and a whole lot of museums in the USA, Germany, Britain, France, Portugal, Holland and Spain have stolen African objects in their inventories. But how did these objects come all the way to Europe and why have they not been returned? I. HOW DID THESE OBJECTS COME TO EUROPE? Most of the African art objects now in European and American museums came there as a result of some illegality or some dubious means during slavery, the colonialism and our present neo-colonial times. Most of them have been seized either through the use of massive force or threat of use of force, bribery and intimidation or stealth. DECEIT EGYPTSo much cultural objects have been stolen or illegally transported from Egypt that one cannot hope to do justice to the issue here. We have chosen to consider very briefly the best known case of unjust possession by European museums of cultural objects from Africa: Nefertiti, the Egyptian Queen, whose famous bust is everywhere presented and for some, the very essence of beauty. The Germans, who have been illegally detaining the African queen in the Altes Museum, Berlin for almost hundred years, now claim that she is a German, a “Berlinerin.” But how did this Egyptian queen end up in a German museum? On 6 December 1912, when Egypt was still under Turkish domination (1) a group of German archaeologists and Egyptian assistants, under the leadership of the German archaeologist, Professor Ludwig Borchardt, dug out what turned out to be the bust of the Egyptian queen, Nefertiti. The practice at that time was that when such findings were made, they were presented to a committee that decided what part was to remain Egypt and what part would go to the country of the archaeologist who made the discovery. The committee at this time was always presided over by a European; in this case a Frenchman and many of the members were Europeans. In this particular case, Borchardt, was also a member of the committee. According to Gert v. Pacezensky and Herbert Ganslmayr, Nofretete will nach Hause; Europa - Schatzhaus der “Dritten Welt”, (2)Borchardt covered the find with a layer of grime, in such a way that the member of the committee who made the evaluation of the found did not see properly the whole lot and thus was not aware of the importance of the find. It was decided to leave the socle on which the bust stood in Egypt and let Borchardt have the bust. From documents later available, it was clear that the professor realized how important the found was and was planning to take it to German. When the bust came to Germany in August 1913 it was kept secret for some ten years and not exhibited so as to avoid the Egyptians getting to know about it. Finally, in 1923, after a decade, the bust of Nefertiti was shown in a book by Borchardt “Porträts der Königin Nofretete”. After this publication, the Egyptians started demanding that the bust be sent back. But the Germans have refused to return the bust.

Malcolm X at Mecca

Malcolm realized that going back to where life begain was the way to understand the present and lead a clear way to the future. Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it's for or against. Without education, you are not going anywhere in this world. You don't have to be a man to fight for freedom. All you have to do is to be an intelligent human being. Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.

ALGERIAN ANCIENT ROCK ART

Algeria, a treasure house of prehistoric Saharan art, has discovered more neolithic rock etchings in the desert from around 8,000 years ago showing cattle herds, a government newspaper reported Monday. El Moudjahid daily said local tour guide Hadj Brahim found about 40 images near the town of Bechar, about 800 km (500 miles) southwest of the capital Algiers. Prehistoric paintings are found in many parts of the Sahara, often portraying a garden-like environment of hunting and dancing in bright greens, yellows and reds at a time before desertification, which happened around 4,000 years ago. Algeria's best known drawings are in the southeast in the Tassili N'Ajjer mountains. The site of 15,000 images has been named world's finest prehistoric open-air art museum by UNESCO. Despite a rich Saharan inheritance, Algeria remains off the beaten track for most tourists because of its politically unstable history and an undeveloped tourist sector.

DOGON-- "HOUSE OF WORDS"

Sounds Beats & Poetic Vibes

SHALL WE AWAKE* Why does it seem like we are walking in a "Mental Haze" Through Timeless years, whips and chains. Staggering and Intoxicated by the thief of life's best game. Through smoke screens of lies told from old, the Truth still rings for Justice Code. Only to be shot down by bureaucracy! If we could keep our focus visualize the real ..open our eyes.. then we would see! It's like being confused but saying one understands. Was confusion the enemy special plan? Somewhat like wanting change but refusing to do , what it takes to get the job done. We talk a great game, but when it's crunch time, we are long gone. Only to give the excuses of why we can't seem to make it. Is this statement real or could we just fake it. Knowledge given is knowledge applied! For this reason alone so many of our ancestor's died! If we could Awake, and change the state of our minds, to talk of missions and interpret our time. To listen to the message the drum portrays. A code that was meant only for the tribes to display, they took our lands and left us bare. All I want to do is to share. Still some can't seem to face the painful memory, of our lives recorded tragedy. "Awake Sunbaked Nation"....Your Beauty lies in your dedication. Knowledge is your gift, of a strong and Vibrant Nation. Let's give Tribute to those who blood, sweat and tear's build a connection. Bowing continually in humble adoration. Empowering the Earth Rise Sunbaked Beauties a New , to a song of a Heroic, Determined Fine Few. ~ Feel Your Intellect Rising , feel your Sprirt Soar. For what was stolen is now returned unto you once more. Seek out our knowledge at all cost. This is the only way for us to put our lives and spirit back to where the Creator desired and ordained it so to be. Marching into a New Millenia strong intellectual and free ~ © 4/15/06* Peace*

Echoes of Legend Drums by Chidi Okoye

ECHOES OF LEGEND DRUMS ~ Like the magnetic current of the Lightning . is drawn to reflective objects on earth: Like the endless bond between gas and fire. We have bonded with sounds of legend drums. The covenant of souls and spirits of music, like the bond of moon and stars, will never be broken. It is a legend bond of eternity that tickles minds and bodies. Unlike covenant of man to man, it is an agreement of total submission of self. Like the helpless flies of the night drawn to beams of light, so we are drawn to the echoes of our legend drums. Rhythm of our land, rhythm of unstoppable forces of nature. He who refuses to lift up his legs in dance shall nod in respect. Echoes of our land, a call to obey. Echoes of our drums, a garnished and spicy food of souls. Echoes of our legend drums, a legend therapy of troubled souls. Echoes of our drums, a priceless heritageto be preserved. Like forces of great wind of hurricanes in a love dance with a trash can, we have given in to the powers of music in legend dance of life.

Zulu Medicine Man

Zulu traditional medicines (or umuthi) have changed very little over the ages. The administrators of these traditions have various roles in the Zulu society. They are the inyanga or herbalist who is concerned with medicines made form plant and animals, the isangoma or witchdoctor who makes contact with the ancestral spirits and prescribes medicine according to their dictates and the isanusi who is a diviner capable of "smelling out" sorcerers and other evil-doers. Both the inyanga and isangoma must acquire their knowledge through a long apprenticeship, the isangoma however, must have been sacredly called to their profession, and have little choice when called. In modern society the status of these medicine men or woman has been translated into wealth. Most izinyanga (plural of inyanga) in urban areas have shops in which they have consulting rooms and from which they sell their medicines. ~ DIAGNOSIS~ MAGICAL PLANT MEDICINES Tribal doctors use three main methods of diagnosis: 1.Throwing of Bones Amathambo or the throwing of bones is the ability to consciously interpret though images or symbols produced by the arrangement or the bones that have been thrown, and apply them to the health of the patient. There is no direct perception from the consultant to the doctor. 2. Transmental Diagnosis In this method, the Sangoma goes into a trance to determine what is ailing the patient. This is simply an altered state of consciousness brought about by drugs, plants or in many cases self induced, as with autohypnosis. 3. Perceptive Diagnosis This form of diagnosis implies the ability to see or feel and interpret the various vibrations emitted by the patient (almost like an aura). The doctor sits a few feet away from the patient and, without having to exchange words, he or she will physically perceive the pain actually experienced by the patient. All tribal doctors have developed their unique methods of diagnosis and act intuitively. They seldom touch their patients to find the troubled part. To explain the phenomenon of those who have perceptive power is beyond rational understanding. It is an inborn gift which many Sangomas have inherited. These powers are called imimoya nayambibi.

ORION AND THE PYRAMIDS

Belt Stars of Orion and the Great Pyramid ~ The Middle Kingdom based their calendar on the heliacal rising of Sirius, which occurred just before the annual flooding of the Nile and the summer solstice. The Dogon describe this 'star' specifically as having a circle of reddish rays around it, and this circle of rays is 'like a spot spreading' but remaining the same size. The Dogon are a West African tribe who have known about, and worshipped, Sirius A and its twin the invisible star Sirius B, for the past 5,000 years. They are have also been aware of the planets circle the sun in elliptical orbits, the four moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. They say that Sirius B is immensely heavy, invisible, very small, yet extremely powerful. Their understanding of the two stars' orbits coincides exactly with modern astronomical findings, yet was arrived at thousands of years before it was scientifically proven. They also claim that a third star Emme Ya - Sorghum Female - exists in the Sirius system. Larger and lighter than Sirius B, this star revolves around Sirius A as well. The Dogon also believe that approximately 5,000 years ago, Amphibious Gods, called Nommo, came to Earth in three legged space ships from the Sirius Star System. They have described perfectly the DNA pattern made by this elliptical orbit created by the two stars as they rotate make around each other. They believe Sirius to be the axis of the universe, and from it all matter and all souls are produced in a great spiral motion.

The walls are decorated with human figures next to bulb-like objects reminiscent.

of oversized light bulbs. Inside these "bulbs" there are snakes in wavy lines. The snakes' pointed tails issue from a lotus flower, which, without much imagination, can be interpreted as the socket of the bulb. Something similar to a wire leads to asmall box on which the air god is kneeling. Adjacent to it stands a two-armed djed pillar as a symbol of power, which is connected to the snake. Also remarkable is the baboon-like demon holding two knives in his hands, which are interpreted as a protective and defensive power. In his book The Eyes of the Sphinx, Erich Von Däniken writes that the relief is found in "a secret crypt" that "can be accessed only through a small opening. The room has a low ceiling. The room is not so secret, however, as many tourists visit and photograph the room every year. Von Daniken sees the snake as a filament, the djed pillar as an insulator, and claims "themonkey with the sharpened knives symbolizes the danger that awaits those who do not understand the device." This "device" is, the reader is assured, an ancient electric light bulb.

Kemetic History of Afrika * Blue Lotus*

KEMETIC SCIENCE

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Landmarks of the rich & dramatic history of S. Africa

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