Glorious Achievements of Black Civilizations

The roots of "Western" civilization, culture, science, technology and religion are to be found not in Greece, but in Black Egypt and Nubia-Kush. From as early as 10,000 B.C. to 1500 A.D., Blacks were in the forefront in the development of science, culture and technology. Black empires and civilizations from the prehistoric Zingh Empire of 15,000 B.C. of Mauritania to ancient Khemet (Egypt) and Nubia-Kush, which existed about 17,000 years ago, experimented in various aspects of science and technology. Some of these sciences and technologies were so advanced that stories of flying machines and the invention of advanced machines has been passed down through ancient writings. Later Black civilizations such as Khemet and Mali experimented and created various sciences and technologies such as the chemical and mystery sciences of ancient Khemet and the surgical sciences of Mali, in West Africa. As early as about 400 B.C., a Black Pharaoh named Pi Di Amen built a model glider to conduct experiments in flight. Centuries before, the Black Egyptians had already invented gunpowder for use in their temples and mystery schools.
The mathematical and astronomical sciences necessary for high technologies such as those used in space technology and industries were first began by Blacks in Khem (Egypt) and Kush (Sudan). These sciences and high technologies were then passed on to the Sumerians, Babylonians, Elamites (all originally Black civilization), Greeks, Hebrews, Romans and Arabs In fact, it was the Black Sabeans of South Arabia, members of the Kushitic branch of the Black African race who established the first civilization in the Arabian Peninsula...thousands of years before the emergence of the Bedouin Arabs

Black medicinal sciences began in Khemet (ancient Black Egypt) and led to later Greek medicinal sciences. These ancient African sciences were copied by the Greeks and others from the ancient Papyrus texts composed by the ancient Khemites and Nubians.
From about 711 A.D. when the Moors, a Black people from Senegal, West Africa and Morocco, invaded Europe. They introduced Black Moorish science, technology, civilization and education to Europe and raised the Europeans from the Dark Ages of about 400 A.D. to 711 A.D. The Black Moors introduced advanced learning to Spain, similar to what had been taking place in Ghana, and at the university city of Jenne in Mali for hundreds of years. They introduced advanced learning to the cities of Toledo, Seville and Cordoba. These cities became centers of Black Moorish and European scholarship, science and culture, where Europeans and others learned new and advanced sciences, arts and technologies. That led to the European Renaissance of later years. The Black Moors introduced art, architecture, sciences, medicines, animal husbandry and other advanced disciplines to Spain and the rest of Europe. This was the catalyst which led to the European Renaissance
Compared to Africa and East Asia where the Europeans learned more technology from the Chinese such as the making of gunpowder and guns, Western and Eastern Europe, (excluding Rome, Greece, etc.) have very little history of great civilization and achievements before the Middle Ages. Africans and the Blacks of India, have had thousands of years of great contributions to world culture and civilizations. The British, French, Spanish, Dutch, Scandinavians, Germanics, Celts, Russians, Poles and many of these groups who claim "superiority" to Blacks and others, were from prehistoric times until the 1500's A.D., much less advanced economically, culturally, intellectually and scientifically as well as socially than most Black nations, kingdoms and empires during that period. From the time of the Roman conquest of Europe about 400 B.C. to the about 1200 A.D., much of Northern and Western Europe was in a stage or barbarism and backwardness. The Roman settlements and cities built by the Romans were the only areas of advanced culture

The claim by some people of racial superiority over Blacks is based on recent developments The introduction of gunpowder to Europe from China via the Arabs played a major part in elevating the Europeans to a level of military superiority. This advantage over some Africans made colonialism and the theft of African lands as well as the defeat of some African armies easier than in past eras. When the Europeans fought with sword and lance against sword and lance, their victories against Africans were few. For example, Hannibal, the African from Carthage defeated Rome's legions with as little as 15,000 men and ruled Italy for many years. However, even with modern weapons during the modern era, Europeans were sometimes soundly defeated. Nations such as the Zulus, Mossi States, Ashanti, Dahomians, Ethiopians, Herrerros and others defeated the Europeans in a number of wars and battles.
Black people were the original inventors of the disciplines that helped bring the world into the technological age. Mathematics, physics, astronomy, building in stone and bricks, metallurgy and all the root subjects that were necessary to push the world into today's modern age, were begun by Blacks in Egypt, Nubia-Kush, Mesopotamia, Sabea and Black Naga India. Therefore, even if people of European origins have made improvements in ancient technologies and ancient inventions, such as rocketry, computer technology, aerodynamics and others, the basic mathematical formulas and ancient prototypes were invented by Africans and Chinese. For example, the Africans invented the binary system which is still used in the Yoruba oracle and was copied by German scientists and applied to computer programming. Many ancient formulas in trigonometry, calculus and physics as well as chemistry (Khem mysteries) came from the scientific discoveries of Blacks in Egypt and Nubia-Kush.
Most Western European scientific discoveries or rather copies of the original discoveries of Africans and Chinese were put to use during the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. It was during this crucial period that some of the great scientific and technological discoveries and inventions were made. Yet, these discoveries and inventions were and are merely improvements on ancient discoveries made by Africans, Chinese and Black Kushite Arabs. For example, gunpowder was invented by the ancient Egyptians and Nigerians who used the cola nut to make gunpowder. The Chinese reinvented it and used it in fireworks and explosives. Steel was invented by Africans in ancient Tanzania, where ancient cone-like blast furnaces with bellows still exist to this very day and are still used. The hydraulic pump for lifting water and irrigation was invented by Africans in Egypt

Susu Economics: The History of Pan-African Trade, Commerce, Money and Wealth
The greatest book ever written on the history of Africans and others from prehistoric times to the 1600's. Susu Economics is a complete history of African civilizations, the prehistory of planet earth and how the ancients developed civilizations throuigh trade and commerce. All the cultures listed and previewed in the "Black History Chart are included in this book and a thorough history is given. This book will inform, delight and impart knowledge. It is a fabulous work that deserves to be read and cherished. There are no pictures in this work, yet some of the pictures on this website are the only examples of the cultures and civilizations discussed in this great book. Published by 1stbooks Library, http://www.1stbooks.com/
AFRICA500,000 to 150,000 B.P. (Before Present)Homo erectus develops in Africa.150,000 B.C. to 100,000 years agoThe first Homo sapiens who were of the Black Africoid race appear at Omo region in Ethiopia.100,000 to 70,000 B.C. Africans initiate a cultural renaissance in the Congo Region and South Africa. Well crafted tools of stone and bone are created. Writing and the etching of stone is done. Red ochre is used for body paint and body decoration. Migrations to other parts of the world begin around this period.ASIANo Homo sapiens in AsiaAUSTRALIANegroid migrations to Australia beginsEUROPENo Homo sapiens in EuropeAMERICASNo Homo sapiens in the Americas------------------------------------------------------------------80,000 to 50,000 B.C.AFRICADevelopment of advanced toolmaking in parts of Africa (evicence found in Congo; 1994: South Africa 2001: age range 100,000 to 70,000 B.C.)Homo erectus enters Europe from Africa Neanderthals thrive in Africa. They migrate to Europe and AsiaAfrican "Adam and Eve," (per Mitochondrial DNA), are the first modern-like humans to migrate out of Africa. They include the various types of Black peoples:Black Australoids, Pygmoids and Negroids enter Europe, Asia, Siberia, Australia, Melanesia and the AmericasCulture begins in Africa, migrations of Africans to other parts of the worldASIAFirst Homo sapiens occupy Asia, Europe and the Americas from Africa.50,000 B.C.Grimaldi Negroids enter Europe with advanced African culture called the Aurignacian Culture. Arts such as paintings, cloth making, advanced tool making and other advanced crafts from Africa is brought to Europe, the Americas, Australia and the South Pacific/Melanesia.African Paintings of animals and scenery in Upper Paleolithic Period about 30,000 years ago.Black Australoids from Australia and proto African Blacks from the South Pacific reach South America (Brazil) and spread to the rest of the Americas.Early horticulture practiced in the Sahara. Pastoralism and hunting also practiced.-----------------40,000 B.C.AFRICAIron ore mined in Swaziland about 40,000 years ago for the purpose of making red ochre for decoration and body paint.ASIABlack Grimaldi Negroids migrate to the Middle East and Asia bringing the Aurignacian culture from Africa to Europe as wellEUROPEGrimaldi Negroids enter Europe bringing in the Aurignacian Culture. They later evolve into the Cro-magnon People after about twenty thousand years of living in the cold, damp ice and loosing the need for dark black skin.AUSTRALIA/MELANESIAAncestors of Black Australoids, Pygmies and Melanesians from the Sahara and East Africa migrate to Australia about 100,000 to 60,000 thousand years ago. Descendants of Tasmanian Blacks arrive thousands of years before. Melanesians arrive from the coast of East Africa They establish cultures throughout Asia and are the only Homo sapiens in the region. Many occupy China, India, South East Asia.--------------30,000 B.C.AFRICANegroid type dominates all Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands, the Middle East. This type is said to have been a more Negroid Cro-magnon, who had not been affected as yet by the Ice Age conditions which led to the change in skin complexion.Blacks bring horticulture and early agricultural practices from Africa to Melanesia, Papua New Guinea and the Region.ASIA20,000 B.C. First 'white" Cromagnon types appear in Europe among a Black population in much of the warmer parts of Europe and Asia.Pacific Blacks sail to the Americas after sailing from East Africa.First Black cultures and civilizations called the Aqutic Civilizations developin the Sahara.First evidence of a more advanced culture in the region.Blacks from Sahara sail to the Americas across the AtlanticEUROPEFirst "white" Cromagnoids appear in Europe. These homosapiens evolved from the Black Grimaldi Negroids who migrated from Africa----------------AFRICA17,000 B.C. to 10,000 B.C..Beginning of Nile Valley cultures and prehistoric civilizations. Civilizations begin in Sudan and spreads down-river to the middle part of Egypt. The Delta is still covered with water.ASIABlack cultures in SW Asia, India, Melanesia, Papua New Guinea, the South Pacific and Southern China thrive. Ice Age still affects northern Asia.15,000 B.C.Zingh Empire exists in West Africa while part of Sahara is still covered with Lakes and an insland sea that supports boats and a maritime culture.Zingh Empire spreads its influence over much of the Sahara, tropical Africa and the Middle East, and establish their standard, the red, black and green flag over the entire region, (Blisshords Communications)EUROPEBlacks controle much of Europe especially southern and central part. Ice still in Northern Europe, Cromagnon and early Cacausoids in the far northern regions and north Central Europe.10,000 B.C. to 8,000 B.C. AFRICAKingdom of Ta-Seti (Nubia) reaches a peak of culture. Glass is produced, astronomy is studied, observatories are built, trade and commerce is established.Sahara and Nile Corridor continue to develop. Painting, carving, homes, monuments, early disciplines, the horse and chariot, building in stone. Neolithic culture moves on. Agriculture develops further. Some forms of metal working, making of jewelry and decorations. Buildings of towns, villages and cities begin in the Sahara and elsewhere.Sphinx built about 10,000 B.C., Year of Leo 6280 B.C.Towns and cities spread throughout Ethiopian Empire (Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Libya, Somalia, Isreal, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Mesopotamia, South Arabia, India).ASIAMongoloid race develops from combination Negroids and Caucasoids in Mediterranean region, during the Mesolithic Age. First evidence of Brachycephalic (trait found among Mongoloids and Semites.round-headed races).Trade and travel between West Asia and Africa.10,000 B.C.Great Black civilization exists in Southern India. Culture is Africoid and part of what was a great cultural region that connected the Ethiopian Empire with India.EUROPEBlack Matrilineal cultures in Sothern Europe. Worship of Black female diety (Black Virgin) in Europe. Africoids occupy vast areas of Europe. Caucasians in the Northern regions of Europe.AMERICASBlacks continue to build culture and civilization in the Americas. Washitaw Moundbuilders of the South-western U.S.Black Giants inhabit the Mississippi Region. These Africans are engaged in agriculture and maritime activity as well as trade and commerce.8000 to 4241 B.C.AFRICAKhemetic Calendar invented 6786 B.C. Civilizatons of Ta-Seti in Nubia. Natufian and Badarian Culture in Egypt, Abacus invented in Ishongo, Congo (Central Africa)Horse, elephant, donkey used in early transportation.Khemite New Year established in 4241 B.C.Improvements made in sciences, mathematics, technology, agriculture.Cities expand, trade with world and colonies established around the Mediterranean.African Khemetic New Year established in the City of On (Iunu), Egypt. Many great cities exist Nubian Kingdom of Ta-Seti Continues to thrive and prosper. Colleges, temple universities, laws and religion improves. Manufacturing trade and commerce advances.Nok Culture develops further in West AfricaAfricans with West African and Nile Corridor connections sail to the Americas and carry their calendar dated 3113 B.C., to Mexico. West African civilizations build industries trading in gold and salt, textiles, with the the Sahara and Egypt. Age-grade system of education, trade guilds and secret societies connected with trades and religions develop further.ASIAMongoloids develop further in the Northern part of Asia. Southern China occupied by Black Negritoes, Negroids and Black Australoids.AMERICASBlack cultures continue to develop in Mississippi Valley, particularly Washitaw Nation. America's population consists of Black straight-haired Australoids ( as those of India and Australian Aborigines ) see http://www.aboriginalaustralia.com/Black Pygmoids and Africoids from West Africa.3500 B.C. to 3000 B.C.AFRICANubian Dynasty at Qustul 3400 B.C. to 3200 B.C., War of Unity (Northern and Southern Egypt).Khemet and Nubia united. Narmer Pharaoh.Memphis (Ineb-hedj) as capital. Large magnificent temples built to Ptah at Memphis, Niet at Sau (Sais). Books on the body composedPharaoh Edimu improves stone construction. Industries, trade with Mesopotamia, India. West African civilizations expand. Gold, terracotta industries, trade, towns in Ghana, Mali areas.

EARLY AFRICAN RELGION

TopicsHomeCatalogAfricanAge of ReasonAlchemyAmericanaAncient Near EastAsiaAtlantisAustraliaBasqueBaha'iBibleBook of ShadowsBuddhismCelticChristianityClassicsConfucianismDNAEarth MysteriesEgyptianEnglandEsoteric/OccultEvilForteanFreemasonryGothicGnosticismGrimoiresHinduismI ChingIslamIcelandicJainismJournalsJudaismLegends/SagasLGBTMiscellaneousMormonismNative AmericanNecronomiconNew ThoughtNeopaganism/WiccaNostradamusOahspePacificPaleolithicParapsychologyPhilosophyPiri Re'is MapProphecyRomaSacred Books of the EastSacred SexualityShakespeareShamanismShintoSikhismSub RosaSwedenborgSky LoreTantraTaoismTarotThelemaTheosophyTimeTolkienUFOsUtopiaWomenZoroastrianism
Sacred-texts home OCRT: Santeria OCRT: Vodun Australian Native American Buy CD-ROM Buy Books on African Spirituality

African Religion
South Africa The Bantu West and Central Africa Comparative African-American Caribbean Rastafarianism VodunHistory
Ultimately, we are all Africans. Studies of mitochondrial DNA have proven that all human beings are descended from a small population (less than a hundred individuals) that emerged from Africa about 60,000 years ago. The earliest written religious texts as well as the first documented monotheistic religion also developed in Africa. During the European dark ages, many ancient manuscripts were preserved in African libraries in places such as Ethiopia and Timbuctoo.
This section has texts on the traditional spirituality of Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as their descendants in the New World.
Finding books about African religion and spiritual beliefs in the public domain was not difficult. These books have a great amount of useful information on this topic, some of it written before colonialism destroyed or greatly modified aspects of traditional culture. The problem with these works is that they were for the large part written by Europeans with their particular biases and agendas. For this reason, we encourage you to 'read between the lines'.
The texts here are provided for scholarly purposes. They may contain racist characterizations, errors of interpretation, or misrepresentations of traditional culture. For instance, the term 'Kaffir', which is used in many of these texts to refer to the Xhosa (Nelson Mandela's tribe), is now considered derogatory.
This page also has texts and books with alternate views, primarily written by African-Americans, which, in our opinion, also deserve consideration.
Africa is home to a rich religious tradition. Refer to Ancient Egypt, Islam, and Christianity.
South Africa The Religious System of the Amazuluby Henry Callaway [1870] Specimens of Bushman Folkloreby W.H.I. Bleek and L.C. Lloyd [1911] South African Folk-Talesby James A. Honey [1910] Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk Talesby Georg McCall Theal [1886]
The Bantu Myths and Legends of the Bantuby Alice Werner [1933]The rich traditions of the Bantu.Most of the books below also have material on the Bantu of West Africa.
West and Central Africa
The West African area is important because this is where the majority of slaves departed for the New World. Hence large elements of West African, particularly Yoruba, religion (blended with Catholicism) can be found in religions such as Vodun (also known as Voodoo) (Haiti), Candomblè (Brazil) and Santeria (Carribean). For more information on New World African-derived religions, refer to the The Santeria page at Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance. Myths of Ífèby John Wyndham [1921] Notes on the Folklore of the Fjortby R. E. Dennett [1898] At the Back of the Black Man's Mindby R. E. Dennett [1906] Folk Stories from Southern NigeriaBy Elphinstone Dayrell, Introduction by Andrew Lang. [1910] Fetichism in West Africaby Rev. Robert Hamill Nassau. [1904] Hausa Folkloreby Maalam Shaihu, translated by R. Sutherland Rattray. [1913]One of the few African folklore books actually written by an African, not a European. Woman's Mysteries of a Primitive Peopleby D. Amaury Talbot [1915] The Yoruba Speaking Peoplesby A.B. Ellis [1894] Yoruba Legendsby M. I. Ogumefu [1929]
Comparative Religion and Mythby James Macdonald [1883]One of the first comparative studies of African spirituality.
African-American
Drums and ShadowsGeorgia Writer's Project; Work Projects Administration, Mary Granger supervisor [1940]Coastal Georgia folklore from the 1930s and connections to African spiritual practices.
Caribbean Jamaica Anansi Storiesby Martha Warren Beckwith [1924].Jamaican folklore, music and riddles, featuring an indominable trickster hero.
Rastafarianism The Kebra Nagasttranslated by E. A. Wallis Budge [1932]The legendary history of Ethiopia.
The Holy Pibyby Robert Athlyi Rogers [1924-8]A classic--and very rare--Afrocentric religious text from the early 20th century, acclaimed by many Rastafarians as a forerunner of their beliefs.
The Royal Parchment Scroll of Black SupremacyBy Fitz Balintine Pettersburg [1926?]A rare proto-Rastafarian text from Jamaica.
The Promised KeyBy G.G. Maragh (Leonard Percival Howell) [1935?]Howell advanced ideas similar to later Rastafarian beliefs, particularly casting Haile Selassie as the Black Messiah.A heavily edited version of the Royal Parchment Scroll.
The Wisdom of Rastafariby Haile SelassieA short anthology of quotes from Haile Selassie compiled by a Rastafarian group.
Vodun
Two short articles by Lafcadio Hearn about New Orleans Voodoo. Hearn, a New Orleans native, also wrote extensive works about Japan, available in the Shinto section. Last of the Voudoos [1885] New Orleans Superstitions [1886]
Here are two books relating to Haitian Voodoo (Vodun). They were written by an outsider to the religion who was ultimately unable to penetrate its inner mysteries; however both of these books has strengths as historical and ethnographic background on the topic: Voodoo and ObeahsBy Joseph J. Williams [1932]Important historical context for Vodun, with extensive quotes from contemporary accounts. Psychic Phenomena of JamaicaBy Joseph J. Williams. [1934]A study of supernatural activity in Jamaica, including the abusive duppy...
Afrocentric Historians
The Negroby W.E.B. Du Bois [1915]A great introduction to Black history by a noted African-American activist and scholar.
Wonderful Ethiopians of the Ancient Cushite Empireby Drusilla Dunjee Houston [1927]A pioneering work of Afrocentric history.

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This is a quiet place in cyberspacedevoted to religious tolerance and scholarshipNon-public domain contents of this sitenot otherwise copyrighted are © copyright 2008, John Bruno Hare, All Rights Reserved.See Site copyrights, Terms of Service for more information.Index FAQ Contact Search Buy Disk Open Source for the Human Soul

EARLY AFRICAN RELGION

TopicsHomeCatalogAfricanAge of ReasonAlchemyAmericanaAncient Near EastAsiaAtlantisAustraliaBasqueBaha'iBibleBook of ShadowsBuddhismCelticChristianityClassicsConfucianismDNAEarth MysteriesEgyptianEnglandEsoteric/OccultEvilForteanFreemasonryGothicGnosticismGrimoiresHinduismI ChingIslamIcelandicJainismJournalsJudaismLegends/SagasLGBTMiscellaneousMormonismNative AmericanNecronomiconNew ThoughtNeopaganism/WiccaNostradamusOahspePacificPaleolithicParapsychologyPhilosophyPiri Re'is MapProphecyRomaSacred Books of the EastSacred SexualityShakespeareShamanismShintoSikhismSub RosaSwedenborgSky LoreTantraTaoismTarotThelemaTheosophyTimeTolkienUFOsUtopiaWomenZoroastrianism
Sacred-texts home OCRT: Santeria OCRT: Vodun Australian Native American Buy CD-ROM Buy Books on African Spirituality

African Religion
South Africa The Bantu West and Central Africa Comparative African-American Caribbean Rastafarianism VodunHistory
Ultimately, we are all Africans. Studies of mitochondrial DNA have proven that all human beings are descended from a small population (less than a hundred individuals) that emerged from Africa about 60,000 years ago. The earliest written religious texts as well as the first documented monotheistic religion also developed in Africa. During the European dark ages, many ancient manuscripts were preserved in African libraries in places such as Ethiopia and Timbuctoo.
This section has texts on the traditional spirituality of Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as their descendants in the New World.
Finding books about African religion and spiritual beliefs in the public domain was not difficult. These books have a great amount of useful information on this topic, some of it written before colonialism destroyed or greatly modified aspects of traditional culture. The problem with these works is that they were for the large part written by Europeans with their particular biases and agendas. For this reason, we encourage you to 'read between the lines'.
The texts here are provided for scholarly purposes. They may contain racist characterizations, errors of interpretation, or misrepresentations of traditional culture. For instance, the term 'Kaffir', which is used in many of these texts to refer to the Xhosa (Nelson Mandela's tribe), is now considered derogatory.
This page also has texts and books with alternate views, primarily written by African-Americans, which, in our opinion, also deserve consideration.
Africa is home to a rich religious tradition. Refer to Ancient Egypt, Islam, and Christianity.
South Africa The Religious System of the Amazuluby Henry Callaway [1870] Specimens of Bushman Folkloreby W.H.I. Bleek and L.C. Lloyd [1911] South African Folk-Talesby James A. Honey [1910] Kaffir (Xhosa) Folk Talesby Georg McCall Theal [1886]
The Bantu Myths and Legends of the Bantuby Alice Werner [1933]The rich traditions of the Bantu.Most of the books below also have material on the Bantu of West Africa.
West and Central Africa
The West African area is important because this is where the majority of slaves departed for the New World. Hence large elements of West African, particularly Yoruba, religion (blended with Catholicism) can be found in religions such as Vodun (also known as Voodoo) (Haiti), Candomblè (Brazil) and Santeria (Carribean). For more information on New World African-derived religions, refer to the The Santeria page at Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance. Myths of Ífèby John Wyndham [1921] Notes on the Folklore of the Fjortby R. E. Dennett [1898] At the Back of the Black Man's Mindby R. E. Dennett [1906] Folk Stories from Southern NigeriaBy Elphinstone Dayrell, Introduction by Andrew Lang. [1910] Fetichism in West Africaby Rev. Robert Hamill Nassau. [1904] Hausa Folkloreby Maalam Shaihu, translated by R. Sutherland Rattray. [1913]One of the few African folklore books actually written by an African, not a European. Woman's Mysteries of a Primitive Peopleby D. Amaury Talbot [1915] The Yoruba Speaking Peoplesby A.B. Ellis [1894] Yoruba Legendsby M. I. Ogumefu [1929]
Comparative Religion and Mythby James Macdonald [1883]One of the first comparative studies of African spirituality.
African-American
Drums and ShadowsGeorgia Writer's Project; Work Projects Administration, Mary Granger supervisor [1940]Coastal Georgia folklore from the 1930s and connections to African spiritual practices.
Caribbean Jamaica Anansi Storiesby Martha Warren Beckwith [1924].Jamaican folklore, music and riddles, featuring an indominable trickster hero.
Rastafarianism The Kebra Nagasttranslated by E. A. Wallis Budge [1932]The legendary history of Ethiopia.
The Holy Pibyby Robert Athlyi Rogers [1924-8]A classic--and very rare--Afrocentric religious text from the early 20th century, acclaimed by many Rastafarians as a forerunner of their beliefs.
The Royal Parchment Scroll of Black SupremacyBy Fitz Balintine Pettersburg [1926?]A rare proto-Rastafarian text from Jamaica.
The Promised KeyBy G.G. Maragh (Leonard Percival Howell) [1935?]Howell advanced ideas similar to later Rastafarian beliefs, particularly casting Haile Selassie as the Black Messiah.A heavily edited version of the Royal Parchment Scroll.
The Wisdom of Rastafariby Haile SelassieA short anthology of quotes from Haile Selassie compiled by a Rastafarian group.
Vodun
Two short articles by Lafcadio Hearn about New Orleans Voodoo. Hearn, a New Orleans native, also wrote extensive works about Japan, available in the Shinto section. Last of the Voudoos [1885] New Orleans Superstitions [1886]
Here are two books relating to Haitian Voodoo (Vodun). They were written by an outsider to the religion who was ultimately unable to penetrate its inner mysteries; however both of these books has strengths as historical and ethnographic background on the topic: Voodoo and ObeahsBy Joseph J. Williams [1932]Important historical context for Vodun, with extensive quotes from contemporary accounts. Psychic Phenomena of JamaicaBy Joseph J. Williams. [1934]A study of supernatural activity in Jamaica, including the abusive duppy...
Afrocentric Historians
The Negroby W.E.B. Du Bois [1915]A great introduction to Black history by a noted African-American activist and scholar.
Wonderful Ethiopians of the Ancient Cushite Empireby Drusilla Dunjee Houston [1927]A pioneering work of Afrocentric history.

Sign up forsacred-textsupdates by email
Enter yourEmail PreviewPowered byFeedBlitz
search powered by
sacred-textsWeb
Sponsored Links

Books are selected by Amazon.com and are not necessarily endorsed by this site
This is a quiet place in cyberspacedevoted to religious tolerance and scholarshipNon-public domain contents of this sitenot otherwise copyrighted are © copyright 2008, John Bruno Hare, All Rights Reserved.See Site copyrights, Terms of Service for more information.Index FAQ Contact Search Buy Disk Open Source for the Human Soul

ONE OF AFRICAS FIRST RELIGION.

Yoruban Religion: Its cosmology and mythology
© 1995-2002 Untangle IncorporatedLast Updated: Sunday November 2, 2001The Yoruban religion has a number of levels, like the layers of an onion. The most spiritual and longest existing is at the center. The First Place and Creation ForceThe Realm of Olorun, The Adobe of the Mighty Creator, Oloddumare is at the center of everything there was, is and will be. All creation, Ashe, came forth from from this center. In pots which Oloddumare created. In each Ashe, each pot, there is his creative force which he uses to make and maintain part of the totality of creation. And for every male creative force there is a female creative force.Ashe has a ThoughtNow realize before the beginning of everything there was only Ashe, the creative force itself. It was in no pot. There was nothing but Ashe. But one day Ashe began to think. And when thinking began Ashe became Oloddumare. And as Oloddumare thought he thought matter, and so matter became to be. And the matter is called Olorun, the Adobe at the center of everything. But matter became a she as Oloddumare is a he, for thinking causes a reaction in the opposite direction, a male thinking generates a female thing; a female thinking a male thing. The name of the thinking creating matter in Olorun is Nana Baruku, the Grandmother of all the divinities. This female creator has many names: Nana,, Nan Nan, Nana Baruku, Nana Baluku, Na Na Baraclou, Boucalou are but a few. Nana Begins to ThinkOnce Nana Baruku is thought she gives birth to Mawa and Lissa who are the Cosmic Egg and the seed which fertilizes it respectively. In most oral renderings of the story of creation it is this egg that gives rise to everything else:
Before there was day,before there was night,and before there was a Universe,All things lived in harmony in Olorun, The Cosmic Heavens, located in the realm of Ikode Orun. The Giant Egg that sat in the center of Nothingness. The Irunmole Come to BeThe Giant Egg was Mawa and the seed of the egg was Lissa. These (and often the Great Grandmother herself) are called the the first or Great Divinities, the Irunmole. The Ironmole includes:Nana Baruku, Mawu Lissa, Olofin, Kiori, Dakuta, and 1001 other Irunmole all results of the seed and the egg, of Lissa and Mawa. The Irunmole Expand the UniverseNow it was the Irunmole who decided they wanted to expand the universe. They went to Oloddumare and told him what they wanted. They debated the matter and decided that if the universe was to expand then something must bind it. It was thusly that the Oshumare was created, the Rainbow Serpent (Danh, the material manifestation Aido Hawedo). The Rainbow Serpent which has coils around the egg, and then when it is created the whole universe binding it firm. But Oloddumare said,"Someday, Oshumare will become hungry and will begin to devour its own tail. When that happens then all that is, was and will be will return to the center, uncreated as quickly as it was created. So be it."Now the Fon of Dahomey believe this serpent sits around the world and binds it so it does not fall apart, with 3500 coils above and 3500 coils below. But that is the Fon, and this page is mainly about the Yoruba. So we continue. See the Aido Hwedo for an elaboration of the serpent concept in this area of Africa.The Irunmole Create the OrishasSo the Irunmole began to create and by creating built the universe as it is. They created the messengers, the minor gods the Orishas.The Orishas, often called the Great Orishas to distinquish them from the Lesser or Minor Orishas, are Obatala, Ogun, Eshu, Shango, Yemaya, Ochun, Obalu Aye, Ochosi, Erinle, Aganju, and 1001 other Great Orisha. It was the Great Orishas who created the planet we live on and all life on it as we know it, and even the humans which live on it. And for the pattern of the first human they used Nana, but the first human was called Ayizan. She created all other humans. The Great Orishas Create The Lesser OrishasAnd as these first humans died, Oshupa, Orun, Orisa Oko, Dada, Iroko, Odudua, Obi, Shaluga, Obi, and 1001 others, they became the kindly guiding spirits, the Lesser Orishas. The Orishas Create a Place For SpiritsNow after this time there are no more Orishas created of any sort. However if people lead good, and spiritual lives their spirit enters the realm created by the Orishas called Egun Eggungunand and strengthen that spiritual realm with their strong good spirit. These spirits are called the Ori (Eleda). But they are the spirit guides. There are other spirits in that realm. Spirits of evil people, ancestors neither very good, nor very bad, and spirits of nature.The World, the Final Creation of the OrishasFinally the Orishas created the world as we know it, with the most important humans, the ones who can talk with them, and with the denziens of the spirit world in general, called Elders who are the Spiritual Leaders. The come the Lawkeepers and Teachers, then the followers of Ifa, and then those who do not believe, and finally, most evil of all the Bad Lot called Ori Buruku,
Paraphrase of the "Cult of the Serpent" from M.J. Herskovit's Vol II 'Dahomey' books.The Dahomey god of snake-like things is a very old creation. It belongs to no other family but to Lissa-Mawu itself. It is a very important servant. In the days the earth was being created it carried Lissa-Mawu about in its mouth. When they rested it left its excrement which we call 'mountains'. It is important because it was creation so very early in the sequence of creation outlined above, and it is the link between all aspects of the universe as we know it. It binds all the levels together. If for no other reason it is wise to respect it because it is the trusted servant of a most powerful creation god. To quote a follower of the religion:
"Da(nh) is powerful. We have no love for him. He gives and he takes away. He is a theif. One is never done with being anxious about placating him, for he does not forgive readily, as Legba does." page 255 Danh is a vodun who gives life its visible properties: movement, flexibility, sinousness, fortune (good than bad; bad then good). It manifests itself as a serpent, as the rainbow, as an umbiicus, as plant roots, as the nerves of animals, as gas coming out of mountains. It is the cord that leads from the Olurun through all the parts of the universe as created. It was why mammals are animated at birth with the cord. It is why if plants have their roots severed they die, as they lose connection with the spirit world. In a mature organism, humankind in particular, it is a volatile Fortune, either a confident, assertive conqueror or an bitter lackey. At death it is the thin stream of material which comes out of the top of the head, floating upward, taking a sinuous shape, holding vast sinister power capable of destroying mountains, or killing people.(paraphrase of statements made on page 252).As always with Yorubian spiritual deities there are two, one male and one female. One who lives in the sky and one who lives in the sea (to keep cool). The one in the sky is Danh, the one in the sea Aido Hwedo. When Aido Hwedo moves there are earthquakes. Aido Hwedo is need to support the great weight of the Earth, or it will collapse. Monkeys bring up iron from the sea and beneath the sea for Aido Hwedo to eat. When the supply of iron runs out, then Aido Hwedo will begin to eat his own tail as Olledumare decreed, and the world will collapse. When Danh transports lightning to the earth from the spirit world there is thunder, the sound of his tail coming down and going back up (the double rumble sound). At birth the umbilicus and afterbirth is buried under a tree (palm preferrably), but no one is told which tree so that no wizard can try to control the person by seizing spiritual control of the buried cord. The child and tree are not connected. As the child grows up, this animating spirit is only activated if the adult is responsibility for others and for property (a male in other words). As soon as people are dependent on him his spirit is activating and now he can succeed or fail depending on how much he attends to placating his connection to Danh. In fact anxiety now becomes a very ubiquitous in the young man's life. "When a man starts to succeed it is fitting he does not forget the one who brought him into the world".He must pay attention to the manifestations of anxiety, restlessness, emotionally laden dreams, encountering a white shrouded man who disappears if spoken to, diviners tell him there are spirit messages for him. If the man ignores the signs then his animating spirit will wreck havoc in his life, even killing his children, his wife, and/or destorying his possessions. By serving his spirit he can avoid, or at least ameliorate the harm. By ignoring the messages that his spirit wishes placation and attention then the man comes to be dominated by others people who have attended to their spirits. In fact if a person attends to his spirit well, more power, possessions and prestige comes his way. At some point his spirit may be so powerful that the man and the spirit are responsible for protecting a whole community or even a set of communities. (paraphrase of material on pages 250-252).
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-- Horus, Talking about the Blue Water Lily, Graeco-Roman Temple of Horus at Edfu

- Horus, Talking about the Blue Water Lily, Graeco-Roman Temple of Horus at Edfu The flower wasn't just used at parties, but it was used at funerals. As with many symbols of fertility, the blue water lily was also symbolic of rebirth after death. Tutankhamen's innermost gold coffin had blue water lily petals scattered over it along with a few other floral tributes. The Egyptians looked forward to their souls coming to life "like a water lily reopening", thinking that the deceased died as the water lily closed awaiting opening with the morning sun. The Book of the Dead has a spell to allow the deceased to transform into one of these flowers:
[The Chapter of] Making the Transformation into the Water Lily

The Osiris Ani, whose word is truth, saith:- I am the holy water lily that cometh forth from the light which belongeth to the nostrils of Ra, and which belongeth to the head of Hathor. I have made my way, and I seek after him, that is to say, Horus. I am the pure blue water lily that cometh forth from the field [of Ra]. One of the items found in Tutankhamen's tomb is that of the boy's head emerging from the water lily. There are depictions of this in the Book of the Dead with the face of the deceased. It is probably a symbolic likening of the deceased to the creation myth as the water lily opened to reveal the sun god for the first time, giving the deceased new life as the flower opens each morning.

The four sons of Horus who guard the canopic jars - Imsety, human headed protector of the liver, Hapy, baboon headed protector of the lungs, Duamutef, jackal headed protector of the stomach and Qebehsenuef, falcon headed protector of the intestines - are often shown standing on a blue water lily flower. They were thought to have, like Nefertem, out of a water lily that rose from the waters of Nun. The four mummiform gods were rescued by the crocodile god Sobek, by the orders of Ra, and Anubis gave them funerary duties. They also attend the judgement of the deceased in the Halls of Ma'ati where they stand before Osiris on a half opened blue water lily.

The blue water lily was sacred to the ancient Egyptians, ornamental and sweet smelling. People who have had the pleasure described the smell as being similar to that of a hyacinth, a loquat and even of a banana. Whatever the fragrance is like, the Egyptians loved this plant that represented the sun and rebirth. It was presented at parties, and took on a sacred significance at death. There is little wonder that it became the floral symbol of Upper Egypt, and a flower enjoyed by all people throughout Egyptian history.

Medicine In Ancient Egypt

It is not necessary to emphasize the antiquity of Egyptian medicine; in every culture medicine develops very early, for the need of it is too universal and too pressing ever to be overlooked. We may be sure that some kind of medicine was already practiced in Egypt in the earliest prehistoric days, many millennia before Christ.


To quote an example, the use of malachite as an eye paint and an eye salve goes back to the Badarian age; the use of galena for similar purposes was introduced later, though still in predynastic times. Circumcision is a rite of immemorial age; bodies exhumed from prehistoric graves (as early as, say, 4000 B.c.) show traces of it. A very clear representation of the operation was sculptured on the wall of a tomb of the Sixth Dynasty (c. 2625-2475).

Did Ancient Egyptians study Anatomy?

The matter-of-factness and soberness of those early medical texts is very impressive. The doctor who wrote them down was not only an experienced man but a wise one, whose general point of view sometimes adumbrates that of the Hippocratic writings. For example, he recommends an expectant attitude, trusting in the healing power of nature, or he recommends waiting "until thou knowest that he [the patient] has reached a decisive point"; this reminds us of the Hippocratic notion of crisis.

Did the Egyptians study Anatomy? There is no reason to believe that the ancient Egyptians had studied anatomy, by means of deliberate dissections, but they had taken advantage of the accidental experiments falling under their eyes and had accumulated much knowledge. Of course, the mummification of dead bodies of men and animals, which had been practiced from time immemorial, might have taught them many things, but I am rather skeptical about that; the embalmers were too much concerned about their own difficult art to pay attention to irrelevant anatomic details. lt is possible that the practice of mummification made it easier later, much later, in Ptolemaic times, for Greek scientists to undertake systematic dissections, but that is another story. As far as ancient Egypt is concerned there is no evidence of the influence of mummification on anatomic knowledge.

The author whose work is recorded in the Smith papyrus had meditated on anatomic and physiologic questions. He was aware of the importance of the pulse, and of a connection between pulse and heart. He had some vague idea of a cardiac system, though not of course of a circulation, which nobody clearly understood before Harvey (and before him the Muslim physiacin Ibn Al-Nafis). His knowledge of the vascular system was made hopelessly difficult by his inability to distinguish between blood vessels, tendons, and nerves. Yet consider these astounding observations of the brain :
"If thou examines a man having a gaping wound in his head penetrating to the bone, smashing his skull, and rending open the brain of his skull, thou shouldst palpate his wound. Shouldst thou find that smash which in his skull like those corrugations which form in molten copper, and something therein throbbing and fluttering under thy fingers, like the weak place of an infant's crown before it becomes whole- when it has happened there is no throbbing and fluttering under thy fingers until the brain of his [the patient's] skull is rent open and he discharges blood from both his nostrils, and he suffers with stiffness in his neck."
He had observed the meninges, the cerebrospinal fluid, and the convolutions of the brain (compared in the previous quotation to the rippling surface of metallic slag). Moreover, he had realized that the brain was the seat of the control of the body, and that special kinds of control were localized in special parts of the brain.
Conclusion To conclude, the Smith papyrus, and to a lesser extent the Ebers one, give us a very favorable idea of the medicine, anatomy, and physiology of the Egyptians, and of the scientific outlook that they obtained at least two thousand years before Hippocrates.
Mummification in Ancient EgyptPreservation of human bodies after death is usually designated by two expressions, namely, "embalming" and "mummification". To embalm literally means "to place in balsam or resin". which is actually one of the last steps of the whole process of the preservation of the body. The word "mummification" is derived from the Latin word (perhaps of Persian origin) "mumia" which was mentioned by Dioscorides (first century A.D.) as a black bitumen found oozing from the earth in certain places. This word was applied at a late date to the embalmed bodies in Egypt, probably due to the fact that from the Twenty-sixth Dynasty onwards, bituminous materials were largely used in the presevation of the body. Mummification is undoubtedly the most distinctive technique or art which developed in Ancient Egypt. It greatly affected the habits and customs of the ancient Egyptians and, through it, much knowledge was gained in anatomy, chemistry, and many arts and industries.