Many students of folklore and sociology have different and divergent perspectives towards the origin of the Supreme Being in Africa. This actually should drive us to ask ourselves, ‘Where did the Kikuyu get this knowledge?’ Some in this branch of human science have argued that Africans got this view probably from outside, a view that Mbiti refutes. He argues that if that were true, then we should be able to see African influence on where that thought came from as well as the process which would have to be two way.[1]
The Kikuyu people strongly believed that their God would respond to their cry whenever they called. In times of drought when they needed rain to fall and water their land they would make sacrifices which were always led by a council of elders. When people fell sick and needed healing, the name of God would be invoked and He would heal them. This would be done by sacrificing an animal under a (mugumo) fig tree. Blood would be shed and meat burnt in the hope that this would appease God.
The origin of the knowledge of God cannot be traced to a specific time and place even from all the people I talked to. Some would argue that the knowledge was passed down to them by their parents and through their communities, while others would say that God revealed Himself to people.
Most traditional African communities, if not all, had a monotheistic view of God. They believed that there was one beyond their human power who was responsible for what happened around them. He took charge over the spirits, human beings and virtually everything else that existed. The view that all things would not have existed if God had never willed it to be so was universally believed and accepted.
Names and attributes of kikuyu God
The God of the Kikuyu is always considered one and given male attributes but it was not the case for all the other African gods. The Yorubas have a goddess by the name Oshun who is believed to have brought about wealth, protection and fame and often praised as the Great Mother.[2]
a) Mwenye Nyaga (Owner of all brightness and beauty)
Kikuyu believed in God called Mwene-Nyaga (Possessor of the brightness). Ngai is the creator and owner of all things that exists. Gikuyu believed that God does not have father or mother or companion of any kind. God is also referred to as eternal, meaning that God was there from the beginning and will live forever. This Ngai lived in the sky but occasional descended on mount Kiri-nyaga (currently known as Mt. Kenya) as a temporal home where he could rest during his visits. According to Jomo Kenyatta the visits were carried out with a general aim of inspecting the world, blessing people and punishing those who were doing wrong.[3]
The mountain was highly revered; and this would be reflected whenever the people built their houses with doors that always faced the mountain. This idea of mountains having religious significance can also be traced among other African tribes. The Maasai's (nomadic pastoralists) who are thought to have originated from Sudan as well as The Luo's (who derived their livelihood from fishing) believed that their ancestors had come down from the mountain from the beginning of time.[4]
He was considered transcendent who stayed up in the heavens but at the same time was considered immanent as he temporary came down upon the mountain to see the affairs of the community and the corporate society.[5]
b) Ngai Mwene Inya Wothe (All power belonged to Him)
Ngai Mwenye Hinya Wothe was considered as the one who was all-powerful who held all things in place and manifested Himself through the physical nature of rain, rainbow, lightning, sun, moon and the created order.[6] His power was beyond measure. His power went beyond the created things and even spirits. The Kikuyu believed that all are powerless without Him and He would be called upon for His power, like when they faced a stronger enemy in war.
c) Kimenyi wa mothe (All-Knowing One)
According to Mbiti God knows everything and hears all things without limitations or exceptions.[7] The Kikuyu community attributed all knowledge to God and it was a common phrase to say, ‘no man knows like God Himself.’ People believed that if anything was to be known, then it had to be linked with the powerful knowledge of the All-knowing One.
d) Ithe witu- Our Father
Though God was considered transcendent, they believed that He occasionally visited them. They would consider Him one that is involved in what was going on in their lives. Mbiti says that beside the Africans knowing that the Father is remote he is also near.[8] Indeed this is true because I can remember visiting my great grandmother when I was a young boy. A frail and pretty old woman who at the time would always ask how my family was doing and if there was anything not right she would always say, ”Baba wa ndemi na thathi aromurathima.” (The Father of the old and the dead will sort it out). Mbiti says that many Africans visualise God as Father, both in terms of His position as the universal Creator and Provider. The idea of fatherhood of God, he argues, comes out in prayers, among people like Bambuti, Azande, Nuer, Kikuyu and others. The sense of God as the father, he continues, is needed and experienced most in times of need, such as danger, despair, sickness, sorrow, drought or calamity.[9]
Some attributes connected with Kikuyu Ngai (God)
i) God of justice- (Ngai wa kihoto)
According to Mbiti, the God of justice would be invoked in situations of judicial administration and when people were brought forth to take oaths, all which were activities of paramount importance in Kikuyu culture.[10] The Kikuyu believed strongly that Ngai was a just God. Every time anyone felt they were wronged and could not find justice anywhere else they would invoke such words. They believed that He never discriminated against anyone because of their social status, but treated all equally with fairness.
ii) They strongly believe in God of goodness. (Ngai Mwega)
Mbiti argues that God’s goodness was seen in his ability to avert bad things from taking place, as well as being able to take people out of them whenever they happened. As an agricultural community God was always thought as one who brought about good things, like rain. When people fell ill and were healed they would always attribute that to God who was always in the business of doing good. It is worth pointing out though that if bad things happened like outbreaks, death or catastrophes, they would be associated with the evil spirits and more often than not as signs of God’s punishment on a deviant community.[11]
iii) His Holiness (Ngai muthingu)
Performing rituals among the African communities was a responsibility solely bestowed on priests (athinjiri Ngai)(those that sacrifice for him). These were people who were considered to be people of high moral character who lived peacefully with all men. They were considered as a mediator between man and the Holy One. The criteria and the highly selective process used before a priest was ordained, as well as the type and colours of animals used for sacrifices, signified how the Kikuyu people viewed God.[12]
[1] Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, 9
[2] Benjamin, African Religions,35
[3] Kenyatta, Facing Mount Kenya , 225
[4] Godfrey M,., Kenya: Identity of a Nation (Pretoria, South Africa: New Africa, 2007), 60
[5]Kenyatta, Facing Mount Kenya, 224
[6] Kenyatta, Facing Mount Kenya, 227
[7] Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, 33
[8] Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, 33
[9] Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, 49
[10] Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, 38
[11] Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, 38
[12] Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy, 38
No comments:
Post a Comment