Encyclopedia of African Religion

Babies born with portions of the membrane cov- ering their head are said to be born “with a veil” or “with a caul.” These childr ...

language of trees and plants, a skill that baffled even his healing colleagues. The plants would tell him which ones to use to c ...

the spirits come to reside permanently in the ones possessed. Annette M. Gilzene SeealsoAncestors; God Further Readings Chevanne ...

Poro Society 533 Painted cloth costume worn by Senufo Poro society masquerader.Similar cloths were also worn by hunters.The desi ...

Davidson, B. (1966).African Kingdoms. New York: Time. Huet, M., & Savary, C. (1966).The Dances of Africa. New York: Harry N. ...

Desmangles, L. (1992).The Faces of the Gods:Vodou and Roman Catholicism in Haiti. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Pres ...

PREGNANCY Within the context of African religion, pregnancy is always a special, much hoped for, and therefore cherished event. ...

Pregnancy 537 An ancient soapstone sculpture in the traditional African abstract form suggests the nurturing power,humanity,and ...

Sexual taboos are not, however, the only restrictions faced by a pregnant woman and her husband. In fact, among the same Gurunsi ...

the royal family through blood. In effect, this was a political position of the highest stature. Thus, a vizier, next to the per ...

statue. They would be blessed by their offerings, and in some cases people would stand for hours just to glimpse the statue. How ...

ceremonies, is given a young baby to hold as she enters the household compound to signify the importance of procreation. Even lo ...

an elaborate and complex thinking process that involves a higher level of imagination and syn- thesis of human experience. Like ...

Vidye muntanda ukihanga). It also commands hospitality and respect for the stranger because, as a Luba proverb put it, “Your gue ...

acclaimed for ingenuity and inventiveness, was embraced by influential guilds of the professional class such as scribes, stonema ...

Life was created through Ptah’s utterance, a scenario and sequence that would be mimicked in the later Hebrew creation story. Pt ...

Naydler, J. (1996). Temple of the Cosmos. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions. Silverman, D. P. (Ed.). (1997).Ancient Egypt.London: ...

expected to watch over the community’s cattle (which are highly regarded as God’s unique gift to the Maasai), participate in cat ...

territory or area of life and performs specific func- tions. There are therefore divinities for the Earth, the seas, rivers, hil ...

Purification 549 The Sun Temple of Niuserre at Abu Ghurab, Egypt.In the area previously known as the Great Slaughterhouse,it is ...