Encyclopedia of African Religion

Historical Background The Asante Nation was composed of several clans ruled by individual kings. There were many petty wars betw ...

The Asante-Akan, like most Africans, do not believe in proselytizing. A child, when placed on his or her back, discovers Nyame’s ...

It should be clear that, even during the height of the power of the Asantehene, the king could not serve with absolute power. He ...

Asase Yaa 73 it. As the object that characterizes the unity and courage of the people, deriving from one of its most legendary m ...

desecrate the Earth are avoided. Those who call her Asase Efua observe this sacred day Friday. Generally, on any given day, one ...

Americas and around the world, Yoruba religion continues to thrive and develop through the forms of Santeria, Vodun, and Condomb ...

The Aten sometimes wore, even as the sun globe, the royal uaeus, which was the sacred asp that was worn on the headdress of divi ...

to Atum in ancient Egyptian literature is in the Pyramid Texts and is dated to circa 2350 BC. An analysis of the Pyramid Texts d ...

to several times in thePrt em Hrw(Book of the Coming Forth by Day). Ausar became a central figure in priestly life, and his shri ...

Plutarch describes Ausar as a human king who taught the craft of husbandry, established a code of laws, and bade men to honor th ...

80 Auset Seated on a throne, Isis suckles the infant Horus. 18th dynasty c. 1400–1379 BC. Source: Werner Forman/Art Resource, Ne ...

Some early legends portrayed Auset as the wife of Ra, but later represented her as the devoted wife and partner of Ausar, whom s ...

82 Ax with several other similar goddesses. For instance, in the early period, her attributes were combined with het-heru, which ...

The origin of Azaka’s name is thought to be pre-Columbian, from the indigenous Taino Indian language stemming from zada, meaning ...

See alsoVodou in Haiti Further Readings Asante, M. K., & Mazama, A. (Eds.). (2005). Encyclopedia of Black Studies. Thousand ...

BA Ba , as an aspectof the soul,was rep resentedby a human-headedbird in ancientKemet.The Ba speaks to the oneness and ha rmonyw ...

86 Babalawo viewed as the presence of Ba. For example, the Sun was believed to be the Ba of Re while Apis the bull was believed ...

Baga 87 or demands—that is, of what type of ritual (if any) is necessary to open the path and ensure success. The ritual often i ...

important agricultural people. They are rice grow- ers who have occupied the coastal area for many centuries. In fact, the low c ...

Further Readings Balandier, G., & Maquet, J. (1974).Dictionary of Black African Civilization. New York: Leon Amiel. Lamp, F. ...