intelligence, all science. Another example is “Lesa
shiwatutaula mibanga, God breaks down hard
trees like ‘mibanga’ (by lightning). God is all pow-
erful. Who can resist him?”Kwimba kati kusansha
na Lesameans to seek out a remedy to work with
God. God is the author of all plants and their
diverse properties.Lesa Mukuluis the expression
used for the supremacy of God over all divinities or
superior beings.Lesais the Great Ancestor, which
is the anterior ancestor.
Imipashi (ancestors) are spirits of those who
died long ago. They can be public and private (i.e.,
familial). Public imipashi are the spirits of
deceased chiefs, and burial places, such as the
Mwalule, the burial place of great Bemba chiefs,
are consecrated to them. Private or familial
imipashiare the spirits of deceased relatives or the
spirit of each deceased individual. Ancestors play
an important role for the success of war, hunting,
fishing, health, and good harvests.
Bashinganga (diviners) mediate between the
spirits of ancestors and the people for the good of
the community. Thebashingangauses knowledge
of plants, incantations, and magic, along with vari-
ous divining methods. Giving children names at
birth, diagnosing the causes of illnesses and death,
performing during the ritual hunt, and finding
sorcerers and evil spirits are among the functions
of thebashinganga.
In African religious thought, all beings, both ani-
mate and inanimate, are interrelated and interde-
pendent, including God. This interrelatedness
and interdependency can be expressed through
umukowa(totems), a special identification of a clan
with an animate or inanimate object. Moreover,
unity, kinship, belongingness, and common affinity
are achieved through totems. The totem of Bemba
clan umukowa is the crocodile. In addition to
the clanumukowa(totem), there are family and
individual umukowa (totems). Some umukowa
(totems) include the otter, antelope, fish, lion, leop-
ard, rain, sorghum, millet, and castor oil. Because
the Bemba is a matrilineal society,umukowa(totems)
are passed through the mother’s family.
The east and west, the sun, the Earth, and the
rainy seasons are powerful, divine symbols.Lisais
the future (the east), whereas the west represents
the origin of the Bemba people, the ancestors, and
places and traditions left behind. The early morning
sun is the maleness of Lesa, and the sun at noon is
linked with the authority of the male chief. The
Earth is representative of the womb, where every
person returns at the time of death. The three
annual seasons represent male and female. The dry
season represents the female,whereas the hot sea-
son represents the male. The rainy season unites the
two seasons and represents perfection and unity.
Furthermore, the rainy season represents the union
of man and woman, which brings life and continu-
ity to the Bemba. The rainy season also symbolized
the divine gift of parenthood.Willie Cannon-BrownSee alsoFertility; RainFurther Readings
Emory University, Lingusitic Anthropology, Bemba home
page: http://www.anthropology.emory.edu/
FACULTY/ANTDS/Bemba
Labrecque, E. (1934).Beliefs and Religious Practices of
the Bemba and Neighboring Tribes(Language Centre
Ilondola, Ed., P. Boyd, Trans.). Retrieved August 10,
2007, from http://bmoz.org/downloads/Beliefs_29_
0608.doc
Mbiti, J. S. (1989).African Religions and Philosophy.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Ottenberg, S., & Ottenberg, P. (Eds.). (1960).Cultures
and Societies of Africa. New York: Random House.BES
Bes is the name of one of the oldest deities in
Africa. He is usually represented as a short, stout
man with a broad forehead, wide nostrils, large
phallus, and an open mouth with a protruding
tongue. However, the physical features of Bes
were not the most interesting aspects about him.
Of course, he was an African figure, perhaps rep-
resentative of the Twa or Mbuti people, but he
was more than that to the ancient Africans in the
Nile Valley, who saw him as the great representa-
tive of humanity. This entry looks at his history
and beliefs about his powers.Bes 119