deceased may come back and enjoy life once more
or complete unfinished business. For most African
people, there is a close relationship between new-
born children and the ancestors because newborn
babies are frequently conceived of as returned
ancestors. The ancestors return not so much as
physical entities, but as spiritual personalities.
Upon discovering that one of its female mem-
bers is pregnant, a family will commonly, through
divination, find out which one of the family’s
ancestors is coming back. A child is therefore
treated with great respect and always as a bless-
ing from the ancestral world. Children are wel-
comed into the community of the living during a
special naming ceremony that usually takes place
on the seventh or eighth day after their birth.
Although that ceremony officially separates
children from the spirit world, the closeness
between newborns and ancestors continues
nonetheless for a while.
For example, the Akan believe that young
children are happier when left alone because they
are in the company of their spiritual siblings and
mother. When a young child smiles, laughs, or
cries while apparently on his or her own, it is sim-
ply in response to a spiritual stimulus that only he
or she can receive by virtue of being a child. In the
end, children allow life to continue. In the African
religious tradition, which is, above all, a celebra-
tion of life, to have children is both a social and a
spiritual obligation. Children are a sacred gift to be
truly appreciated, cherished, and cultivated by all
in the community.
Ama MazamaSeealsoFamily; Women
Further Readings
De La Torre, I. (1993).Le Vodu en Afrique de l’Ouest.
Rites et Traditions. Le cas des sociétés Guen-Mina
(Sud-Togo). Paris: L’Harmattan.
Ephrim-Donfor, A. (1999).African Spirituality:On
Becoming Ancestors. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press.
Mbiti, J. (1990).African Religions and Philosophy.
London & Nairobi: Heinemann.
Zahan, D. (1979).The Religion,Spirituality,and
Thought of Traditional Africa. London: University of
Cambridge Press.
CHIWARA
The Bamana people of Mali, often called
Bambara, are known for the carved antelope fig-
ure called Chiwara, the original animal. The ante-
lope represents a mythical animal that taught
humans the fundamentals of agriculture. Because
the Bamana believe that farming is the most
important occupation, they honor the Chiwara
with elaborate ceremonies. In fact, the animal is
thought to have derived from a union between the
Earth and a snake. This entry looks at the Chiwara
figure and its representation in art.The Legend
According to the story, the animal used its antlers
and pointed stick to dig into the Earth, making it
possible for humans to cultivate the land. Humans
watched the Chiwara and then followed in its
footsteps to create their own farms. They loved
the lessons of planting that they had learned from
the antelope, the Chiwara, working animal. In
fact, the Chiwara had used its hoofs to cover the
seeds and humans watched this so closely that
they became experts at planting seeds.
So bountiful did the Bamana farms become that
they had too much corn for their own use. They
wasted it, thinking that it was so easy to cultivate.
Chiwara grew disappointed and went and buried
himself into the Earth. This action disturbed the
elders of the Bamana, who regretted that they had
lost their chief agricultural teacher. They then
ordered that a mask be made in memory of Chiwara.
No one can possess the Chiwara mask. It is
held for the persons who are the best and fastest
workers in the land, and so it is passed from one
person to another depending on skill and exper-
tise. It is a high prize to be able to dance the
Chiwara dance and to wear the mask. A dance,
representing both male and female genders, com-
memorates the teacher where the dancers wear the
beautifully carved headdresses to indicate that
they can never be separated as Chiwara was once
separated from the people.
Once they dance the Chiwara dance and wear
the Chiwara headdress, the chief teacher will
always be with the people. The dancers are usuallyChiwara 163