304 Harvest
Further Readings
Bunson, M. (1991).The Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt.
New York: Facts on File.
HARVEST
In African agrarian societies, cultivation and its
different phases often dictate the social and reli-
gious calendar. The time of harvest, in particular,
is a special one for obvious reasons. Indeed, the
survival of the community depends on the yield
of good and plentiful crops. It is therefore no
surprise that much care is taken to ensure the fer-
tility of the land. Offerings and sacrifices to the
ancestors and other spiritual entities credited for
sending good crops to the living are performed
before sowing. The purpose of such rituals is
to place the ancestors and other divinities in a
favorable disposition toward the living, thus
encouraging them to bless the living with enough
food. This entry looks first at the series of rituals
that surround agriculture and then focuses
specifically on harvest festivals.Crop-Promoting Rituals
Among the Moba people of northwest Togo, for
instance, an elder will offer a libation to the ances-
tors, asking them for a good harvest. A feast,
known asNyatun, takes place in September, prior
to the beginning of sowing. Beer is made from
sorghum for this special occasion. For 3 entire
days, the people dance and have fun. On the third
day, an animal is sacrificed to the ancestors. After
harvesting, the festivities resume, on a grander
scale, lasting for about a month, with much danc-
ing, and culminating with another sacrifice, to
which all the family lineages are expected to con-
tribute. Before the sacrifice takes place, however,
divination is performed to find out what animal
should be offered.Rice crops on the Nile River.Inundation was essential to the survival and development of the civilization of Kemet because it
provided a narrow but fertile band of land alongside of the river on which to grow crops.
Source: Luke Daniek/iStockphoto.