440 Nana Buluku
Awusi/Osi; a male child is called Kwesi/Kwasi,
whereas a female child is named Akosua/Esi. The
significance of the naming ritual on the eighth day
lies in the spiritual connection with the divinity. The
inherent power in thekra denworks to align the
spirit of the individual with the divinity.
In many societies, the naming ritual is enacted
during the early hours of the day. The seventh or
eighth day marks a transition and a complete
departure from the spirit world to the world of
the living. It is a rite usually carried out within the
family compound, and participation is limited,
although not strictly restricted, to relatives and the
extended family. An elder or a renowned personal-
ity in the family conducts the ritual in the presence
of both maternal and paternal family relatives
seated outside in the family compound. The scope
of ritual enactments varies from one locality to
another. For instance, a libation in the form of
drinks is poured to venerate and invoke the bless-
ing of family ancestors on behalf of the newborn
baby. This symbolic presentation of drinks or
sometimes food to the ancestors is a token of
fellowship, hospitality, and respect. Libations are also
symbols of family continuity and contact, which
coincide with the announcement and blessing of the
child’s names. The child is instructed, symbolically,
to develop good moral values and to take up his or
her individual and societal responsibilities.
The naming ritual is also accompanied by the pre-
sentation of money and gifts, which symbolically
represent objects with which to commence the life
journey. The ritual ends with feasting and merry-
making referred to in Ghana as the “outdooring.”
The ritual is a common feature in various Ghanaian
indigenous societies and has significant meaning and
relevance. Unlike the naming rite, the outdooring
feast is more of a public ritual where family mem-
bers, friends, and neighbors are invited to celebrate
with the family. The enactment of naming and out-
dooring rituals accords the child both individual
and social recognition, and the child is introduced to
the community of which she or he is now a part. The
community is expected to care for and help raise the
child. Formal education, religious influences, and
modern health institutions have influenced the flavor
and texture of naming rituals, although the princi-
ples and symbolism have remained largely intact.
The symbolism, meaning, and power of naming and
several elements of the indigenous naming ritual
have been transposed within African Christian and
Islamic worldviews, although the agency of propitia-
tion has sharply altered.Afe AdogameSeealsoChildren; Family; Family Rites; Rites of PassageFurther Readings
Obeng, S. G. (2001).African Anthroponomy:An
Ethnopragmatic and Morphophonological Study of
Personal Names in Akan and Some African Societies.
Munich, Germany: Lincom Europa.
Oduyoye, M. (1987).Yoruba Names:Their Structure
and Their Meanings. London: Karnak.
Ray, B. C. (1976).African Religions:Symbol,Ritual and
Community. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Ross, M. (2004).Naming Ceremonies. Chicago:
Heinemann.NANABULUKU
The Fon people constituted the nucleus of the former
kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most distinguished
kingdoms of the west coast of Africa. Culturally and
linguistically, the Fon belong to the Aja group. In the
Fon cosmology, Nana Buluku is commonly known as
the androgynous deity who represents the “beginning.”
Although it is difficult in Dahomean cosmology to
speak of one “absolute beginning,” after reference to
Nana Buluku has been made to the “beginning,”
Nana Buluku does not appear in the story of the
“ordering” of the world. Credit for the “ordering”
goes to Nana Buluku’s progeny, Mawu-Lisa. Indeed,
according to Herskovits, there is no specific cult of
Nana Buluku in Dahomey, although its preeminence
in relation to all deities is recognized.
An essential element in Dahomean cosmology is
the genealogy of the Vodu (i.e., god or gods). The
purpose is to take into account the allocation
among the gods of the different forces that act on
men and women. The Fon people speak of the
world of Vodu, rather than of the relations between
the Vodu and this world. Thus, according to the
Fon creation story, Nana Buluku gave birth to the
dual deity Mawu-Lisa (also known simply as
Mawu). Mawu is the female, and Lisa is the male.