becomes by virtue of this pervasive emphasis on the
fullness of the air with spiritual energies is some-
thing more than a physical energy; it is because of
its capacity to contain the energies of the ancestors
and the spirit world that the one environmental ele-
ment created by the Supreme Deity to separate
Earth and sky takes on the characteristics of medi-
ating balance in the universe. Thus, air is the ele-
ment that allows us to mediate conditions of maat
on Earth and in the sky.
Molefi Kete AsanteSee alsoShu
Further Readings
Goff, B. (1979).Symbols of Ancient:Egypt in the Late
Period:The Twenty-First Dynasty. The Hague,
Netherlands: Mouten.
Karenga, M. (2005).Maat:The Moral Ideal in Ancient
Egypt:A Study in Classical African Ethics. Los
Angeles: University of Sankore Press.
AIWEL
In the belief of the Dinka people of Sudan, Aiwel
was the founder of the priesthood known as the
spearmasters. He was the son of a water spirit and
a human mother. During his childhood, Aiwel’s
mother died, and he went to live with his father in
a river. When he became a man, he returned to his
mother’s village with a beautiful multicolored ox
he called by the name Longar. When the people
saw him, they called him Aiwel Longar. Thus,
there entered into the cosmology of the Dinka
people one of their most important figures.
Aiwel Longar is representative of so many val-
ues, attitudes, and dispositions in Dinka philoso-
phy that one could almost say that the Dinka
measure other humans by the characteristics of
Aiwel Longar. First of all, his narrative is epic and
shows that he had arisen from a special condition
of being from the spiritual and the human side.
Second, he overcame all conditions of difference
and established himself as the leader of his people.
The story is told that Aiwel Longar performed
many mighty deeds at his mother’s village.
Not long after Aiwel Longar had returned to
his mother’s village, there was a terrible drought
in the land. When the rains did not come, many
people died because they could not find food.
Crops died in the field. There was little grass in
some places and no grass in even more places.
Thousands of cattle also died in the land.
Aiwel Longar was greatly disturbed by the
conditions he saw. Finally, he went to the people
who remained in the village and told them that
they should follow him to a new land because if
they remained in their village they would die.
His confidence increased to the point that he
spoke directly to the elders. He said that they
would have water and grass for their animals as
well as for themselves if they followed him to
the new land.
Although he had traveled where others had
never gone, it was difficult for him to convince
them of something they had never seen. Many
people did not believe Aiwel. They refused at first
to leave the village. They spoke against the plan,
and Aiwel Longar decided that he had to leave so
he began his journey with those who wanted to go
with him and his family. These willing individuals
trusted Aiwel’s words. Some of the people who
had challenged him soon decided that they would
follow Aiwel.
But Aiwel was angry that they had not come in
the first place; when they reached the river, he
killed several people as they tried to cross the river
to join him. The people with him begged him not
to punish all of those who did not initially leave
with the group. Persuaded that all of the people
had not objected to his plans, and after the lead-
ers of the revolt against his idea had been killed,
Aiwel relented and allowed most of the people to
join his group. He gave the men spears, and they
became a part of his spearmasters clan.Molefi Kete AsanteSee alsoAdu Ogyinae; AncestorsFurther Readings
Asante, M. K., & Nwadiora, E. (2007).SpearMasters:
Introduction to African Religion. Lanham, MD:
Rowman & Littlefield.
Scheub, H. (2000).A Dictionary of African Mythology.
New York: Oxford University Press.22 Aiwel