ALTARS
In African societies, the object that stands between
humans and the divine is often made of wood, clay,
stone, or metal. In fact, the altar may also be at the
base of an ancient tree or the base of a mountain
or giant stone. Of course, most altars are built by
humans, that is, they are constructed with the idea
of god in mind. The idea is that there is a physical
connection between humans and the divine, and
the altar serves as a repository of the power of the
divine. It is not to be considered the site of god, but
rather the place where the power of god can be
captured and used for the benefit of the society.
This is so even if an image of the deity is carved
and sits on the altar. One does not assume that
one is actually seeing the god, but the sacred
emblem, symbol, or representative of the god at
that place. It is a mistake to assume that the altar
is the dwelling place of the divinity; no one knows
the place where the divine dwells. The altar is
where the human goes to contact the power of the
divine. Thus, a priest or priestess is usually the
only person allowed to officiate at the altar.
Such altars as exist in traditional African reli-
gion are often hidden from the masses. There are
occasions when the priest or priestess will go to the
altar and then return to the people after having
made sacrifices and prayers. Shrines to ancestors
located in homes may also serve as altars in some
cases. Upon this altar might be the traditional
objects that were used by a deceased ancestor.
The most ancient Kemetic tradition has the altar
in the Holy of Holies, the sacred place in the sacred
grove or temple. It is here that the priest goes
before the deity, and it is here that the deity makes
known the power and energy that are necessary for
the community. For example, the holy bark of the
deity may adorn the altar as it did at Edfu or Kom
Ombo and many other sacred sites. One cannot
determine the extent of the deity’s power simply by
seeing the altar because it has to be infused with
power to have meaning. This power comes from
the many years of appeal by the priests or priest-
esses who officiate in the name of the people and
the deity. Sacrifices are left at the altar for the god.
Most traditions understand that the god of the
altar will eat the sacrifice, and therefore the sacri-
fice is left at the altar. In many societies, there may
be one major altar where the divine communion is
made on special days. When this time comes, the
people assemble and the priest and priestess dance
before the people in an effort to contact the divin-
ity. This is done with all the ritual precision col-
lected from many years of experience. Once the
time is ripe, that is, the deity has been contacted,
the officiating religious figure goes to the altar to
have communion with the deity.
It is possible that certain members of the com-
munity, particularly kings, and elders also might
be allowed into the holy place. This usually
depends on the nature of the occasion. If it is a
national occasion, then the special guests might be
invited to view the sacrifice. Rarely, however, will
the guests be asked to participate. Otherwise the
slaughter of an animal for the sacrifice is strictly a
matter for the priest and priestess. Once the sacri-
fice is made, the priest and priestess may consult
again with the deity for information about future
activities of the community. Here the deity
responds, sometimes through an oracle, and
sometimes through the priest or priestess in ecsta-
tic trance. All of this takes place at the altar, the
place for sacred things, and the objects that are
used by the officials at the altar are also a part of
the sacred accoutrements of the occasion.
The function of the altar is purely spiritual. Its
shape is according to the priest’s capability, inter-
est, or expertise. Creation of an altar may be the
work of an artisan who is commissioned to make
an object that might be sanctified by the priest and
made ready to receive the power of god. Among
the Akyem people of Ghana, the great altar is
located in a cool valley near a river at the foot of
a great Iroko tree. It is protected by the priest, and
no one can go there on his own without dire
consequences.
Some groups have been known to make the
mummified bodies of their dead kings packed in
clay their altars in the sense that one is standing
on the foundation of the society. Others have used
objects such as masks, walking canes, statues, and
fine works of jeweled art to decorate their altars.
During the New Kingdom in Kemet, the altar
was the place for the deities Amen, Ra, Ptah, and
Atum. In one of the greatest achievements of the
sacred tradition by a living king, Ramses II,User
maat ra, setep en ra, had his own image seated
next to that of the gods in the Holy of Holies at the36 Altars