was quite in keeping with Egyptian thinking
about the world. There are almost no areas of
Africa where birds do not exist, although there
are areas where it is difficult to find mammals.
Hence, the presence of a bird to represent trans-
formation would be automatic, that is, natural
because the bird is always able to fly away from
local circumstances.
Ancient Egypt, therefore, was like many other
parts of Africa where birds were used in religious
or cultural expressions. One finds that the Mossi
of Burkina Faso, the Bahamba of Congo, and the
Eton of Cameroon are just a few of the ethnic
groups that use headdresses of birds for cere-
mony. The Benu bird of ancient Egypt was cere-
monial, ritualistic, and spiritual in its ultimate
meaning of transformation. As the Egyptians
understood, one should seek to rise as the Benu
bird and witness the change that comes with hav-
ing lived a life of good character, which is the
only way to ensure immortality.
Molefi Kete AsanteSeealsoAnimals; Birds
Further Readings
Grimal, N. (1994).A History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford,
UK: Blackwell.
Hart, G. (1990).Egyptian Myths. London: Blackwell.
Shaw, I., & Nicholson, P. (1995).The Dictionary of
Ancient Egypt. London: The British Museum.
Watterson, B. (1984).The Gods of Ancient Egypt.
London: B.T. Batsford.
PLACENTA
Physically, the placenta is a membranic sac in
which a human fetus develops. It is a vehicle by
which oxygen, nutrients, and blood necessary for
the baby’s development are transmitted from
mother to child. It is thought that, spiritually, the
placenta carries vital energy that may be used to
positively or negatively affect the child or its
mother. Because of its spiritual potential, the treat-
ment of the placenta following the birth of a child
is an area of important religious attention.
In ancient KMT, or Egypt, the placenta was
considered to be a spirit double of the child. The
Igbo of Nigeria associate the placenta with the
infant, but not with the baby’s spirit double, or
chi. The Baganda people view the placenta as a
second child that is stillborn and becomes a
ghost. Because the placenta is thus tied to the
well-being of the infant, the proper handling of
it must be performed to ensure the protection of
the living sibling.
The placenta may be burned, preserved, or buried
according to the family’s particular belief system. In
some places, including, but not limited to, the United
States, Jamaica, and Haiti, the placenta is buried. It
is not uncommon for a fruit tree to be planted over
the placenta so that the child never becomes hungry.
Among the Ngoni, the baby’s first bath is given over
the spot where the placenta is buried, along with the
cloth used to deliver the infant. The Edo ethnic
group requires that water from the infant’s first bath
be poured over the site, and mashed yam is offered
to the location by an elder woman. Some other
African diasporic populations bury the placenta not
in the yard or courtyard, but inside the home or
beneath the threshold of a doorway.
In African cosmological understandings, the
physical environment is a critical component in
man’s own existence. As such, nature is revered and
respected. Additionally, the immediate geographic
location of a community is honored because it pro-
vides the sustenance necessary for the survival of the
people. Inasmuch as this is the case, Africans seek to
unite both spiritually and physically with the land
on which they reside. The burial of human placen-
tas is an essential ritual that serves this purpose
throughout the African diaspora.
It has been said that the immediate location of
a family links that family to the portion of the
spiritual realm that helps to maintain their famil-
ial dynamic. Accordingly, the ancestral land’s
physical location provides a spiritually sacred
place where family members may return to
reunite with the energy found there. Africans of
Zimbabwe and the Caribbean both bury the
navel string, another name for the placenta, so
that the baby will always choose to come home.
The mother’s future fertility is also closely
related to the proper disposal of the placenta,
further ensuring the preservation of the family’s
lineage.Placenta 529