Traditional religions of Africa. African religions East Africa religion
Currently, several groups of religions are common among the peoples of the African continent: local traditional cults and religions, Islam, Christianity, to a lesser extent Hinduism, Judaism and some others. A special place is occupied by syncretic Christian-African churches and sects.
Local traditional cults and religions are autochthonous beliefs, cults, and rituals that developed among the peoples of Africa in the process of historical development before the appearance of Arabs and Europeans on this continent. Distributed among most of the local population of tropical countries, South Africa and the island of Madagascar.
Although the constituent components of the religious beliefs of most Africans are fetishism (veneration of material objects), animism (belief in numerous souls and spirits), magic (witchcraft, superstition), mana (faceless supernatural force), the term “local traditional cults and religions” is very conditional, since it is used to designate various religious ideas, cults, beliefs and rituals of many African peoples located at certain socio-economic levels of development. These cults and religions can be divided into two large groups: tribal and national-state.
The cult of ancestors occupies a significant place in the life of African peoples. The object of veneration, as a rule, is the ancestors of a family, clan, tribe, etc., who are credited with supernatural abilities to do both good and evil. Cults of the forces of nature and the elements are also widespread in Africa. These cults are characteristic of those peoples who preserve various forms of tribal structures (for example, the Hottentots, Hereros, etc.). Peoples with developed or emerging statehood (Zulu, Yoruba, Akan, etc.) are characterized by polytheistic state religions with a developed pantheon of gods. In the autochthonous traditional religions of Africa, rituals, ceremonies, rituals, etc., which are usually associated with the stages of human life, occupy a large place.
In total, over a third of Africa's population (130 million) adheres to local traditional religions. Almost all of them live in sub-Saharan Africa, making up about 42% of the region's population. More than half are concentrated in West Africa.
Islam is a religion brought to Africa from the Arabian Peninsula. In the middle of the 7th century. North Africa was conquered by the Arabs. The newcomers spread Islam through administrative and economic measures. The complete Islamization of North Africa ends by the 12th century. By the 18th century Islamization of the peoples of the eastern coast of Africa and the northwestern part of the island of Madagascar occurs. Somewhat later, the influence of Islam spread throughout Tropical Africa, where Islam began to successfully compete with Christianity.
Among the Muslim population of modern Africa, Sunni Islam is widespread. Sunnism is represented by all four madhhabs (or religious and legal schools).
Sufi orders (or brotherhoods) play a significant role among African Muslims. The spiritual heads of some of these brotherhoods exert great influence on political life in a number of African countries. Thus, in Senegal the leader of the Murid brotherhood enjoys great influence, in Nigeria - the head of the Tijanis, etc.
Representatives of the second direction in Islam - Shiism - in Africa are less than a quarter of a million people. For the most part these are foreigners - immigrants from the Hindustan Peninsula, and to a lesser extent the local population.
Islam is practiced by over 41% of Africa's population (approx. 150 million people). About half of Islam's adherents (47.2%) are concentrated in North African countries, with more than a fifth of African Muslims living in Egypt. In West Africa, Muslims make up over 33% of the population, half of them in Nigeria. Less than a fifth of the Muslim population is concentrated in East Africa, where they make up 31% of the population.
The spread of Christianity in Africa began in the 2nd century. n. e. It initially spread to Egypt and Ethiopia, and then along the coast of North Africa. At the beginning of the 4th century, a movement arose among Christians in Africa to create an African church independent from Rome.
From the 15th century, with the arrival of the Portuguese conquerors in Africa, a new period of the spread of Christianity began, but in a Western direction.
Christianity is currently professed by 85 million people. About 8 million of them are immigrants from Europe or their descendants. Adherents of certain directions in Christianity are distributed as follows: Catholics - over 38% (33 million), Protestants - about 37% (31 million), Monophysites - more than 24% (20 million), the rest - Orthodox and Uniates. Most Christians are concentrated in the countries of East Africa - over a third (35% of the population), the same number in West Africa. In South Africa, Christians make up a quarter of the region's population, and there are about three times fewer Catholics than Protestants. In the eastern region, more than half of the Christians are Monophysites, and almost all of them live in Ethiopia. In most countries, Catholics predominate over Protestants. A fifth of all African Catholics live in Zaire. More than two million of them are in Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi.
Half of all African Protestants come from two countries - South Africa (27%) and Nigeria (22%). Approximately one million each live in Zaire, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania and the island of Madagascar.
Hinduism in Africa is practiced by people from the Hindustan Peninsula and their descendants, who number 1.1 million - about 0.3% of the population of Tropical and Southern Africa. They are unevenly distributed. On the island of Mauritius, where Hindus make up over half the population, more than 2/5 of their total population is concentrated, in South Africa - more than a third, and in Kenya - a tenth. There are small Hindu communities in East African countries.
Other South and East Asian religions popular among Indians and partly Chinese include Sikhism - 25 thousand adherents, Jainism - 12 thousand, Buddhism and Confucianism - 25 thousand people.
Judaism is practiced by about 270 thousand people in Africa.
Let's consider the religious composition of the population of some African countries.
From: Mircea Eliade, Ion Culiano. Dictionary of religions, rituals and beliefs (series "Myth, Religion, Culture"). - M.: VGBIL, "Rudomino", St. Petersburg: "University Book", 1997. P. 53-67.
Classification. Man appeared in Africa about five million years ago. Today, the African continent is home to many peoples who speak more than 800 languages (of which 730 are classified). Africans are distinguished by their belonging to a particular “race” and “cultural area”, but over the past quarter century it has become clear that these criteria are not enough. There are no clear linguistic boundaries, but there is a completely satisfactory linguistic classification of languages.
In 1966, Joseph Greenberg proposed dividing the languages of the African continent into four large families, including numerous related languages. The main one is the Congo-Kordofan family, where the most significant is the Niger-Congo group, which includes a large group of Bantu languages. The linguistic area of the Kongo-Kordofan region includes the center and southern Africa.
The second language family, which includes the languages of the Nile inhabitants of Western Sudan and the middle reaches of Niger, is Nilo-Saharan.
In the north and northeast, languages of the Afroasiatic family are common; it includes the Semitic languages spoken in western Asia, Egyptian, Berber, Cushitic and Chadic languages; The last group includes the Hausa languages.
The fourth family consists of the languages commonly called "click" (after the four characteristic sounds of the Bushman language); Greenberg gave them the name Khoisan languages, they are spoken mainly by Bushmen and Hottentots.
Religious boundaries do not coincide with linguistic boundaries. In the countries of North Africa, among the Egyptians and Berbers, Islam has long been widespread; The Berbers also retained remnants of pre-Muslim cults, such as the worship of women overcome by sacred madness, which was readily compared with the ancient cult of Dionysus in Greece, and belief in the magical actions of African sorcerers. At the center of Berber Afro-Islamic syncretism is the figure of a marabout who wields magical powers - baraka. Before the advent of Islam, Judaism was widespread among the Berber tribes living in these lands, as well as the African form of Christianity, which gave rise to the Puritan movement of Donatism, condemned by Augustine (354-430), from which it can be concluded that the Berbers always maintained their isolation and chose such a form of religion that differed in a certain way from the dominant one.
In the West the situation is different. Christianity, Islam and local cults are practiced in Senegal. The further south you go, the more complex the religious picture becomes. Beliefs in Guinea, Liberia, Cote Divoire, Sierra Leone and Benin are syncretistic. The Mande people are committed to Islam, but the same cannot be said about the Bambara, Mipyanka and Senufo. Autochthonous cults flourish in the Nigerian Federation. The majority of the population in the region adheres to traditional Yoruba beliefs.
Syncretism prevails in Equatorial Africa; in the south, on the contrary, thanks to Portuguese preachers and Protestants, missions of the British and Dutch, Christianity spread. In the east, the syncretic religion of the Bantu peoples developed on the basis of faith in the Prophet. Finally, the tribes living around the Great Lakes (Azande, Nuer, Dinka, Maasai), due to the passivity of English missionaries, continue to practice the religion of their ancestors.
With such a diversity of beliefs, the historian of religion faces a very difficult choice. He can “walk through the top” without stopping anywhere, as B. Jolas did in his book “Religions de l”Afrique noire”, 1964; he can consider beliefs from the point of view of phenomenology, not paying attention to differences in geographical and historical conditions , as Benjamin Ray did in his book "African Religions" 1976; finally, he can select several of the most characteristic cults and describe each separately, comparing them with each other, as Noel King did in the work "African Cosmos", 1986.
Each of these studies has its advantages and disadvantages. The only possible solution for a reference work, such as this book, is to try to combine all three approaches.
But before moving further, it is necessary to note two features that, although not universal, are nevertheless characteristic of many African cults: this is the belief in a Supreme Being who is an abstract “heavenly” deity, deus ociosus, removed from human affairs and therefore not directly present in the rituals, and belief in predictions received in two ways (the spirit speaks through the lips of the possessed, and the cult minister interprets the signs inscribed on the ground; the latter method most likely came from the Arabs).
Religions of West Africa
Yoruba beliefs can perhaps be considered the most widespread among Africans (they are professed by more than 15 million people) living in Nigeria and neighboring countries, for example, in Benin. Recently, many Africanists have devoted their work to a detailed study of these cults.
Even at the beginning of the century there was a strong influence among the Yoruba Ogboni secret alliance, who elected the main representative of the supreme power in society - the king. The future king, not being a member of this union, remained in the dark until his election.
Members of this esoteric society spoke in a language incomprehensible to the uninitiated and created majestic sacred works of art inaccessible to the understanding of most Yorubas. Associated with the sacraments of initiation, the intra-tribal cult of Ogboni is still a mystery. At the center of the Yoruba pantheon is Onil, the Great Mother Goddess of Ile, the primordial "world" in a state of chaos before its order. Il is contrasted on the one hand with Orun, personifying the sky as an organized principle, and on the other with Eya, the populated world that arose as a result of the collision of Orun and Il. The inhabitants of Orun are objects of universal worship, orishas are objects of worship of esoteric cults, deus ociosus Olorun does not have its own cult, and for the Yoruba, il personifies the mysterious feminine ambivalent principle. The goddess Yemoya, impregnated by her own son Orungan, gave birth to numerous spirits and gods. Yemoya among the Yoruba acts as the patroness of women possessing magical knowledge, who took her as a model because of her exceptionally turbulent life. Corruption leading to infertility is under the control of the goddess Olokun, wife of Odudua.
Another goddess who patronizes female witchcraft is Ozun, the real Venus of the Yoruba, known for her numerous divorces and scandals. She is the creator of magical arts, and witches consider her their patroness.
The ordered world is located away from the mud. Its creator is Obatala, the deity who forms the embryo in the womb of the mother. Through him, Orun sent to Eiya the god of divination, Orunmila, whose objects needed for divination are traditionally kept in Yoruba homes. Fortune telling associated with the name of the deity Ifa is a type of geomancy inherited from the Arabs. It contains 16 main figures, based on the combinations of which a forecast is made. The fortuneteller does not explain the prediction; he confines himself to reading the traditional verse for this occasion, which is vaguely reminiscent of the interpretation of the ancient Chinese book of fortune-telling I Ching. The more verses the fortuneteller knows, the more respect the client shows him.
An important place among the orishas is occupied by the trickster Ezu, a small ithyphallic god. He is funny, but at the same time very cunning. To achieve his favor, one must bring him gifts of sacrificial animals and palm wine.
The warlike deity Ogun is the patron of blacksmiths. Blacksmiths everywhere in Africa are in a special position, since their work requires privacy and is associated with a certain mystery; hence the endowment of blacksmiths with ambivalent magical abilities. The Yorubas also have an ambivalent attitude towards twins. The birth of twins, born as an anomaly, poses a dilemma for the African peoples: it is necessary either to eliminate the twins, because their existence disrupts the world balance (in this case, one of the two or both twins must be destroyed), or to give them special honors. The Yoruba say that in the distant past they preferred the first solution, but a certain soothsayer advised them to stick to the second. Now the twins are a matter of special concern for them.
If Obatala makes the body, then Olodumar breathes the soul, emi, into it. After death, the elements that make up the human being return to the orishas, who again distribute them among the newborn. However, there is also an immortal component in man, and therefore spirits can return to earth, where they inhabit a dancer named Egungun. This dancer conveys messages from the dead to the living.
A ritual ceremony that combines elements of horror and joy is the Zhelede dance, held in the market square in honor of ancestors - women, goddesses who inspire horror, which is why they need to be appeased.
Akan beliefs. Akan - a group of peoples who speak the Twi language of the Kwa subgroup, which is used by the Yoruba; the Akan peoples formed a dozen independent kingdoms in the territories of Ghana and Cote Divoire; The most significant association is the Asanti ethnic community. The main components of the internal organizational structure - clans, divided into eight matrilineal clans - do not coincide with the political organization. Like the Yoruba, the Asanti have their own celestial deus ociosus, Nyame, who fled from the human world because of the women who made a terrible noise while preparing yam puree. In every Asanti compound, a small altar is built on a tree to worship Nyama. Nyame is the demiurge god, he is constantly invoked, as well as the earth goddess Asase Yaa.
U Asanti There is a whole pantheon of personal spirits of the Abosom, and faceless spirits of the Asaman, they worship the spirits of the Asaman ancestors, calling on them through offerings placed on benches painted with blood or other dyes. In the king's house there are special black benches where sacrificial offerings are placed from time to time. Royal power among the Asanti is personified by King Asanteene and Queen Oenemmaa, who, being neither his wife nor his mother, represents a matrilineal group coinciding with the group in power.
The main religious holiday in the entire Akan kingdom is Apo, during which ancestors are commemorated and ceremonies of purification and propitiation are held.
People's vision of the world Bambara and Dogon(Mali), Germain Dieterlant in his book “Essai sur la religion bambara”, 1951, wrote: “At least nine nationalities, numerically different from each other (Dogon, Bambara, Forgeron, Kurumba, Bozo, Mandingo, Samo, Mossi, kule), have the same metaphysical, or, in other words, cult basis of their beliefs. The theme of creation is revealed in a similar way: creation was carried out with the help of a word, first motionless, and then began to vibrate; this vibration gave birth to the essence of things, and then themselves things; the same happened with the earth, which originally moved in a vortex motion in a spiral. By means of vibration, people were created; initially they were twins, embodying perfect unity. The intervention of divine power in the act of creation is recognized; sometimes this power materializes in the form of some or a deity ruling over the world; such ideas are identical everywhere. Everyone believes in the necessity of ordering the cosmos, and since man is in close connection with it, then in the orderliness of his own inner world. One of the inevitable consequences of such ideas is the detailed elaboration of the mechanism of chaos, which we call, for lack of a better term, infrequency; the fight against chaos is carried out through complex rituals of purification."
In Dogon cosmology, the archetypes of space and time are inscribed as numbers in the chest of the heavenly deity Amma. The creator of space and real time is the trickster, the jackal Yurugu. According to another version, the universe and man arose through primordial vibrations, spiraling out from one center and carried out in seven segments of varying lengths. The cosmization of man and the anthropomorphization of space are two processes that determine the Dogon worldview. As J. Calame-Griol states in his work “Ethnologie et langage”, the Dogon “looks for its reflection in all the mirrors of the anthropomorphic universe, where every blade of grass, every ant is the bearer of a “word”. The meaning of the word among the Bambara is equally great; Dominique Zaan in the work "Dialectique du verbe chez Bambara" notes: "The word establishes (...) a connection between man and his Divinity, and between the concrete world of objects and the subjective world of ideas." The spoken word is like a child born into the world. There are many ways and means, the purpose of which is to simplify the birth of a word for the mouth: a pipe and tobacco, the use of cola nuts, filing of teeth, the custom of rubbing teeth with dyes, tattooing of the mouth. After all, the birth of a word is associated with significant risk, because it violates the harmony of silence. Silence, secrecy have initiatory significance , since initially the world existed without words.
Initially, there was no need for speech, because everything that existed understood the “inaudible word,” the continuous rustle of air, which the rough, phallic deity Pemba, embodied in a tree, conveys to the heavenly demiurge, the refined and spreading water of Faro. Muso Koroni, the wife of Pemba, who gave birth to plants and animals, is jealous of her husband, who copulates with all the women created by Faro. She cheats on him too, and Pemba chases her, grabs her by the throat and squeezes it. From such a stormy clarification of the relationship between the unfaithful spouses, pauses arose in the continuous rustle of breathing, necessary for the generation of words and the emergence of speech.
Like the Dogon, the Bambara believe in the decline of humanity, and the emergence of speech is one of its omens. On a personal level, decadence is defined as wanzo, female debauchery and depravity, characteristic of a human being who is, in his perfect state, androgynous. The visible expression of the wanzo is the foreskin. Circumcision removes the feminine element from the androgyne. Freed from the feminine principle, the man goes in search of a spouse, and thus a community of people arises. Physical circumcision is carried out during the first childhood initiation, called n "domo; the last of six successive initiations, called diou, the rite of kore, aims to restore the man to his spiritual femininity, turning him again into an androgyne, that is, into a perfect being. The rite n "domo" means for the individual his involvement in the life of the community; the rite of kore means leaving this life to achieve the boundlessness and limitlessness of divine existence. On the foundation of their myths and rituals, the Dogon and Bambara built an entire “architectonics of knowledge,” complex and developed in detail.
Religions of East Africa
The East African region has 100,000 inhabitants. belonging to the four large above-mentioned language families and forming more than two hundred different associations. The regional mediator language is a simplified version of Swahili, but the majority of the population speaks Bantu languages: Ganda, Nyoro, Nkore, Soga and Jizu in Uganda, Kikuyu and Kamba in Kenya, and Kaguru and Gogo in Tanzania. The beliefs of the Bantu peoples have much in common, for example, the presence of a demiurge (deus ociosus), who is perceived by everyone except the Kikuyu people as a certain being who resides somewhere far away and does not interfere with everyday life. Therefore, it is also present indirectly in rituals. Active deities are heroes and ancestors whose souls reside in sanctuaries; there they are called upon by mediums who, in a state of trance, enter into direct communication with them. The souls of the dead can also move into a medium. That is why spirits must be appeased and sacrifices made periodically. Many rituals are aimed at ridding society of impurity that occurred due to voluntary or involuntary violation of order.
Simplified geomantic type fortune telling found among most peoples of East Africa. They guess when it is necessary to make a polar decision - “yes” or “no”, find the culprit or predict the future. Since the cause of death, illness or failure can be damage, with the help of fortune telling it is possible to identify the culprit of witchcraft and punish him. In a study by E.E. Evans-Pritchard on the Azande people explains the difference between witchcraft and fortune telling.
All peoples of East Africa have initiation rite, associated with the onset of puberty; For boys this ritual is more complex than for girls. The initiation rites associated with the transformation of a young man into a warrior are more complex, they are aimed at strengthening the unity of members of secret alliances, such as the Mau Mau among the Kikuyu people in Kenya; this alliance played a significant role in the liberation of the country.
A group of peoples in East Africa called nilots, includes the Shilluk, Nuer and Dinka peoples living in Sudan, the Acholi in Uganda and the Ino in Kenya. Nuer and Dinka beliefs through the wonderful works of E.E. Evans-Pritchard and Godfrey Lienhardt are well known. Like many other inhabitants of the Great Lakes region (such as the Maasai), the Nuer and Dinka are nomadic pastoralists. This activity is reflected in their beliefs. The first human beings and the first animals were created at the same time. God the creator no longer participates in the life of people, and they call on various spirits and souls of their ancestors. Spirits sympathize with people.
Both peoples have specialists in sacred rituals who enter into contact with invisible forces: Leopard Priests among the Nuer and Lords of the Harpoon among the Dinka; they perform the ritual of slaughtering a bull in order to rid a tribe of uncleanness or a person from a disease that has struck him. Nuer and Dinka diviners are individuals associated with religious cults. they are possessed by spirits.
Beliefs of Central Africa
Bantu beliefs. About ten million Bantus live in Central Africa; The Bantu peoples are settled along the banks of the Congo River and in the territory located between the borders of Tanzania in the east and Congo in the west. Thanks to the works of Victor Turner (Victor Turner "The Forest of Symbols", 1967; "The Drums of Afflictions", 1968) and Mary Douglas (Mary Douglas "The Lele of the Kasai", 1963), the Ndembu and Lele peoples are the most studied.
Bantu beliefs are based on the cult of spirits and magical rituals, the purpose of which is to earn the favor of the spirits. The creation of secret alliances is associated with the cult of spirits; There are especially many such unions among some Ndembu peoples; The institution of royal soothsayers and the “kul of mourners” is also widespread, the essence of which is to expel from people the “mournful” spirits that have moved into them. fulfilling the demands of the spirits that have moved into them, these people, regardless of their ethnicity, settle separately, but when communicating with a medium, they demand that he speak their language. Among many Bantu peoples, the carriers of magical knowledge are mostly women.
The divine creator is openly asexual, basically a deus ociosus; he has no special cult, but when they swear, they call him as a witness.
Pygmies tropical forests are divided into three large groups: Aka, Baka and Mbuti d'Ituri, living in Zaire; the work of the famous researcher Colin Turnball, whose book “The Forest People”, 1961, became widely known, is devoted to the study of the life of the pygmies. Starting with father Wilhelm Schmidt (1868-1954), who sought to find primitive monotheistic beliefs among unliterate peoples. Many Catholic missionaries, as well as ethnographers, confirmed the existence of a belief in a creator who gradually turned into a heavenly deity among all three of the above groups. However, Colin Turnball denies the existence of a single creator god among the Mbuti: this people deify the home and bushes where they live. They have few rituals, no priests, and they do not practice fortune-telling. They have certain traditions accompanying the rituals of circumcision for boys and isolation of girls during the first menstruation.
South African beliefs
The migration of Bantu peoples to the south occurred in two large waves: between 1000 and 1600. AD (Sotho, Twana, Ngini, as well as Zulu, Lovendu and Venda) and in the 19th century. (tsonga). According to Africanist Leo Frobenius (1873-1938), the founding of the now defunct kingdom of Zimbabwe is associated with the arrival of the ancestors of the Khumbe people from the north. According to one of the Karanga myths, a ruler endowed with divine power must maintain a balance between the opposite conditions: drought and dampness, symbolized by princesses with a damp vagina and a dry vagina. Princesses with raw vaginas were intended to copulate with a large water serpent, sometimes called the Rainbow Serpent; this supernatural creature is found in the pantheon of many peoples of Western and Southern Africa. Princesses with dry vaginas were Vestals and kept the ritual fire going. During droughts, princesses with wet vaginas were sacrificed to bring rain.
The initiation rite for boys who have reached puberty is more complex than the similar rite for girls. For boys, circumcision is not mandatory; for girls, clitoridectomy is not practiced, although the ritual involves simulating cutting off the clitoris. The symbolic meaning of the initiation rite is the transition from night to day, from darkness to sunlight.
African American Beliefs originated on the islands of the Caribbean archipelago, the eastern coast of South America (Suriname, Brazil) and in North America among slaves from West Africa.
Afro-Caribbean cults, with the exception of Afro-Guianese, are closest to the original African beliefs, although they borrowed some names and concepts from Catholicism. The Voodoo cult in Haiti, whose role in winning the country's independence is well known, is the cult of the worship of spirits, divine loa, originating from the Fon and Yoruba pantheon; in the cults of Santeria in Cuba and Shango (in Trinidad), the cult spirits are classified as Yoruba orishas. However, on all three islands, bloody sacrifices are made and ecstatic dances are performed in order to fall into a trance and have the opportunity to communicate with gods who bear both African names and the names of saints of the Roman Church, although these deities are originally African in origin. The cult of voodoo, with its white and black magic, with its riddles and occult secrets, has its admirers in all layers of Haitian society.
Many syncretic cults are based on the veneration of ancestors; these include the cults of cumin, convince and the cromanti dance of runaway slaves in Jamaica, the Big Drum Dance on the islands of Grenada and Carriacou, the kele on the island of St. Lucia, etc.
In some other cults, such as among the Mialists of Jamaica and the Baptists called Shouters in Trinidad and Shakers in St. Vincent, elements of Christianity are more important than African beliefs.
Rastafarians of Jamaica They are mainly adherents of millentarism. For the average Westerner, they are associated with dreadlock hair and reggae music; their philosophy and music have many adherents both in the West and in Africa.
The identification of Ethiopia with the Promised Land of the Afro-Jamaicans based on the interpretation of Psalm 68:31 gave rise to a political movement that took shape after the crowning of the Ethiopian prince ("ras") Tafari (hence the name Rastafari) as Emperor of Abyssinia in 1930 under the name Haile Selassie. Over time, especially after the death of the emperor, the movement split into several factions that had neither a common ideology nor common political aspirations.
Afro-Brazilian cults emerged around 1850 as syncretic beliefs; Of the original African traits, they retained the belief in the transmigration of oryx spirits and ecstatic dances. In the northeast, the cult was called Candomblé, in the southeast - Macumba, and from 1925-1930. The cult of umbanda, which originated in Rio de Janeiro, became widespread. Initially prohibited, today cults of spirit worship significantly define the picture of religious life in Brazil.
Afrogian beliefs arose in Suriname (formerly Dutch Guiana) among the Creole population of the coast and became widespread among fugitive slaves hiding in the interior of the country. The religion of the Creoles of the coast is called Winti or Afkodre (from the Dutch afgoderij - “idolatry”, “adoration”). Both cults retain elements of ancient African and aboriginal beliefs.
Religious life Africans of the United States of America famous for its richness; its peculiarity lies in the fact that American blacks, the majority of whom were successfully evangelized, did not preserve African cults and rituals intact. The idea of returning to Africa, promoted by the American Colonization Society since 1816 and, in a slightly modified form, by various black churches at the turn of this century, was not successful. Some African Americans, disillusioned with the Christian church, which was unable to satisfy their social aspirations, converted to Judaism, and many converted to Islam. Today there are two associations of African-American Muslims, and both go back to the organization People of Islam, founded by Eliya Muhammad (Eliya Poole, 1897-1975) in 1934 on the basis of a community created by the Muslim Wallace D. Fard, and incorporating elements of the teachings of a parallel organization Moorish Temple of Science(Moorish Science Temple) Noble Drew Ali (Timothy Drew, 1886-1920) and the teachings of Indian missionaries from the Ahmadya group founded in 1920. In 1964, the Muslim Mosque group, led by Malcolm X (Malcolm Little, 1925- 1965). After Elijah Muhammad's death in 1975, his son Warithuddin Muhammad (Wallace Dean) transformed the People of Islam into an orthodox (Sunni) Islamic organization, calling it the American Muslim Mission. The People of Islam is today an organization led by Pastor Lewis Farrakhan of Chicago, who continues to follow the path shown by Elia Muhammad.
"AFRICA".
Cults and religions of Africa.
Section of Africa.
Liberia.
Ethiopia.
South Africa.
European colonization.
1. Africa is inhabited by peoples with different levels of development - from the primitive system to feudal monarchies (Ethiopia, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Madagascar). Many peoples have a developed farming culture (coffee, peanuts, cocoa beans). Many knew writing and had their own literature.
There are many religions in Africa - totemism, animism, the cult of ancestors, the cult of nature and the elements, witchcraft, magic, the deification of rulers and priests.
2. At the end of the 15th century, colonial conquests began - trade relations were destroyed, local production was destroyed, the slave trade, and the death of states.
The largest slave trading bases of the Portuguese colonies were Angola and Mozambique.
By 1900, all of Africa was divided between European states into colonies. Liberia and Ethiopia retained their independence, BUT!!! were within the sphere of influence.
3. LIBERIA (“free”) - a state created by slave migrants from the United States. The state is built on the advanced principles of Europe and America. According to the constitution, the country proclaims the equality of all people and their rights - the right to life and freedom, security and happiness. The principles of the supreme power of the people, freedom of religion, assembly, trial by jury, freedom of the press, etc. were established. Liberia defended its sovereignty, using the contradictions between England and France. Politically free, economically dependent.
4. Ethiopia in the 19th century consists of several provinces (feudal principalities). England and France tried to take advantage of feudal fragmentation.
In the 50s of the 19th century, Kassa appeared in Ethiopia, who was able to unite the country and declared himself emperor. ACTIVITIES: created a large and disciplined army; the tax system was reorganized: taxes from peasants were reduced, incomes were consolidated in their own hands; banned the slave trade; weakened the power of the church; developed trade; invited foreign specialists to the country. England tried to conquer Ethiopia, then Italy, BUT!!! she managed to defend her independence.
5. 17th century - the beginning of the colonization of South Africa. The colony expands through the seizure of land from local tribes - the Hottentots and Bushmen. The settlers called themselves Boers (peasant, peasant). The Boers created two republics - NATAL and TRANSVAAL. England first recognized the republics. BUT!!! Diamonds and gold were found on their territory. In 1899-1902, England defeated the republics, and then united all the lands of South Africa into a self-governing colony (dominion) - the Union of South Africa (SAA).
6. At the beginning of the 20th century, the influx of capital into the colonies increased. THE GOAL is the predatory exploitation of the natural and human resources of the continent (robbery). At the beginning of the 20th century, the Belgians and French created a system of forced labor in the Congo Basin. Colonial oppression provoked resistance from Africans.
In 1904-07, the uprising of HERERO and HOTTENTOTS began.
After the defeat of the uprising, colonial authorities confiscated much land and sold it to German settlers, forcing the indigenous people onto reservations. The lands of the Herero and Hottentots were declared the property of Germany, and the entire territory of South-West Africa became a German colony.
Is Africa. This is a huge continent that is washed by two seas (Mediterranean and Red) and two oceans (Atlantic and Indian). On its territory there are fifty-five states, where more than a billion people live.
The peoples of this part of the world are original and unique, with their own beliefs and traditions. What is the most common religion in Africa? And why is it so popular on the continent? What other African religions do we know? What are their features?
Let's start with some interesting information about one of the hottest places in the world.
The first remains were found here. Scientists have proven that humanity originated in this part of the world.
Along with the most famous world religions, such as Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, in some parts of the continent there are also exotic religions of the peoples of Africa: fetishism, ancient cults and sacrifices. Among the most unusual of these is the worship of the star Sirius, which is common among the Dogon tribe, one of the many tribes of the western part of the continent. And in Tunisia, for example, Islam is considered the state religion. It is professed by the majority of the population.
It is interesting that in one of the most exotic countries - Ethiopia - it is not customary to express violent emotions. On the streets and in public places you should refrain from any manifestation of feelings.
One of the most widespread religions is Islam
In the mid-7th century, North Africa was conquered by the Arabs. The invaders brought Islam with them. Applying various measures of persuasion to the indigenous population - exemption from taxes, obtaining certain rights, etc. - the Arabs introduced a new religion. Islam spread very quickly across the continent and in some places competed with Christianity.
Religion in Africa in the 19th century
The first European colonies appeared here in the 15th century. From this time on, Christianity began to spread in Africa. One of the key ideas of this religion - the existence of a beautiful, carefree other world - is reflected in local customs and cults. The result of this was the widespread development of Christianity. Schools were built on the continent in which they not only taught reading and writing, but also introduced them to a new religion. By the 19th century, Christianity had already spread widely in Africa.
Common cults and religions of Africa
But perceiving the postulates of well-known religious beliefs, the African population continues to adhere to ancient cults:
- Cult of the leader. It is common in many African tribes in various manifestations. The leader is treated as a sorcerer or priest, and in some places in Africa touching him is even punishable by death. The head of the tribe must be able to do what an ordinary person cannot: cause rain, communicate with the spirits of the dead. If he fails to cope with his duties, he may even be killed.
- Voodoo cult. One of the most mystical religions that originated in West Africa. It allows a person to communicate directly with spirits, but for this it is necessary to sacrifice an animal. Priests heal the sick and remove curses. But there are also cases when the voodoo religion is used for black magic.
- Cult of ancestors, or spirits. It occupies an important place among the traditional religions of Africa. Especially developed in agricultural and pastoral tribes. It is based on the belief that the human soul continues to exist after death and can move into a tree, plant or animal. The spirit of ancestors helps in everyday life and protects from troubles.
- Cult of animals, or zoolatry. It is based on human fear of wild predators. Leopards and snakes are especially revered.
- The cult of things and objects is fetishism. One of the most widespread religions in Africa. The object of worship can be any thing that has struck a person: a tree, a stone, a statue, etc. If an item helps a person get what he asks for, then various offerings are brought to him; if not, then they are replaced with something else.
- Iboga is the most unusual religion. It received its name from a narcotic plant, the use of which causes hallucinations. Local residents believe that after using this remedy, the soul leaves the human body and he has the opportunity to communicate with the spirits of animals and plants.
Features of the religions of the African people
It is interesting to list the distinctive features of the religions of the peoples of Africa:
- Respect for the dead. Carrying out special rituals with the help of which they turn to spirits for help. The dead have a great influence on the existence of the living.
- There is no belief in heaven and hell, but Africans have an idea of the afterlife.
- Unquestioning adherence to the instructions of elders. In general, African cultures and religions are based on the tradition of passing on the main concepts of life and society through oral stories from elder to younger.
- Many people have a strong belief in a supreme being who created the world and guides all life on earth. It can only be used in exceptional cases: drought, flood, threat to the life of society.
- Belief in the mystical transformations of man. With the help of special cults, a person can strengthen his physical and mental abilities.
- Worship of objects endowed with mystical properties.
- Any person can make sacrifices to the gods.
- A large number of different rituals associated with different periods in a person’s life: growing up, wedding, birth of children, death.
- Closeness to nature and love of the earth.
The most popular traditions and customs of Africa
No other country in the world attracts such close attention from tourists. One of the reasons is the large number of interesting customs. The most interesting of them are related to wedding rituals and family life. Here are just a few of them:
- The bride walks to the groom's house and carries her dowry herself.
- Women gather at the house of the future husband and shout at the girl. It is believed that these actions help newlyweds find happiness.
- After the wedding, the husband and wife should not go outside for several days.
- The Hamer tribe lives in Ethiopia, in which the more scars on a woman’s body, the happier she is considered. Weekly beatings serve as proof of the husband's love.
Tourist information
Africa is an amazing and exotic world that attracts a huge number of travelers from all over the world. A holiday here brings new unique knowledge and a lot of positive emotions, but to prevent your stay from ending in tears, use the following tips:
- Do not speak negatively about the customs and traditions of local residents.
- Many African religions prohibit women from walking on the streets with their arms and legs exposed.
- To make residents feel more welcoming to you, you need to learn a few words or phrases in the local dialect.
- Be careful with hugs and kisses; in African countries it is not customary to publicly express your feelings.
- Don't give money to beggars, otherwise you will be attacked by a whole crowd.
- Open clothes are best left for the beach.
- To photograph a place or attraction you like, you must ask the accompanying person for permission; in many cases, photography is prohibited.
Finally
Africa's religions are diverse. The most important thing is that every resident has the right to choose the one he likes. Of course, there are still places on the continent where various cults are worshiped and rituals are performed that are not acceptable for tourists, but in general, the religions of Africa are aimed at preserving peace and human well-being.
And also in the Gulf of Guinea region. Christianity in Africa has greatly strengthened its position over the past hundred years: in 1900 there were about 9 million Christians in all of Africa, and by 2000 there were already 380 million.
Christian African churches and cults
Christian-African churches and cults are presented as organizations that at a certain time moved away from Western churches or arose on African soil, combining elements of Christianity and local traditions. They were formed among the indigenous Christianized population, primarily in the south of the African continent, from the end of the 19th century. In the literature they can also be called Afro-Christian, syncretic, independent, Christian-Tubilian churches and cults.
The initial goal of Afro-Christian cults was to revise the tenets of Christianity in accordance with the mentality of African peoples, the desire to create “black Christianity”. In addition, Africans who managed to achieve this by the beginning of the 20th century. to get acquainted with the basic tenets of Christianity, it was not clear how the principle of equality, goodness and justice, proclaimed as fundamental by Christian preachers, could correspond to colonial conquests.
Afro-Christians accused whites of distorting Holy Scripture by pointing out that God's true chosen people were blacks and placing Jerusalem in Ethiopia or other centers on the African continent.
The first Afro-Christian sect was founded in 1882 in the Cape Colony.
Some Africanists see the creation of Afro-Christian churches as a way to combat colonialism:
With the establishment of colonial rule and the emergence of new social groups, other forms of protest appeared in African societies. One of the earliest was religious and political, primarily the creation of Afro-Christian churches. It may seem strange that Africans borrowed the ideological justification for anti-colonialism from the very religion that the conquerors imposed on them. This happened because Christianity advocated the idea of universal equality before God; in addition, it gave converts the opportunity to realize themselves as part of a broader community than a clan, family, or community. Only those people who, at least to some extent, moved away from the old forms of association could unite in a new way. These were those who accepted the new faith. As a rule, it was these people who found themselves most displaced from the traditional, familiar way of life. In addition, the new religion was generally more suitable to the realities of colonial society than traditional beliefs. But the anti-colonial protest among its adherents was inextricably linked with disappointment in Europeans as genuine Christians, with the desire to establish themselves and their world in this faith.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the number of churches increased significantly.
Today Afro-Christianity has its own dogma, rituals and hierarchy. It is characterized by a messianic orientation, as well as the idea of the detachment of the demiurge god and belief in predictions received through humans, borrowed from traditional African religions.
Afro-Christianity is divided into five large groups:
The most significant are:
- Kimbangism is a church of followers of Simon Kimbangu, (which originated in the 1920s in the Beligian Congo, modern DRC).
Islam
There are many followers of Islam in Africa. It is the dominant religion in North Africa; Its position is strong in West Africa (in particular, in Cote D'Ivoire), the northern part of Ghana, in the southwest and north of Nigeria, in Northeast Africa (Horn of Africa) and along the east coast of the continent. Like Christianity, Islam entered the continent through Ethiopia and spread with Persian and Arab merchants through Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula.
Judaism
Africa is also home to ethnic Jews who fled the Holocaust, most of whom settled in South Africa (Ashkenazi); these are mainly descendants of Lithuanian Jews. Small Sephardi and Mizrahi Jewish groups have lived in Tunisia and Morocco since ancient times. Many of them migrated to Israel in the 1990s.
Judaism is historically connected with Africa - there is evidence of this in the Old Testament, the book of Exodus (Jews from Egypt). Apparently, Judaism was a reaction to the polytheism of Egypt (see Ancient Egyptian religion).
Dharmic religions
Buddhism
Sikhism
Traditional religions
African traditional religions, practiced by approximately 15% of Africans, include diverse concepts of fetishism, animism, totemism, and ancestor worship. Some religious beliefs are common to many African ethnic groups, but they are usually unique to each ethnic group.
Common to most African religions is the idea of a creator God (demiurge) who created the Universe (for example, Olodumare in the Yoruba religion) and then “retired” and ceased to participate in earthly affairs. There are also often stories about how the son of a deity lived among people, but after they did him some harm, he ascended to heaven.
What is also common is the lack of belief in heaven, hell, purgatory, but there is an idea of an afterlife; there are no material carriers of the divine like holy scriptures or prophets. Animistic ideas and belief in magic are also popular. There are religions based on the use of psychoactive plants (bwiti, bieri), combining various elements of the above.
Many African Christians and Muslims combine some aspects of traditional religions in their religious beliefs.
Baha'i
Statistics on Baha'is in Africa are difficult to track. Several of Bahá'u'lláh's early followers were reportedly African. Between 1924 and 1960, Bahá'í was even approved as the official religion in Egypt; later, however, Baha'is were banned and persecuted by the authorities.
Bahá'ís are also widespread in Cameroon (since 1953), where there are now about 40,000 followers; Uganda (several tens of thousands) and South Africa (201,000 people in 2007). There are about a thousand followers in Nigeria and Niger.
Irreligiosity
A certain number of the African population is considered non-religious. In practice, this can mean anything from agnosticism, deism and skepticism to deliberate concealment of information or adherence to secret cults. Southern African countries have the largest number of non-religious people
Spread of religions in Africa
Region | Population (2006) | Christianity | Islam | traditional religions | Hinduism | Baha'i | Judaism | Buddhism | irreligion | atheism |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North Africa | 209 948 396 | 9,0 % | 87,6 % | 2,2 % | 0,0 % | 0,0 % | 0,0 % | 0,0 % | 1,1 % | 0,1 % |
West Africa | 274 271 145 | 35,3 % | 46,8 % | 17,4 % | 0,0 % | 0,1 % | 0,0 % | 0,0 % | 0,3 % | 0,0 % |
Central Africa | 118 735 099 | 81,3 % | 9,6 % | 8,0 % | 0,1 % | 0,4 % | 0,0 % | 0,0 % | 0,6 % | 0,0 % |
East Africa | 302 636 533 | 62,0 % | 21,1 % | 15,6 % | 0,5 % | 0,4 % | 0,0 % | 0,019 % | 0,3 % | 0,0 % |
South Africa | 50 619 998 | 82,0 % | 2,2 % | 9,7 % | 2,1 % | 0,7 % | 0,1 % | 0,035 % | 2,7 % | 0,3 % |
see also
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Notes
- According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, in mid-2002 there were 376.45 million Christians, 329.87 million Muslims and 98.73 million followers of traditional religions in Africa (Encyclopedia Britannica. Britannica Book of the Year 2003. - P. 306. - ISBN 978- 0-85229-956-2).
- Steven Kaplan. The Africanization of Missionary Christianity: History and Typology // Journal of Religion in Africa 16 (3) (1986), 165-186.
- Dmitry Taevsky.
- A. B. Davidson. // New and recent history, No. 5, 2000.
- Christian-African cults // Peoples of the world. Historical and ethnographic reference book. M.: “Soviet Encyclopedia”, 1988. Pp. 601.
- Data for 1993, taken from (English).
- on the buddhanet website
- http://news.bahai.org/story/249 data for 2003.
- .
- , Department of Sociology, Pennsylvania State University. Figures for 2006. The regions listed here do not correspond to the official UN divisions. For example, "East Africa" includes not only most of the nations of East Africa, but also Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Mozambique and Zambia. Angola is located in Central Africa, greatly reducing South Africa compared to UN-designated South Africa. Data compiled by ARDA from various sources.
Literature
- Shpazhnikov G. A. Religions of African Countries: Directory / Rep. ed. R. N. Ismagilova. - Ed. 2nd, add. and processed - M.: Science. Main editorial office of oriental literature, 1981. - 368 p. - 15,000 copies.(in translation) (1st ed. - 1967)
Links
- (English) classic text on traditional religions of Africa
An excerpt characterizing the Religions of Africa
And again I appeared where long-dead people lived who had become dear to my heart... Bitterness wrapped my soul in a shroud of silence, not allowing me to communicate with them. I couldn’t turn to them, I couldn’t even say how courageous and wonderful they were...Occitania...
At the very top of a high stone mountain there were three people... One of them was Svetodar, he looked very sad. Nearby, leaning on his hand, stood a very beautiful young woman, and clinging to her was a small blond boy, clutching a huge armful of bright wildflowers to his chest.
– Who did you pick up so much for, Beloyarushka? – Svetodar asked affectionately.
“Well, how?!..” the boy was surprised, immediately dividing the bouquet into three even parts. - This is for mommy... And this is for dear grandmother Tara, and this is for grandmother Maria. Isn't that right, grandpa?
Svetodar did not answer, he only pressed the boy tightly to his chest. He was all he had left... this wonderful, affectionate baby. After his great-granddaughter Maria died during childbirth, whom Svetodar never saw, the baby had only Aunt Marcilla (who stood next to them) and his father, whom Beloyar hardly remembered, since he was always fighting somewhere.
- Is it true that you will never leave again now, grandfather? Is it true that you will stay with me and teach me? Aunt Marcilla says that from now on you will always live only with us. Is this true, grandpa?
The baby's eyes shone like bright stars. Apparently the appearance of such a young and strong grandfather from somewhere delighted the baby! Well, the “grandfather,” sadly hugging him, thought at that time about those whom he would never see again, even if he lived on Earth for a hundred lonely years...
- I’m not going anywhere, Beloyarushka. Where should I go if you are here?.. Now you and I will always be together, right? You and I are such a great force!.. Right?
The baby squealed with pleasure and kept huddling closer to his new grandfather, as if he could suddenly disappear, just as suddenly as he had appeared.
– Are you really not going anywhere, Svetodar? – Marcilla asked quietly.
Svetodar just shook his head sadly. And where should he go, where should he go?.. This was his land, his roots. Everyone he loved and who was dear to him lived and died here. And this is where he went HOME. In Montsegur they were incredibly happy to see him. True, there is not a single one left there who would remember him. But there were their children and grandchildren. There were his CATHARS, whom he loved with all his heart and respected with all his soul.
Magdalene's faith blossomed in Occitania as never before, long ago surpassing its borders! This was the Golden Age of the Cathars. When their teachings swept across the countries in a powerful, invincible wave, sweeping away any obstacles on their pure and right path. More and more new people joined them. And despite all the “black” attempts of the “holy” Catholic Church to destroy them, the teachings of Magdalene and Radomir captured all the truly bright and courageous hearts, and all the sharp minds open to new things. In the farthest corners of the earth, minstrels sang the wondrous songs of the Occitan troubadours, opening the eyes and minds of the enlightened, and amusing “ordinary” people with their romantic skill.
Occitania bloomed like a beautiful bright flower, absorbing the vital power of bright Mary. It seemed that no force could resist this powerful flow of Knowledge and bright, universal Love. People still worshiped their Magdalene here, adoring her. It was as if she still lived in each of them... She lived in every pebble, in every flower, in every grain of this amazing, pure land...
One day, while walking through familiar caves, Svetodar came across a new one that shocked him to the very depths of his soul... There, in a calm, quiet corner, stood his wonderful mother - his beloved Mary Magdalene!.. It seemed that nature could not forget this marvelous, strong woman and in spite of everything, she created her image with her almighty, generous hand.
Mary's Cave. In the very corner of the cave stands, created by nature, a tall statue of a beautiful woman,
covered with very long hair. Local Cathars said that the statue appeared there immediately after
the death of Magdalene and after each fall of a new drop of water it became more and more like her...
This cave is still called “Mary’s Cave”. And everyone can see Magdalene standing there.
Turning around, a little further away Svetodar saw another miracle - in another corner of the cave there was a statue of his sister! She clearly resembled a curly-haired girl standing over something lying... (Vesta standing over her mother's body?..) Svetodar's hair began to move!.. It seemed to him that he was starting to go crazy. Turning quickly, he jumped out of the cave.
Statue of Vesta – Svetodar’s sister. Occitania did not want to forget them...
And she created her own monument - drop by drop, sculpting faces dear to her heart.
They stand there for centuries, and the water continues its magical work, making
they are getting closer and more and more similar to the real ones...
Later, having slightly recovered from the shock, Svetodar asked Marsila if she knew about what he saw. And when he heard a positive answer, his soul literally “burst” with tears of happiness - his mother, Golden Maria, was indeed still alive in this land! The very land of Occitania recreated this beautiful woman in itself - “revived” its Magdalene in stone... It was a real creation of love... Only nature was a loving architect.
Tears sparkled in my eyes... And I wasn’t ashamed of it at all. I would give a lot to meet one of them alive!.. Especially Magdalene. What wonderful, ancient Magic burned in the soul of this amazing woman when she created her magical kingdom?! A kingdom in which Knowledge and Understanding ruled, and the backbone of which was Love. Only not the love that the “holy” church shouted about, having worn out this wondrous word to the point that one did not want to hear it any longer, but that beautiful and pure, real and courageous, the only and amazing LOVE, with the name of which powers were born... and with whose name ancient warriors rushed into battle... with whose name a new life was born... with whose name our world changed and became better... This is the Love that Golden Maria carried. And it is this Mary that I would like to bow to... For everything that she carried, for her pure bright LIFE, for her courage and courage, and for Love.
But, unfortunately, it was impossible to do this... She lived centuries ago. And I couldn't be the one who knew her. An incredibly deep, bright sadness suddenly overwhelmed me, and bitter tears flowed in a stream...
- Well, what are you doing, my friend!.. Other sorrows await you! – North exclaimed in surprise. - Please, calm down...
He gently touched my hand and gradually the sadness disappeared. All that was left was bitterness, as if I had lost something bright and dear...
– You can’t relax... War awaits you, Isidora.
– Tell me, Sever, was the teaching of the Cathars called the Teaching of Love because of Magdalene?
“You’re not entirely right here, Isidora.” Those who were not initiated called him the Teaching of Love. For those who understood, it carried a completely different meaning. Listen to the sound of the words, Isidora: love in French sounds like amour - doesn’t it? Now divide this word, separating the letter “a” from it... You get a'mor (a"mort) - without death... This is the true meaning of the teachings of Magdalene - the Teaching of the Immortals. As I told you before - everything It’s simple, Isidora, if you just look and listen correctly... Well, for those who don’t hear - let it remain the Teaching of Love... it’s also beautiful. And there’s still a bit of truth in it.
I stood completely dumbfounded. The Teaching of the Immortals!.. Daaria... So this is what the teaching of Radomir and Magdalene was!.. The North surprised me many times, but never before have I felt so shocked!.. The Teaching of the Cathars attracted me with its powerful, magical power, and I couldn’t forgive myself for not talking about this with Sever earlier.
– Tell me, Sever, is there anything left of the Cathar records? Should something have been preserved? Even if not the Perfect Ones themselves, then at least just the disciples? I mean something about their actual life and teaching?
– Unfortunately, no, Isidora. The Inquisition destroyed everything, everywhere. Her vassals, by order of the Pope, were even sent to other countries to destroy every manuscript, every remaining piece of birch bark that they could find... We looked for at least something, but we could not save anything.
- Well, what about the people themselves? Could there be something left with people who would preserve it through the centuries?
– I don’t know, Isidora... I think even if someone had some kind of record, it was changed over time. After all, it is human nature to reshape everything in his own way... And especially without understanding it. So hardly anything has been preserved as it was. It's a pity... True, we have preserved the diaries of Radomir and Magdalena, but this was before the creation of the Cathars. Although, I think the teaching has not changed.
– Sorry for my chaotic thoughts and questions, Sever. I see that I lost a lot by not coming to you. But still, I'm still alive. And while I’m breathing, I can still ask you, can’t I? Will you tell me how Svetodar’s life ended? Sorry for interrupting.
North smiled sincerely. He liked my impatience and desire to “have time” to find out. And he continued with pleasure.
After his return, Svetodar lived and taught in Occitania for only two years, Isidora. But these years became the most expensive and happiest years of his wandering life. His days, illuminated by Beloyar’s cheerful laughter, passed in his beloved Montsegur, surrounded by the Perfect Ones, to whom Svetodar honestly and sincerely tried to convey what the distant Wanderer had taught him for many years.
They gathered in the Temple of the Sun, which increased tenfold the Living Force they needed. And also protected them from unwanted “guests” when someone was going to sneak in there secretly, not wanting to appear openly.
The Temple of the Sun was a specially built tower in Montsegur, which at certain times of the day let direct sunlight through the window, which made the Temple truly magical at that moment. This tower also concentrated and amplified energy, which for those working there at that moment relieved tension and did not require too much effort.
Soon an unexpected and rather funny incident occurred, after which the closest Perfects (and then the rest of the Cathars) began to call Svetodar “fiery.” And this began after, during one of the usual classes, Svetodar, having forgotten himself, completely revealed his high energy Essence to them... As you know, all the Perfect Ones, without exception, were seers. And the appearance of Svetodar’s essence, blazing with fire, caused a real shock among the Perfect ones... Thousands of questions rained down, many of which even Svetodar himself had no answers to. Probably only the Wanderer could answer, but he was inaccessible and distant. Therefore, Svetodar was forced to somehow explain himself to his friends... Whether he succeeded or not is unknown. Only from that very day all the Cathars began to call him the Fiery Teacher.
(The existence of the Fiery Teacher is indeed mentioned in some modern books about Cathar, but, unfortunately, not about the one that was real... Apparently the North was right when he said that people, without understanding, remake everything in their own way.. As they say: “they heard the ringing, but they don’t know where it is”... For example, I found the memoirs of the “last Cathar” Daude Roche, who says that the Fiery Teacher was a certain Steiner (?!)... Again, to the Pure and the Light One is forcibly “adopted” by the people of Israel.... which has never been among the real Qatar).
Two years have passed. Peace and tranquility reigned in Svetodar’s tired soul. Days ran by days, carrying away old sorrows further and further... Little Beloyar, it seemed, was growing by leaps and bounds, becoming smarter and smarter, surpassing all his older friends in this, which greatly pleased Grandfather Svetodar. But on one of these happy, calm days, Svetodar suddenly felt a strange, nagging anxiety... His Gift told him that trouble was knocking on his peaceful door... Nothing seemed to change, nothing happened. But Svetodar’s anxiety grew, poisoning the pleasant moments of complete peace.
One day, Svetodar was walking around the neighborhood with little Beloyar (whose worldly name was Frank) not far from the cave in which almost his entire family died. The weather was wonderful - the day was sunny and warm - and Svetodar’s feet themselves carried him to visit the sad cave... Little Beloyar, as always, picked near the growing wildflowers, and grandfather and great-great-grandson came to worship the place of the dead.
Probably, someone once placed a curse on this cave for his family, otherwise it was impossible to understand how they, so extraordinarily gifted, suddenly for some reason completely lost their sensitivity, precisely when they got only into this cave, and like blind kittens , headed straight into a trap set by someone.
Beloyar, cheerfully chirping his favorite song, suddenly fell silent, as it always happened, as soon as he entered a familiar cave. The boy did not understand what made him behave this way, but as soon as they went inside, all his cheerful mood evaporated somewhere, and only sadness remained in his heart...
- Tell me, grandfather, why did they always kill here? This place is very sad, I “hear” it... Let's get out of here, grandpa! I really don't like it... It always smells like trouble here.
The kid timidly shrugged his shoulders, as if, indeed, sensing some kind of trouble. Svetodar smiled sadly and, hugging the boy tightly, was about to go outside, when four people unfamiliar to him suddenly appeared at the entrance to the cave.