Here is an updated summary of Creation beliefs found in South Africa and alternative methods of Remembering and Knowing

Annalize Rheeder.

 

OTHER WAYS OF REMEMBERING AND KNOWING

 

            This is a very brief and incomplete summary of ways in which history and knowledge is transmitted in ways other than textbooks and the media. Particular emphasis is placed on African traditions.

 

African Dance

            Dance in Africa is as different and varied as the people living on the continent. But its primary function is a cultural and artistic expression of the community (Asante p63). Dance can be seen as a mirror for the culture of a community since the community's beliefs, values, attitudes and history determine the dance (Asante p64). Dance is seen as a medium through which belief, emotion, values and other knowledge can be communicated (Asante p13). Legends and history are often told with dance (Asante p6). Thus dance can also be seen as a form of education (Asante p5).

 

Oral literature

 

Poetry

            Poetry in Africa is a highly developed form of oral literature, with a wide range of different forms. The first form is panegyric poetry, which is a type of court poetry, which stress military power and royalty, and is also call praise poetry (Finnigan p111). Mostly this forms is used for praising kings, living and dead, by praising their rule and deeds (Finnigan p115). Some however do give advise "Look not with too friendly eyes on the world, pass your hand over your face in meditation." (Finnigan p115). Most of these poems are obscure and use archaic and lofty language. They often refer to historical events and use lots of figurative forms of expression (Finnigan p117). These Praises have many different social roles, such as affirming status, voicing public opinion and preserving history (Finnigan p121).

            Elegiac poetry is a stylized and literary form of lamentation and thus more private. Some are pure expressions of the feelings of the mourner, such as "the Broken String" while others also include knowledge about ancestors and heritage (Finnigan p153)

            Religious Poetry is difficult to pinpoint, as it may only be loosely associated with religion. Some may have religious contents or carry religious instructions while others may be didactic with narrative elements. Some carry instruction on conduct, like the "Utendi wa Mwan Kapona", which are the instructions of a mother to her daughter (Finnigan p167-174). Some divination rituals include poetry in order to instruct the person on the importance of obedience or other moral values (Finnigan p196).

            In addition to these forms there are special purpose poetry which is connected to special occasions or actions like hunting or war, as well as common activities like begging or cattle herding (Finnigan p206).

            The lyric is the most common form of poetry in Africa. The verbal content of these songs tends to be short and less informal than the forms of poetry described above. Improvisation is very common and the individual singer does not stand alone but interacts with a chorus. There are occasions for song in almost all activities, from war and death to birth, work and rites of passage (Finnigan241-242). The content of the songs may also vary from gossip to the relationship between humans and the natural world. Some Zulu songs attempt to represent something of the nature and appearance of the bird as well as its cry as well as alluding to humanity (Finnigan p247-248)

 

Narratives

            Narratives are a communal act, with the audience playing a vital role. The performer usually is a grandmother. She creates new narratives as well as repeat old ones. The storyteller does not preach, but deals in themes that convey the importance of adherence to custom, morality, cultural values and harmonious community life (Groenewalt p128-134). These stories are based on animal, human, historic, mythical characters. Animal narratives are usually lighthearted and end with a kind of proverb which convey some cultural of moral value. These narratives can also be an explanation for behavior seen in the world, like why the Zebra has no tail (Finnigan p346-347). Satire or comment on human society is often present in these animal narratives (Finnigan p351).

Narratives centered around humans are the most important. Some are concerned with significant events or persons, some with everyday life, some contain a moralizing conclusion. Many of these which are based on everyday life deal with such common issues as the co-existence of two wives (Finnigan354-356). Legends are seen as locally true. They differ from myths in that they are set in more recent time. There is far more interest in historical figures than in myths (Finnigan p368-367).

 

Proverbs

            Proverbs appear in rich abundance in most African cultures, especially the southern Bantu. Proverbs provide a glimpse into the thoughts of the past. But mainly contain words of wisdom. Proverbs demonstrate a feeling for language, for imagery and for the expression of abstract ideas. One of the most noticeable characteristics is the allusive wording. Proverbs are very closely connected to other forms of oral literature and many are expressed in a very poetic form (Finnigan 389-392). Proverbs can be comments on what is seen to be the real nature of people of things, general advice and deeper meanings. The are often very figurative, like the Zulu expression that something is only a passing phase "this thing is like the dew which showers down". The most common form of proverbs is those with metaphorical comparisons. Often a comment is made on human activity by referring to animal activity (Finnigan p395-397). Proverbs and sometimes riddles can play a very important role in education, especially formal instruction during initiation ceremonies.  In a non-literate society these proverbs are a means for relative formal education and transmission of cultural tradition. Because proverbs are so generalized they are suitable for expressing socially prescribed actions and attitudes. But proverbs can also be a means of insulting a superior, making an effective point in a speech and getting at an opponent. The latent function is to transmit a worldview (Finnigan p413-414). Proverbs are also typically used as a means of warning or to comment on another's actions (Finnigan p424).

 

Drum language

            Drum language is seen as a form of literature rather than a form of music since it is a direct representation of the spoken language by simulating the tone and rhythm of speech. These messages can only be fully understood when translated into words. African language is highly tonal, and often the meaning is not dependant on phonetics but on the tone. Further helping in understanding is the rhythmic pattern as well as common phrases. These drum messages are much longer than the actual message since much repetition is needed and the stereotypical phrases are extra long to prevent confusion with words of same tone and rhythm. Drum language can be seen as a form of writing, better suited to such a tonal language. But it is primarily a communication tool (Finnegan p481-482).

 

Drama

            Drama does not occur in such a common and developed form in Africa as it does in Western culture. What do exist though are mimic dances, masquerades and limited forms of drama. Storytelling is often enacted to such a degree that the speech and actions of the characters form a dramatic dialogue. Another form is the dramatic art of the Khomani Bushman plays in which there is no linguistic component. The action is portrayed by the imitations of the actors. The southern Bushmen attempt to resemble animals through using paint or the skins and horns of the animals in these dramas, which represent the different stages of the hunt (Finnigan p500-503).

 

Art

            Art is a very common communication medium that is used in al cultures. The amount of information that can be conveyed in a single image is immense. This is also true for African art, especially the rock-art of the San people. Rock art is a form of narrative, but it is not a simple representation of daily life and the animal world. Although these aspects are present in detail they are only seen through a filter, the trance dance (Lewis-Williams p28). There are depictions that convey a lot of information on the actual dance as well as the beliefs associated with the dance, like that of the shaman who is able to control the herds of animals through the trance (Lewis-Williams p30-33). Rock art must be seen as an example of polysemy- carrying multiple meanings (Lewis-Williams p76).  The most important aspect of the rock art engravings is the shamanistic beliefs and rituals, but a lot of ideology and social instruction filters through (Lewis-Williams p83).

 

Works Cited

Courlander. A Treasury of African Folklore. Crown Publishers, New York. 1975

Finnegan. Oral Literature in Africa. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 1970

Lewis-Williams. Discovering Southern African Rock Art. David Philip Publishers, South Africa. 1990

Groenewald. Oral Studies in Southern Africa. Human Science Research council, South Africa. 1990.

Welsh Asante, Karaimu. African Dance. African World Press. New  York. 1998

 

 

           

Different Creation Beliefs found in South Africa

 

Shangaan Creation belief

            N'wari the bird god laid an egg in a hole in a river reed. After rime the reed burst and the first man emerged. He then builds himself a mud-daubed hut with a thatched roof. He later married, although the myth does not say were the woman came from. His many children became the base for the growth of the Tsonga (Courlander, p 401).

 

amaNguni Creation belief

            Unkulukulu (the old one) is the creator of man. He broke off from a bed of reeds. Man, who also broke off from the bed of reeds followed him. Unkulunkulu thus created man, animals, snakes, birds, water and mountains, the sun and the moon, all from the bed of reeds (Jackobs, p53).

 

The San and baTswana Creation Belief

            Creation happened at the waterhole of Lowe in Botswana. The waterhole is in a rocky river bed and about 2,5 m deep. It was in this waterhole that the first humans and animals were locked up in. The creator, called Matsieng of Modimo let then all out. Matsieng came from a cave and had only one leg. He disliked his creation and thus returned to his cave. The water hole of Lowe is marked with man made footprints of humans and animals (Jackobs, p53)

 

The Creation of the First Bushmen

            =Um=um-Borose, a woman who came from the son, is the mother of the first Bushmen. She had a dog, which attacked her unexpectedly one day while she was feeding it. /Ause-=wa-djuba went past and saw what happened. He went to were =Um=um-Borose laid and pierced her with his arrow to see if she was really dead. To his surprise a human came out of the hole. He pierced her again and more humans came out of her inside. The people walked away into the forest and over the plains. =Um=um-Borose remained lying there. She became the sand of the Kgalagadi. (Fourie, p17).

 

baPedi Creation Belief

            God (Modimo) has the personal name of Kgobe. He is rather indistinct but the people agree that he is male, has only one leg and that his son is called Kgobeane. Kgobe created the world with all the animals and plants. After this his son, Kgobeane, created the first man (Jackobs, p56)

 

Taoist Creation Belief

            First there was the Tao, who rested in mysterious emptiness. Then came Vast Prime (Hongyuan), who later divided and thus came Coagulated Prime (Hunyuan). Then there was grand Antecedence (Taichu) to whom Tao taught the Scripture of Opening the Cosmos. In Taichu he separated above and below, inside and out, female and male, white and black. But when Hunyuan obtained the Scriptures clear and turbid separated in heaven and earth.

            Tao desired to transform beings, thus he created the sun and the moon to illuminate. He than brought fourth the first humans. He took the essence of heaven and the essence of earth, joined them and made man.

            First all species of life was without sign or shape but then received a bit of energy and was thus complete.

            When Grand Antecedence came to an end there came Grand Initiation. To whom Tao taught the Scripture of Grand Initiation, who was the beginning of myriad beings. It perfected all signs. Energy became solid and divided into yin and yang.

            The rest of the creation is also ordered as above. Much still happened, will still complete (Kohn, p36-38).

 

Creation according to the Mythology of Brahma

            Brahma conceived of creating gods, men fathers and demons. He brought fourth darkness and demons were born. He abandons his body from which the demons came fourth and it became night. This process is repeated to create gods and men. Brahma then created various kinds of divine beings. They come fourth from different parts of Brahma's body and their characteristics depend on Brahma's mood at the time of their creation. Brahma also creates animals and plants from different parts of his body (Baily, p107-110).

 

Islamic Creation Beliefs

            God creates by saying 'Be' and it is done (Qur'an xxxvi 82). God created heaven and earth (Qur'an ii 117) and man which he formed out of clay (Quar'an xxiii 12-13). Islamic beliefs on the creation is very closely linked to Christian and Jewish creation beliefs, as set out in Genesis.

 

Genesis Creation Belief

            First there was only God. He was alone in utter emptiness. God first created the heavens and the earth, but it was still formless and empty. The Creation process takes place in six stages, or days. The first stage is the creation of light, being day and night. On the second day God separated the waters from above and below and thus created sky. The second stage was when the waters were gathered in one place and land appeared.  As well as the creation of plants.  The third day was when the sun, stars and moon were created: and so the reckoning of time started. On the fourth day God created fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, and on the fifth day he created animals on land. Lastly God made man to be the ruler of what is in the seas, on the land and in the skies (Genisis 1:1-27, the Holy Bible).

 

Works Cited

Baily, The Mythlogy of Brahma. Oxford University press, 1983

Courlander. A Treasury of African Foklore. Crown Publichers, New York, 1975)

Fourie, Coral. Splinters from the Fire. P17

Jackobs, M. OML 210 Class Notes

Kohn, Livia. The Taoist Experience, State University of New York Press, 1993

The holy Bible, new International version. Zondervan Publishing House. 1995

The Holy Qur'an, translated by Khalik al-Rawaf. Islamic Propagation Centre 1946