Spiritual World World of the Spirits

(Invisible World)

God

Lesser gods & goddesses

Oracles Ancestors

Physical World Human World (Visible World)

Priests Priestesses Diviners

Spirit Mediums

Kings/Queens/Elders

Titled men & women

Warriors

Workers

Human & Spiritual “Slaves”

Useless People

God• ACHOLI (Uganda): Jok

• ARUSHA (Tanzania):  Engai

• ASANTE (Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire): Nyame

• AZANDE (Sudan): Mbori or Mboli

• BAMBARA (Mali): Jalang

• BULU (Cameroon): Mebee

God• DOGON (Burkina Faso, Mali): Amma

• DUALA (Cameroon): Loba, Owasi, Iwonde

• EMBU (Kenya): Ngai

• EWE (Benin, Ghana, Togo): Mawu

• FANTI (Ghana):  Nyame

• FON (Benin): Mawu-Lisa

God• GIKUYU (Kenya): Murungu, Ngai

• IBIBIO (Nigeria): Abassi, Chuku

• IGBO (Nigeria): Chukwu, Chineke, Olisa bi n’igwé

• KPELLE (Liberia): Yala

• LUVEDU (South Africa): Mwari

• MOSSI (Burkina Faso):  Winnam

God• NDEBELE (Zimbabwe): Mwali

• NUER (Sudan): Kwoth

• NUPE (Nigeria): Soko

• OROMO (Ethiopia, Kenya): Waqa

• SHONA (Zimbabwe): Mwari, Gore, Runji

• SOTHO (Lesotho):  Molimo

God• TSWANA (Botswana, South Africa):

Modimo

• VAI (Liberia):  Kamba 

• VENDA (South Africa): Nwali

• YAO (Malawi, Mozambique): Mulungu

• YORUBA (Nigeria): Olodumare, Olorun, Olofin-Orun

Spiritual World World of the Spirits

(Invisible World)

God

Lesser gods & goddesses

Oracles Ancestors

Physical World Human World (Visible World)

Priests Priestesses Diviners

Spirit Mediums

Kings/Queens/Elders

Titled men & women

Warriors

Workers

Human & Spiritual “Slaves”

Useless People

African Views of History & Time

• Africans view history as continuum

• Time conceptualized through rhythms in nature

– Everyday happenings – Events that occur at greater

intervals

Reconstructing African History

• Written Sources/Documents

• Oral Tradition

• Archaeology

• Anthropology

• Linguistics

Writing Systems: Ge’ez

Afan-Oromo: Ethiopia

Amharic: Ethiopia

Mende: Sierra Leone

Nsidibi: Igbo, Nigeria

Vai-Liberia

Kemetu: Egypt

Meroitic Script: Sudan

Edo: Nigeria

Adinkra: Ghana