HUMA 1860 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Rite Of Passage, Nguni Homestead, Zulu Mythology
28 Feb 2017
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Document Summary
Traditional religions of africa before the colonial period. South of the sahara there is a common belief in a supreme being but this being is very remote and is not the focus of everyday rituals. Myths suggest that sleep is a foretaste of death. Dead are to be treated with respect. Funeral and mourning are vital social obligations. Sacred shrines and religious art that is primarily symbolic rather than representational. Masks and body painting indicate temporary and ritual possession. Responsible for the performance of ritual acts expected of all zulu, especially those that address the ancestors. Role of diviner most often assumed by women. Divination is the ritual acts performed by ritual specialists to diagnose the reason for a misfortune or the means to the solution of some human problem. Once a diviner finds the cause of a problem, an herbalist prescribes the cure. Private role in contrast to the public role of the diviner and herbalist.
