Page 147 - Berkshire Encyclopedia Of World History Vol I - Abraham to Coal

32 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

A Creation Myth of the Tiv People of Nigeria

The excerpt below from R. C. Abraham’s 1933 study, a wooden hoe and taught him farming and the way
The Tiv People, describes the theory of creation held by to plant seed. This part of the story is undoubtedly
this culture in Central Nigeria. influenced by the fact that maize was not originally
know to the Tiv, for this is indicated by the name by
The Tiv, in common with many of the other Bantu,
which they call it, i.e., ikureke.
believe that God whom they call A’ondo was the
A’ondo then returned to the sky, but the crops of
direct bodily progenitor of their tribe, this belief
Takuruku failed to thrive owing to lack of rain, so
pointing to the deification of a former hero. With
A’ondo told him to come to him in the sky and he
A’ondo is joined another personage Takuruku, about
would advise him what to do. Takuruku, however,
whom beliefs differ; one version holds that Takuruku
replied “No, I shall not come. I am greater than you
was the wife of A’ondo and that they were the parents
and it is for you to come to me.” A’ondo refused to do
of Tiv and Uke (the foreigners),Tiv in his turn, being
this and the crops withered from lack of rain, while
the progenitor of Po’or, Chongo and Pusu.The other
A’ondo said “It is your own fault; I told you to come
and more generally held version, is that Takuruku was
to me, but you refused. Had you done so, your crops
the younger brother of A’ondo and the first ancestor
would not have died. Still, I am ready to help you
of Man in the world; he came to live in the world with
again.” He then gaveTakuruku some more maize seed
his wife and for a long time his diet consisted entirely
and later agase millet (Pennisetum spicatum), fol-
of fish; one day however, A’ondo came down from
lowed by yams, guinea-corn and bulrush-millet. How-
the sky on a visit to his brother and said “I am going
ever, Takuruku was no better a position than before,
to explain to you a new kind of food,” and taking
because he still lacked knowledge of rain; rain
from a bag slung over his shoulder, some maize
remained the secret of A’ondo and he still jealously
grains, he offered them to Takuruku who ate them and
guards the secret, but he sent down rain for Taku-
finding them tasty, thanked A’ondo and asked
ruku’s crops, on condition that the latter should
whether he had any other food of the same kind.
acknowledge his precedence.
A’ondo returned to the sky and brought a maize-cob,
Source: Abraham, R. C. (1933). The Tiv people (p. 36). Lagos, Nigeria: Government
and telling Takuruku to break off a branch of the tree Printer.
gbaye (Prosopis oblonga), showed him how to fashion
In general, Africans deem that powers come from the the god of iron, reflects the people’s sense, from the days
Supreme Being.The Dogon of Mali, for instance, believe when iron first began to be used, of its importance.
that the vital force of their Supreme Being, Amma, circu- Storm gods are in some way related to the Supreme
lates throughout the universe.They name that vital force Being. Storm gods generally command their own priests,
nyama. Other groups have similar beliefs. These forces temples, and ritual ceremonies.The Yoruba and Ibo have
control the weather and are associated with the forces of a full storm pantheon of gods of storm, lightning, and
nature, directly or through the high god’s servants. thunderbolt. Shango is the Yoruba lightning and thunder
god; he is worshipped along with his wives, who are river
Other Deities gods, and the rainbow and thunderclap, which are his
There are earth goddess cults in a number of societies. servants.
The Ibo of the lower Niger river area have the goddess
Ala, and the goddess Asase Ya has her devotees among Islam in Africa
the Ashante of Ghana.The presence of a deity linked to Islam first came to the savanna areas of Africa through
a certain phenomenon or natural feature reflects the trade and peaceful teachings in the eighth through tenth
importance of that phenomenon or natural feature in centuries. The benefits of centralized government under
daily life; hence the fact that the Yoruba worship Ogun, Islamic law were obvious to various chiefs. Under Islamic