6th Grade UBD - Unit 8 - Religion and Culture in Africa
How did contact with other religions change life in Africa?
Traditional Religion in Africa- For thousands of years, the native-born people of Africa have practiced traditional religions. The Influence of Christianity and Islam- Christianity reached Egypt before 100 CE. Islam began to spread through northern Africa during the 600s CE.
Most traditional religions are indigenous to Africa and are polytheistic. The traditional religions all recognize the existence of a supreme god. Most Africans who follow traditional religions seek guidance and help from lesser gods and dead ancestors. Followers believe their ancestors act as go-betweens for the physical world and the spiritual world. Africa’s traditional religions have not spread far beyond the specific regions where they arose.
Key Term Indigenous- Native to or coming from a particular region.
Video- Religion and Rituals
Religion has always been central to people's lives in Africa. Religion plays an important role in daily life in Africa, marked by prayers of gratitude in times of plenty and prayers of request in times of need.
The traditional religions of Africa are polytheistic.
Key Term Ancestor- One, such as a parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, who precedes another in lineage.
The people in the villages in the ancient African kingdoms believed that more than one god ruled, because obviously, no one god could do everything by himself.
To catch the eye of a passing god African people would: dance and sing and shake rattles and beat drums and carve masks.
Africans also believed in magic. They believed the local witchdoctor could perform feats of magic. People would visit the witchdoctor to find help for their problems. The witchdoctor might give them something magical to wear, or bury, or give away. Witchdoctors knew a great deal about herbs and home made medicines. Their magic spells sometimes worked.
Africans often use masks representing cultural heroes, gods, and ancestors in their worship ceremonies.
In some traditions, dancing, chanting, or drumming are used to connect with gods or spirits. This is very common in groups that practice Vodun.
Vodun followers believe that people who practice these rhythmic arts can become possessed. Gods or spirits are believed to take over their bodies. The spirits then communicate with the group through the possessed people.
In addition, many African traditional religions use statuettes. Believers think these objects serve as mediators between the human and spiritual worlds.
African traditional religions have not spread far outside of Africa. Each religion remains relatively limited to the specific region of the ethnic group practicing it.
Traditional religions continue to be practiced throughout Africa today. In Africa, the Christian and Muslim religions often mix in some of the beliefs and rituals of the traditional religions.
1. What was traditional religion in Africa like? 2. What practices and customs do traditional African religions use to communicate with the gods?
Christians in Egypt formed the Coptic Church. During the early 300s, many people in Aksum began to convert to Christianity. The Muslims had a large impact on North African culture. This is seen especially in math, science, literature, and architecture. During the 800s, Muslim merchants from North Africa began to convert people in West Africa. The pilgrimage of Mansa Musa spread news of the great wealth of Mali. As a result, many countries wanted to find the source of this wealth.
Key Term Coptic Christianity- A branch of Christianity that developed in Egypt in the first century.
Video- Coptic Christianity
Christians entered Egypt around year 100 and developed a type of Christianity called Coptic Christianity.
Copts believed Jesus had one nature that combined the human and divine. Many Romans, though, claimed Jesus had two natures: one divine and the other human.
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Muslim Arabs conquered Egypt during the 600s bringing North Africa into the Muslim empire. The Muslims encouraged people they conquered to convert to Islam but usually did not force them to convert.
Muslim Arabs formed the ruling class of the areas they conquered. Below them were non-Arabs— native Africans—who converted to Islam. Non-Arabs who decided to practice another religion formed the next social class, and the lowest class consisted of enslaved people.
Muslim Arabs brought Muslim culture and learning to North Africa. advances in math, science, medicine, literature, and architecture.
Muslim merchants began to trade on a regular basis with parts of West Africa. Many West African people converted to Islam.
In West Africa, the Mali Empire formed around 1240 and gained considerable wealth and influence through the gold and salt trade. - In 1312, Mansa Musa became the emperor of Mali and converted to Islam.
Mansa Musa established Islam as the official religion of his empire. Soon Mansa Musa made an elaborate pilgrimage to Mecca via Egypt.
Key Term Mecca- The holiest city in Islam.
Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage included about 60,000 of his followers carrying huge amounts of gold on camels. The pilgrimage spread news of the great wealth in Mali throughout all the Muslim lands and even into Europe. Because of this, many countries sought to find the source of this amazing wealth.
Mansa Musa established the city of Timbuktu in Mali as an important center of trade and learning. He made the mosque of Sankore a school for the teaching of history, law, and theology.
Christianity continues to be practiced in Ethiopia (formerly Aksum). Also, European countries took control of most of Africa during the 1800s. During this time, a large number of Christian missionaries entered Africa. They converted many of the local people. Despite this, Islam remains the main religion in many African countries.
Video- The People of Africa