At one time, when religion was totally connected with the whole existence of the. Tor irstam, the king of ganda, the ethnographical museum of sweden new series, 8 1944. A model for sustainable development of self and community. Publication date 1970 topics art objects, nigerian exhibitions, art objects, nigerian benin province, nigeria kings and rulers religious aspects publisher london, british museum. They were the builders of pyramids, an enduring symbol of the pharaohs absolute power. In ancient mesopotamia, one of the oldest high civilizations in the world, it was a short. Divine kingship in africa was rather an embarrassment because the central tenet of its doctrinethat the king must be killed when he fell sick or grew senilewas usually beyond empirical verification. Divine kingship in africa has 2 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Cults, kings and rulers, religious aspects the savage and his totem subjects. Respecting and circumventing presidential term limits in subsaharan africa. The divine kingship, to one, perhaps the best known, of the examples of which i have devoted this lecture, has been extensively written about by ethnologists, particularly in reference to its occur 35 rence in africa. A model for sustainable development of self and community hehimetu ra enkamit, ph. Divine kingship and the ancient egyptian political system. People of african descent living outside africa come to know african traditional religions through transplanted forms.
Center for heritage and archaeological studies montclair. The achaemenid empire offers a new perspective for this line of research as there is a rich historical and iconographic documentation for example lincoln forthcoming. The first, a culmination of his research in central africa, uses art and oral tradition alongside archival sources to explore nineteenth century political transformations in the central african interior that were connected with global trade and culminated in the violence of the congo free state. His research and publications focus on the history of southern and central africa over the last two centuries, including atlantic and indian ocean trading networks, british. However, the myth and ritual, or mythritualist, theory is disputed. A study in divine kingship volume 11933 of the frazer lecture. In the old kingdom, kings were viewed as incarnate gods, the physical manifestation of the divine. Since the beginning of the twentieth century scholars have sought unsuccessfully to define a particular type of cultic complex in africa as divine kingship. Divine kingship in west africa ii3 rounded like a womans, and a rich velvety skin is produced by specially fattening food. A study of ancient near eastern religion as the integration of society and nature. The topic of divine kingship should be viewed in a broader context of the use of religion to legitimize power in ancient states. The muslim kings, often called caliphs or emirs, presented themselves as the defenders and promoters of the true version of islam. Egypt definitely owes a lot of its culture to kemet.
Kingship meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. Some consider the kings rimsin of larsa 18221763 bce and the famous hammurabi of babylon 17921750 bce to have been divine. Sir james george frazer used the concept of the sacred king in his study the golden bough 18901915, the title of which refers to the myth of the rex nemorensis. Divine kingship in west africa there are three ranks of yoruba rulers. The khagan ashina the kings of luba became deities after death. G the divine kingship in ghana and ancient egypt, african affairs, volume 60, issue 240, 1 july 1961, pages 451452. There were endless examples in africa and elsewhere. Ancient kemet from the african rift valley up the nile river. For most people, ancient kemet is synonymous with egypt. Divine right of kings, political doctrine in defense of monarchical absolutism, which asserted that kings derived their authority from god and could not therefore be held accountable for their actions by any earthly authority such as a parliament. Family, kinship, and domestic groupings introduction to. Frankforts distinction between divine kingship and sacral kingship 2, i. Frazer gives numerous examples, cited below, and was an inspiration for the myth and ritual school. In the middle kingdom, the concept of kingship was revised.
Turnbull who in 1968 curated the hall of african peoples at the american museum of natural history in new york, with a display, the growth of the state. In order to do so eight cases will be described in some detail, and after that by comparison of the data presented conclusions with regard to this phenomenon will be formulated. Of these just under eighteen millions are africans and some eightythree thousand are arabs. The female equivalent is queen regnant, while the title of queen on its own usually refers to the consort of a king. Beasley horn ikereekiti ivory ivory double king king. Divine kingship probably originated in the role of a traditional shaman who possessed special ability to commune with the supernatural on behalf of his people. The archaeologist fagg 1970 illustrates divine kingship for whole of africa. Divine kingship in africa paperback january 1, 1978 by william buller fagg author see all 4 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. The female equivalent is queen regnant, while the title of queen on its own usually refers to the consort of a king in the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the title may refer to tribal kingship. African traditional religion and the coming of christianity global initiative. Originating in europe, the divineright theory can be traced to.
Kingship is divine, the king linked to gods and ancestors. Home african political systems african religious traditions akan anthropology culture east africa egypt eva meyerowitz ghana kemet north africa precolonial africa west africa the divine kingship in ghana and ancient egypt by eva l. Kingship in subsaharan africa kingship is always ritualized to some extent. Thus, when he himself carefully considered the evidence for the supposed egyptian origin of divine kingship in africa, he came to the conclusion that its most characteristic features go back to an old and widespread hamitic belief to which some specifically egyptian. Divine kingship in ghana and ancient egypt african affairs.
The concept of divine kingship in igala traditional society the attah igala was referred to as a divine king the same way the jukun and the benin regarded their rulers, the aku uka, and the oba of benin respectively. The first instances of royal deification occur in the third millennium bce during times of political expansion and centralization. Gold, the colour of the sun, was the kings metal and colour. African traditional religion and the coming of christianity. Sacred kingship religious and political concept britannica. The structure of the book follows the seminar sequence as it seems to make most sense.
Everywhere the basic family unit is the elementary or nuclear family, a small domestic group made up of a husband, his wife, and their children. The concept of divine kingship in igala traditional. Germanic kingship is cognate with indoeuropean traditions of tribal. Sacred kingship, religious and political concept by which a ruler is seen as an incarnation, manifestation, mediator, or agent of the sacred or holy the transcendent or supernatural realm. Divine kingship in africa book by william fagg 2 available. The third is the town chief bale who has no right to wear beads. However, kemet is the name for an area in africa that bubbled up from the southern nile river valley all the way into presentday egypt. The achaemenid empire offers a new perspective for this line of research as there is a rich historical and iconographic documentation for. Divine kingship in africa 1978 edition open library. Introduction to africa family, kinship, and domestic groupings the family is a universal group throughout africa, with many different forms and functions. Oct 05, 2011 introduction to africa family, kinship, and domestic groupings the family is a universal group throughout africa, with many different forms and functions. Afe africa afz3 altar piece ancestor altars aquamanile ashanti bakuba bamileke bead embroidery beasley 1944 afq benin bronze benin city bini british museum bronze altar bronze ewer bronze figures bronze staff bronzecasting carved cast ceremonial sword chiefs circled cross courtyard crossbow crotal divine aspect divine kingship double bell. Bronze ewer bronze figures bronze staff bronzecasting carved cast ceremonial sword chiefs circled cross courtyard crossbow crotal divine aspect divine kingship double bell drums early period eben exhibition figure of tada foreign office 1898 gold h.
Divine right of kings, in european history, a political doctrine in defense of monarchical absolutism, which asserted that kings derived their authority from god and could not therefore be held accountable for their actions by any earthly authority such as a parliament. Divine kingship in africa paperback january 1, 1970 by british museum author see all 4 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. The divine kingship of the shilluk of the nilotic sudan. Morris the east african territories of kenya, tanganyika, uganda, and zanzibar have a population of just over eighteen and a half million people. Divine kingship in ghana and ancient egypt african. The result of that decision is captured in the divine kingship of asante.
Hadfield, traits of divine kingship in africa, london, 1949. The kende was the sacred king of the magyars in the 9th century. During the evolution of the upper egyptian tradition this position became more formalized and powerful, becoming transformed into divine kingship during the naqada iii gerzean and. Mar 12, 2016 for most people, ancient kemet is synonymous with egypt. Mrs meyerowitz 2 makes much of the relationship of the ashanti king to the sun, though not everybody would agree with this interpretation.
The concept of kingship is a key to understanding the development of egyptian civilization. In this text you will learn history, spiritual philosophy, and linkages to ancient kamit egypt of the asante kingdom and the implications for its future sustainability. Two opposed arguments dominate this and other anthropological discussions of ritual. The divine kingship in ghana and ancient egypt by eva l.
Claessen leiden university abstract in this article the sacred kingship in africa will be analyzed. The concept originated in prehistoric times, but it continues to exert a recognizable influence in the modern world. In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the title may refer to tribal kingship. Aug 19, 2010 divine kingship in africa by william fagg, 1978, british museum publications edition, in english 2nd ed. Both kings struggled to expand their area of influence, and therefore their selfdeification may have been part of a strategy to consolidate and legitimize their powers. The second rank chief oloja may wear a beaded hat without a veil. Published for the trustees of the british museum by british museum publications, 1978 ocolc946895176. Kingship definition, the state, office, or dignity of a king. Originating in europe, the divineright theory can be traced to the medieval conception of gods award of temporal power to. King, or king regnant, is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. Divine kingship in africa was rather an embarrassment because the central tenet of its doctrinethat the king must be killed when he fell sick or grew. The kings oba can wear beaded crowns with fringes or veils, and trace their origin to ife. Muller in claessen and skalnik 1981, however, tries to work out a single ideological model of the role of the divine kingship in both chiefdoms and states. Thus, when he himself carefully considered the evidence for the supposed egyptian origin of divine kingship in africa, he came to the conclusion that its most characteristic features go back to an old and widespread hamitic belief to which some specifically egyptian elements only later became attached 1934.
Professor, received his undergraduate degree from the university of cape town, south africa, and his ph. The divine kingship in ghana and ancient egypt, african affairs, volume 60. Family, kinship, and domestic groupings introduction to africa. Hadfields results correspond in many respects with those of irstam. The center for heritage and archaeological studies chas brings together scholarly research, education and public outreach with a broad focus on heritage, identity and community engagement. Divine kingship in africa by william fagg, 1978, british museum publications edition, in english 2nd ed.
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