Research Items

Abstract

DUALISM IN AFRICAN RELIGIONS.—In Ancient Egypt, pt. 4, 1927, Mr. G. W. B. Huntingford contributes some further notes on the dualism which can be observed in the various forms of African religions. In the Nilo-Hamitic group the good and evil gods are manifestations of the elements. The Galla, in addition to their god Wak, believe that there are two kinds of sunshine, adu the white, which destroys, and biftu (from bifti, colour), the good, which gives life. Adu is from the same stem as adi, a fabulous being white in colour, apparently a kind of Erowa. The black and red gods of the Masai are the heavens in fine weather and in storm, or rather in dry and wet weather. The Nandi do not distinguish the good and bad thunder by colour. The Hottentot beliefs are contrasted. According to Kolben, they have two good deities and one bad, the “God of all Gods,” the moon, and the “Father of all Mischief.” The Galla, Masai, and Nandi pairs of gods are additional to their supreme god and do not come within their ceremonial system. The beliefs in good and evil forces in opposition may be divided into three groups: (1) Where the forces are the elements and subordinate to the chief deity, as among Galla, Masai, and Nandi; (2) where the forces are spirits, as among the Baganda, Azande, and Lugwari; and (3) where the worship is that of a trinity, the third member of which is evil, as among the Hottentots. It would appear, therefore, that dualism in East Africa is not limited to tribes of Hamitic speech as has been thought. The fact that the same colours appear as attributes of good and evil in other parts of Africa is perhaps a coincidence; though the opposition of red and black which appears on the Gold Coast is singular. Among the Galla the unlucky colour is white.