Unlike today, the old way of life never
saw humans as the center of it all. People were part of and lived in harmony
with nature. Tribes had spiritual emblems (totems), inform of animals,
birds, plants or natural objects that provided a sacred connection to
kinship, ancestry and spirituality.
In sacred books, followers of
Abrahamic religions (Genesis or Surah Yusuf), encounter totemic animals in the
house of Jacob; Judah (lion), Issachar (strong donkey), Naphtali (deer),
Benjamin (ravening wolf), Ephraim (Ox) and Asher (Olive tree) and so on.
Among First People of Australia (Aboriginals),
series of totems include a hawk, a kangaroo, a koala, an emu, and an owl;
representing their kinship, personal strengths, land and family etc.
On the African continent, over 100 plant and animal species are honored as sacred
totems among different peoples. These include;
· Xaniqwee –
the aardvark, Batswana people
· Ingonyama –
the lion, Zulu (South Africa)
· Akoroma –
the falcon, Yokofo people of Ghana
· Ngwena –
the crocodile, Shona people of Zimbabwe
· Toreet –
the warthog, Kipsirgoik clan of the Kipsigis (Kenya)
· Thuol – the rock python among the
Agoro clan of Luo (Kenya)
Totems are revered- they're guardians,
identity-shapers, and sometimes come with strictly enforced taboos or
ceremonies. A river clan, with a hippo as a totem will do all they can to
protect and defend their totem. Likewise, a people honoring the leopard as
their totem will decorate the court and royal stool with its skin to signify
authority and sacredness.
Among Babukusu people at the foot of Mt.
Masaaba, different clans were associated with totems that guided communal
living and spirituality.
In its clan systems, khukhwilaa often draws
connection to ancestry, early trades, and adventures during migration. Can this
provide some insight into their totemic history?
· Omuyiitu
omulia ngoto we mumbo
· Omukhoma,
nawanga, nalubia, salia engokho
· Omutakhwe
nambuya owakala endemu khumoni
· Omukipemuli
omusila eng’enda
· Omusituyi,
wama Embayi, wecha ne chikhendu sikanda
· Omutilu,
nekoye, nakhabale, owasinga bukhi.
· Omuala,
omukoyabe, omusila emande
In an age where sacred community knowledge is
fading... what totemic secrets can you dig up in your own lineage?
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