Basic animism holds that the universe is full of spirits who are mostly indifferent to earth and humanity. Dealing with them is always dangerous because human beings mean little to them. Animism holds that anything can have its own spirit, from rocks to plants to animals. A visitor to an East African city-state in the 12th century noted that the local people believed that everything had its own spirit. However, the details of animistic beliefs of the region are vague. Different cultures had their own variations on animism, suggesting that for many Africans, an animistic religion had preceded their religions of ancestor worship and of paying homage to gods. For instance, in some African societies woodworkers had supernatural powers because they carved masks and wooden images of the dead or of deities that were inhabited by the actual spirits of the dead or the gods during religious rituals. Finding wood suitable for such purposes meant that one had to locate a tree with the right spiritual qualities, something the woodworker was trained to do. Smelters of metal would talk to the spirits in the metal. Animals often had spiritual duties, especially acting as messengers for gods or as spirits aiding magicians. Even though Muslim and Christian missionaries often regarded such animistic beliefs as mere superstition, they were unable to stop converts from still talking to plants, animals, and inanimate objects, just as they were unable to shake Africans of their belief that their ancestors were present in their lives. Many Muslims found this situation to be advantageous; their ability to read and write meant that they had spiritual power, and Africans would often consult Muslims as they would consult a traditional African priest. This practice was one way in which Muslims won converts.
An example of animistic belief comes from the Kyama of Benin. It reflects a common occurrence in the medieval kingdoms of western and central Africa: disputes between brothers over the right to be king. There is a long and complex story about King Ozolua, who has two sons. The legal heir is Esigie, a physically weak but highly intelligent man. The other son, Aruan, is physically strong but not as intelligent as his brother. King Ozolua favors the quiet and pleasant Aruan, but in contests between the brothers Esigie always wins. In spite of the law, King Ozolua gives Aruan the symbols of kingship: a magic sword and a special necklace. When the king dies, Esigie steals the king’s corpse and buries it in the town of Benin, even though the king had wished to be buried in the town of Udo. Aruan charges a slave with preparing a place for him in the next life, and the slave creates a huge lake where Aruan can go. When Aruan goes to war against his brother, he tells his servants that if they hear him ring a bell he has fastened to hairs on his chest, they will know that he is dead and can throw all his wives, slaves, and possessions into the lake. As he rides to battle, the bell falls from his chest hairs, and his servants hear it ring and obey his orders. In grief, Aruan drowns himself in the lake. Esigie of Benin becomes the ruler of the kingdom. Aruan’s spirit inhabits the lake, and every five days, once a week in his culture, he emerges from the lake and wanders Udo. The elements in this story are animistic because the story tells of the origin of a lake spirit.
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