Chagga

Molefi Kete Asante

The Chagga are a Tanzanian people who speak both Chagga and KiSwahili, the national language of the country. According to the elders of the Chagga people, the name of their Supreme Deity is Ruwa. In many ways, this name has correspondence with the ancient Egyptian name, Ra, for the Supreme Deity. Ruwa is also the word for the sun and, as such, might be seen as a form of the ancient Sun God. This is not to be understood in the sense that the sun was god, but that the sun was a representative of the energy and power of god. Ruwa is the central figure in Chagga existence and is seen as the almighty liberator, protector, and sustainer of the Chagga community. There are many narratives of Ruwa's sensitivity, mercy, tolerance, kindness, and charity when the people need him. In this sense, he is not simply the creator god ...

Users without subscription are not able to see the full content on this title. Please, subscribe or login to access all content on this website.