African paths...

[gurlygurl2004]

Is anyone here interested in African paths. I've heard of Voodoo and Santeria, but nothing else. Someone please inform me. And I guess Egyptian paganism would be an African path as well.

[semi]

I'm interested in them. A long long time ago in Africa there was a nation of people called the Twa (if I recall correctly). They eventually spread out. Those who went west became the Yoruba people. Those who went north settled where Egypt is today. The Yoruba practiced Ifa from which Santeria and all it's incarnations originate. I don't remember if the Twa practiced Ifa or that came after the movement west and originated with the Yoruba, but I'll check on it. Because of this, I'm not sure if the people who settled the Lower Nile practiced Ifa either, but the Egyptian religion and pantheon is very distinct and different from Ifa so maybe, if the original settlers did practice Ifa, things changed dramatically once they got to the Lower Nile. There are also elements of Christianity and other religions that originated in Africa. A lot went on there, but no one wrote much of anything down so it's difficult to sort it all out.

I'm very sleepy and need to go to bed. I'll post here more coherently another time.

[Redshire]

Kemetic Orthodox and Tameran (sp?) Wicca are Egyptian-centered paths.

[brighid's child]

Each tribe in Africa has it's own set of beliefs, different gods and traditions. From what I understand they are mostly fairly similar, but vary just as much as Native American beliefs. I don't know about the paths that made it out to the rest of the world.

[Meabh23]

Santeria is Yoruba-based so it can be called an African path, especially since its deities (Orishas) are African. It is hard to get info, but you can find out more by doing a search. I have been to some of their gatherings. I enjoyed them, but the religion is not for me. (I find Santeria beautiful and fascinating, because of the drumming and singing.) Santeria ceremonies are never open to the public, or outsiders. The only way in is to be invited in, but you should go if invited, just for the experience.