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Date: 07 Nov 2000 00:00:00 GMT
Subject: Re: In response to an attack
Message-ID: <20001106232748.24627.00000110@ng-fn1.aol.com>
References: <8u7nod$de5$1@nnrp1.deja.com>
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>Grisso, you perhaps are already aware of this, but judging from past
>comments, many are not, thus, it is for their benefit that I share that
>most of the *initiations* to the *priesthood* performed on
>anthropologists who have demonstrated a sincere dedication and respect
>of those whom they have "studied," are "honorary titles", symbolizing
>the highest public display of mutual respect, appreciation and approval
>by the Ancestors. They are more celebratory than literal, and bestows
>no actual ancestral authority/and spirit power (ase) to the person.
I am glad you mention it. I wasn't aware of that in quite the way you mention.
I know, for example, that the Akan very often would confer honorary titles on
Britishers serving in the Gold Coast. And the honor was often reciprocated. So
we have Ghanaians who have been knighted by the British queen being called Nana
Sir Such- and-thus. And we have a few Britishers quite proud to be called Nana
and to wear the Ashanti robes. Those honored in this way made no pretense of
being priest. However, references to anthropologists being initiated I have
always taken to mean in the literal sense of having been ordained into priestly
order. It is interesting and helpful to know that that isn't necessarily the
case.
>Any "ase" they acquire must be cultivated from their *own ori/spirit*
>and that already inherited from their own blood ancestral lineage.
That's another important point. I wonder how many people here in America know
that the Akan word for "blood" in this sense, as something inherited (from the
female line actually -- Cf. mitochondrial DNA) is "mogya", pronounced MOJA.
This is too close to "mojo" to be coincidence. So the famous blues song that
talks about "I got my mojo working" may have another layer of meaning, intended
or not.
>Mamaissii Vivian
>http://www.mamiwata.com
>
Peace,
Grisso
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