41. Ritual Use of Rock Paintings at Bahi, Tanganyika Territory

Culwick, A. T.

doi:10.2307/2789532

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Certainly in Tanzania (Culwick 1931;Lawrence 1953Lawrence , 1957Chaplin 1974;Masao 1979Masao , 1991, Zambia (Phillipson 1972(Phillipson , 1976, Malawi (Lindgren and Schoffeleers 1978), Zimbabwe (Cooke 1959) and the northern Transvaal (Hall et al in prep. ) shelters with ritual status are frequently decorated with paintings.…”

Section: Rainmakingmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Here it was noted that the Hima and Nkole royal families had strong connexions with pythons in which it was believed the spirits of their ancestors dwelt (ibid.). Masao (1991) has recorded good examples of this depiction on Lukaba Island in Lake Victoria, and in Tanzania shelters containing snakelike depictions were said to be used for communication with the ancestors and for rainmaking by the Iramba (Culwick 1931).…”

Section: The 'Late White' Traditionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…However, it can be argued that these hanging tails may have represented either hanging or erect penises. The depiction of male figures with these emphasised sexual characteristics is a very characteristic motif of the 'Late White' tradition with good examples occurring in many areas (Roberts 1916;Culwick 1931;Cooke 1959;Vaughan 1962;Phillipson 1976;Rudner 1976;Lindgren and Schoffeleers 1978). An example from Thandwe in Zambia (Phillipson 1976) suggests the merging of a human identity with that of a crocodile-like motif, while at the same time emphasising male sexuality (Fig.…”

Section: Initiation and Puberty Ceremoniesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…As such they would have been closely identified with the natural environment and its many ramifications (e.g. Culwick 1931;Wilson 1985b;Felgate 1982;Harinck 1969;Stayt 1931;Turnbuli 1984aTurnbuli , 1984bTurner 1969). This, together with the fact that their position as the first owners of the land was acknowledged by the politically dominant agriculturists, ensured their ritual status and the place of particular landmarks (caves, boulders, forests, pools, lakes, mountains) associated with them in the belief systems of many agriculturist groups.…”

Section: Bantu-speaking Agriculturistsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…But, there is also evidence to suggest that some fingerpaintings, at least the earlier ones or those situated in areas unsuitable for subsistence farming, can be linked to hunger-gatherers who were, or are, of mixed Khoisan-negroid, or negroid origin. Some of these earlier fingerpaintings are accorded special ritual status by the present-day Bantu-speaking population of these or adjacent areas (Burkitt 1928;Culwick 1931;Arundell 1936;Cooke 1959;Odak 1992; Van Gogh pets comm).…”

Section: Who Were the Authors?mentioning

confidence: 98%

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Expressions of fertility in the rock art of Bantu-speaking agriculturists

Prins¹,

Hall²

1994

Afr Archaeol Rev

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This paper presents an overview of the 'Late White' rock paintings of south-central and southern Africa. It is argued that the most recent paintings were produced by matrilineal or bilateral Bantu-speaking agriculturists, although links with earlier hunter-gatherer groups are also implied. It is noted that certain motifs reoccur over great geographical distances. Ethnographic data are used in order to suggest a possible meaning for these motifs and for the paintings in general. It is argued that many of these paintings embody conceptual associations linking them to fertility. A general outline of the most obvious associations is presented, and a plea is made for detailed regional surveys in order to explain temporal and spatial differences. R~sum~Cet article prrsente une vue d'ensemble sur les peintures rupestres 'Late White' d'Afrique australe et du sud de l'Afrique centrale. I1 drfend l'idre que les peintures les plus rrcentes ont 6t6 produites par des agriculteurs matrilinraires ou bilatrraux parlant le bantou, tout en supposant des rapports avec des groupes plus anciens vivant de la chasse et de la cueillette. On remarque que certains motifs rfapparaissent .~ de grandes distances g6ogra-phiques. L'article s'appuie sur des donnres ethnographiques pour suggrrer une signification possible h ces motifs ainsi qu'aux peintures en grnrral. II drmontre que nombreuses de ces peintures repr6sentent des associations conceptuelles les associant ~ la fertilit& Un aper~;u g~ndral des associations les plus ~videntes est present6 et les auteurs demandent que des 6tudes rrgionales drtaill6es soient effectu6es afin d'expliquer les diffrrences temporelles et spatiales.

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Section: Rainmakingmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: The 'Late White' Traditionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Initiation and Puberty Ceremoniesmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Bantu-speaking Agriculturistsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Who Were the Authors?mentioning

confidence: 98%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Expressions of fertility in the rock art of Bantu-speaking agriculturists

Prins¹,

Hall²

1994

Afr Archaeol Rev

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Representation and knowledge in the prehistoric rock art of Africa

Davis¹

1984

Afr Archaeol Rev

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Schematic Rock Art, Rain-Making and Islam in the Ethio-Sudanese Borderlands

Fernández

2011

Afr Archaeol Rev

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Two sites with schematic rock paintings in Western Ethiopia, where Islamic ceremonies connected with rain-making are performed and miraculous events are said to occur regularly, are interpreted in the light of such factors as the beliefs of local informants, the Islamic appropriation of prehistoric rituals in Northern Africa, the characteristics of similar sites linked to rain-making rituals throughout Eastern Africa and the apotropaic meaning of schematic marks in many traditional cultures. Probably painted by the ancestors of the current Koman language speakers during the Later Stone Age or shortly afterwards, the rock art contextual analysis reveals the complexity of interregional relationships and processes affecting the multi-ethnic frontier regions in pre-colonial times and shows how the local groups have recombined prehistoric and historic religions and ideologies into an original mix that bears witness to the region's multifaceted history.Résumé Cet article examine deux sites contenant des peintures rupestres schématiques à la frontière de l'Ethiopie occidentale, où des rites islamiques relatifs à la pluie sont pratiqués et où des événements miraculeux se produisent régulièrement. Ces sites peuvent être interprétés en fonction de plusieurs facteurs, entre autres l'opinion des informateurs locaux, l'appropriation par la religion islamique des rituels préhistoriques en Afrique du Nord, les sites similaires associés aux cérémonies d'invocation de la pluie en Afrique de l'est, et la signification apotropaïque des schémas décoratifs dans de nombreuses cultures. L'art fut probablement peint par les ancêtres des actuels peuples de langues Koman lors de l'Age de la Pierre Tardive, ou peu après, et son analyse contextuelle montre comment les régions frontalières multiethniques ont été touchées par un complexe système de relations interrégionales et processus précoloniaux, et comment les religions et les idéologies préhistoriques et historiques ont été recyclées par les populations de la frontière éthiopique-soudanaise dans un ensemble original d'éléments qui témoigne de cette histoire plurielle.

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41. Ritual Use of Rock Paintings at Bahi, Tanganyika Territory

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Expressions of fertility in the rock art of Bantu-speaking agriculturists

Expressions of fertility in the rock art of Bantu-speaking agriculturists

Representation and knowledge in the prehistoric rock art of Africa

Schematic Rock Art, Rain-Making and Islam in the Ethio-Sudanese Borderlands

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