The nature of African shrines serves as places whereby the spirits and gods live or manifest themselves, or their holy objects, symbols, statues, and relics, are consecrated. In addition, they are more than places of worship or spiritual vessels (Microsoft Bing, 2022). Therefore, African shrines are physical manifestations of presence and ownership, influential symbols of cohesion and solidarity, identity markers, and cultural signposts. People believed their ancestors could interact with the physical world.
The first type of African shrine involves places containing relics. For example, Uganda’s Namugongo martyrs’ shrine is one of the largest Christian pilgrimage destinations dedicated to massacred saints between 1885 to 1887 (Microsoft Bing, 2022). Through it, Africans honor their pre-Cristian heritage of ancestry and spirituality. Lastly, the shrine is special as people remember their tortured and dead heroes and pray for their faith renewal.
Another type of shrine is the personal hut, containing sculptures dedicated to an individual’s aggressiveness, capability, and authority. For example, Iphri’s shrines are mainly widespread in Nigeria and practiced by the Ijo people (Microsoft Bing, 2022). The place of worship contains artifacts, such as leopards, elephants, and human figures, which symbolize an individual’s power, wealth, and status. Such shrines protect a person against violence while being a menacing reminder of their destructive potential and achievements.
The places of deceased people serve as a unique form of African shrines. For example, the Baule shrine acted as a holy place whereby people could pray to their spirits, who were diviners between the living world and their ancestors (Microsoft Bing, 2022). Individuals perform incantations, make sacrifices, and give offerings to succeed in life. The other substantial type of African shrine includes the natural-phenomena. For example, the Dogon shrine was used for spirit communication, ancestry worship, and agricultural sacrifices. When there was drought and famine, flooding killed people and destroyed properties; the older citizens visited the place to calm issues.
In African religious symbolization, another kind of shrine is a village altar. For instance, the new Afrika shrine is an open entertainment center for societal members. The temple helps people to worship spirits and gods to enable them to revive their talents in music (Microsoft Bing, 2022). Different activities taking place in shrines include praying, religious ceremonies, and cultural practices. All the African shrines help preserve diverse people’s cultural heritage and history.
Reference
Microsoft Bing. (2022). African shrine. Microsoft Bing.