Chronicle Editor
Cultural Heritage with Pathisa Nyathi
JOURNEY to the stars essentially has its thrust on Cultural Astronomy in general and African Cultural Astronomy in particular. This field of knowledge is sometimes referred to as Ethno-astronomy that is to say knowledge, perceptions, beliefs and practices relating to cosmic bodies and their effects within the communities.
The magical, the mystical and seemingly illogical have a tendency of setting the minds of human beings alight and unsettled as they seek meaning, order, intelligibility, logic and understanding of seemingly inexplicable phenomena that impact on their environments, either terrestrial or cosmic or both. As a result, some phenomena find their way into the spiritual and religious realms where they assume unassailable and unchallengeable status and interpretation.
In the initial articles, we delved into current advanced technological efforts embarked upon in the main by nations and to a lesser extent by private corporates to understand the origins or the genesis of cosmic bodies. Emphasis though was on the relentless and sometimes cut-throat competition among the technologically advanced nations in the search for life beyond Planet Earth with the prospect for settlement on some planets with habitability, in particular, the exoplanets that exist beyond our solar system.
For example, the Chinese have inaugurated and launched programmes to investigate the origins of the sun. They, like other nations, have developed powerful telescopes and probing spaceships in search of more advanced knowledge regarding the cosmic past and the possible existence of aliens and life in deep space. Old ideas are being revisited and reassessed with a view to acquire more advanced knowledge in line with advanced and advancing technology.
For example, the origin of the moon is being looked into with a new focus and understanding. All along, the moon was thought to have come into being because of some collision between the Earth and another planet. The lunar gases such as helium and neon are thought to have originated from the crust of the Earth.
More recently, there has been witnessed the loudest explosion recorded in deep space. The explosion has come to be termed the BOAT. The phenomenon might have been occasioned by the occurrence of a supernova, the death of a star, resulting in the release of gamma rays. When a star dies, there is usually the formation of a black hole, which swallows matter and even light.
All this is happening these days and it is important that we get some idea of current researches and what they are revealing, which might affect life on Earth and emergence of possibilities of residence in other parts of the vast and burgeoning universe. It is possible that there will be congruence between what African Ethno-Astronomy and modern astronomical research posited and continue to posit.
As pointed out above, our thrust is not current astronomical research efforts and strides being made. We are interested in the ancient and not so ancient African beliefs pertaining to the stars and other heavenly bodies and how their movements impacted upon the various aspects of life on Earth such as the economic, cultural, spiritual, religious and other aspects.
Inevitably, some aspects will be common. Africans sought knowledge about the origins of certain cosmic galaxies such as the Milky Way and Andromeda, which are set on a collision course. Our solar system is nestled in one of the four curled (whorls) arms. The moon in particular found its way into African Spirituality and related practices. Similarly, the sun and its single moon orbiting around it, were of interest to Africans and their movements were closely monitored as they heralded certain events that were deemed of interest to the lives, welfare and well-being of Africans.
As we shall see later, when the spotlight is focused on African ideas, megalithic structures in the form of stone circles were erected to serve as monitors of movements of the celestial bodies, in particular, the sun that heralded the commencement of agricultural season that was important for food production.
Various stone circles were erected at places such as Nabta Playa in Egypt and located close to the border with Sudan, the Naboritunga near Lake Turkana in Kenya, Adam’s Calendar near Nelspruit in South Africa and the complex stone circles, Kerr Batch, in Gambia where the famed Stone Man explains and interprets the significance and meaning of the nine stone circles to visitors from near and far.
These stone circles, thought to be older than the famous English Stonehenge in Wiltshire, served as astronomical calendars and told time and seasons. As a result, they monitored celestial movements and positions in relation to places on Earth. Celestial movements and hence position in relation to the ground, influenced the timing of rituals of a political, economic, spiritual, social and cultural nature.
With regard to African pioneering advances in knowledge, we ought to appreciate that it went beyond Astronomy, Alchemy, Mathematics, Geometry, Architecture and Metallurgy. The current crop of African scholars has been a disappointment and betrayal of ancient African knowledge, research and documentation of same.
What all this means is that we shall soon be going back to revisit ancient African knowledge, perceptions and the resulting practices pertaining to astronomy. Africa has myths and stories about the origins of various cosmic bodies, both visible to the naked eye and others that are detectable through the spiritual probe. The Dogon people of Mali are one example whose knowledge about the Dog Star, Sirius B, outpaces the US Nasa’s knowledge in that regard. The community is thought to have migrated from the eastern part of what today is the Sahara Desert. Some of the symbols that they used are found at sites such as the Gobekle Teppe in Turkey. They and the San of Southern Africa continue to be the torchbearers when it comes to the evidence of African ideas, particularly regarding the intangible ones.
That the Dogon people’s symbols are found in Turkey may be confirmation of a common worldview among the ancients, itself a testimony to existing communication links among the various communities that had migrated from the African continent, the cradle of humanity. The knowledge that the migrating people took with them out of Africa was developed and sometimes took on an environmentally adaptive character.
However, we shall deal with a few remaining aspects of current research efforts relating to astronomy. It is in Africa’s interests to know new knowledge that is emerging out of current research efforts. Are there life forms on the exoplanets and beyond? Are there aliens of a superior intelligence who are watching over us and may be some source of worry, concern and trepidation to the rich of this world?
Technology translates to the demand for new resources, in particular, the minerals that may be found in abundance in some parts of the universe. For that, exploration will have to be taken to new levels and this is not something new.
There are those of us who believe that in the past our planet Earth has been visited by aliens and remember, to them we are the aliens. Some came, shipped away earth’s mineral resources and left evidence of extra-territorial residence that we are at pains to explain and interpret.
Over Kyiv in Ukraine, there have been sighted Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) also known as Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). Today, we continue to witness terrestrial and cosmic phenomena whose origins and operations are beyond human comprehension and interpretation. For example, the geometric crop circles often appear in some parts of the world. Astronomers are hard put to explain the forces behind their occurrence. Amazing, the circularity associated with them is astounding and continues to flex the minds of scientists and astronomers alike.
The geometric patterns are comparable to those that the Matobo women artistes execute on the walls of their huts. Explaining the origins of these geometric designs is an intellectual challenge. All that we do know is that the practice has been passed down the ages through practice and orality. We hear Zimbabwe is about to embark on her own adventures into outer space.
Who knows, we may come up with new insights and knowledge and, in the process, contribute to the world of knowledge for the human race and our nemeses, the aliens who are watching every step we are taking on Earth. This goes to underlie the fact that there is so much that is yet to be discovered.
We shall conclude the current literary venture by identifying more cosmic phenomena and bodies in outer space such as comets, asteroids, meteorites and black holes. Icing on the cake will be provided by a close look at crop circles and seek their African explanation, interpretations and responses from Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa’s perspective. The same phenomena will be investigated in terms of modern scientific and sometimes pseudo-scientific researches and opinions.
Then it will be time to return to the world of African Cultural Astronomy.
Online Reporter