The Traditional Religious Leaders among the Gogo Society Of Central Tanzania
Date
1999-02-12
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Tangaza University College
Abstract
"My son; for the contemporary generation and this religion of yours, it is very
difficult to understand and appreciate what has been done and what is being done by the
real traditional diviners". It is a statement by an old lady, about eighty years old, called
Chando Msonjela
When I was interviewing her, in detail about the traditional religious leaders in the
Nyambwa community she was not comfortable, because it is her belief that the world we
are living is quite different from the world she lived; we are living in a chaotic world. The
reasons being that, there is no respect for the traditional customs, traditional religious
leaders are becoming fewer and fewer and most of those who are calling themselves
traditional religious leaders are not true diviners but liars. Her world view is just in a
small village called Sanza and other neighbouring villages in the Eastern part of Singida
region in Tanzania.
Mama Chando, was trying to express how it is becoming so difficult for the new
generation to value and appreciate the traditional religious leaders in the Nyambwa
community; this community is part of the (logo society in central part of Tanzania. The
Gogo society is divided into two main communities, the Nyaugogo community in the
eastern and central part of Dodoma, and the Nyambwa community which is in the
western part of Dodoma and the eastern part of Singida region, situated in the Central Rift
Valley . These two communities speak the same language but they differ in accent and
some few expressions of words. As a result of my interviews from experienced elders of the Nyarnbwa community
and going through different books, I hope that this paper will be helpful for us to
understand about the traditional religious leaders in Africa, using the Gogo society
specially the Nyambwa sub-group, as a case study.
In this paper I will try to explain the reality of the African traditional religious leaders,
their existence, role and how the African communities looked at them. Explaining the
past about these religious leaders it will not be enough without trying to see , what is the
attitude of the contemporary society toward them.
Having an idea of who are these religious leaders and their importance to the African
societies it will not help us, unless we pick something from them that could help our
Christian priests and the whole Christian community at large in their Missionary work.
The song of inculturation will not click to any mind, unless the wisdom and knowledge of
the African traditional religious leaders is consulted,since their wisdom is the foundation
of the African beliefs.
It is my hope that, something positive and educative from the African traditions
will come out. With open and critical mind we will be able to understand the African
traditions, which later on is going to be very helpful for our missions in Africa.
Description
Keywords
Traditional, Religious, Society, African Traditional, Missionaries, Religious Leaders, Diviners, Medicine Men and Women., Seers, Rain Makers, Traditional Rulers