Contemporary Art
14th Century Chagga god artefact.
Solar Association.
One of the distinctive characteristics of Ruwa is its association with the sun. The Chaga people perceive the sun as a powerful and life-giving force, and they attribute its radiance and warmth to the benevolence of Ruwa. The sun, in this context, symbolizes the sustaining energy that promotes growth and vitality.
This attribute makes the god demonstrate the universality of the concept of solar deities and their significance in diverse cultural and religious contexts. Ruwa is the equivalent of Apollo, Sol, Mithra, Ra, as shown below:
- Apollo (Apollo is one of the most well-known solar deities in ancient Greek and Roman mythology)
- Sol (Norse Mythology): In Norse mythology, Sol is the personification of the sun.
- Mithra (Persian and Roman Mithraism): Mithra is a deity in ancient Persian.
- Ra is the ancient Egyptian sun god and a principal deity in the Egyptian pantheon.
Chaga religious practices involve rituals and offerings aimed at appeasing and honoring Ruwa. These rituals may include ceremonies associated with agricultural cycles, life milestones, and communal events. Offerings such as food, libations, and symbolic objects may be presented as a gesture of gratitude and devotion. Below is a ritual prayer offered to the god with the wooden artefact above being the focal point of the room and dominating the visual landscape due to its reflective properties.
We know you Ruwa, Chief, Preserver: He who united the bush and the plain. You, Ruwa, Chief, the elephant indeed, He who burst forth men that they lived. We praise you and pray to you and fall before you. You have sent us this animal which is of your own fashioning, For you share with no man and none is given thereof: Chief, receive this bull of your name, Heal him to whom you gave it and his children, Sow the seeds of offspring with us that we may beget like bees, May our clan hold together that it be not cleft in the land, May strangers not come to possess our groves: Now Chief, Preserver, bless all that is ours!
from Kilimanjaro & its People by C. Dundas Frank Cass Ltd. (1968)