ANCIENT AJA

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IMPORTANT NOTICE

While writing Black History, I found that I would have to write a manuscript on the religious beliefs of at least five of the seven African nations of our Ancestors (the other two are imbedded in the story), in order to understand and use their worldview to analyze our history, called an Afrocentric approach.

Using the example of the things Christians do and believe to bring love into their lives to save their souls through the father-son Gods of their Religion, Jesus Christ and Jehovah; the following is some of the things the Ancient Aja did and believed, in order to worship the Friendship between the mind and the five senses to become a nation of psychologists, (I call voodoo magic) through the worship of the father-mother-baby Gods and Goddesses of their religion, Mawu-Lisa and Legba. I used this as part of a foundation to write an Afrocentric history of African Americans.

The following is a section from the soon to be released book “The AfroSacredStar Story; Ancient West African Spirituality/Family Reunion with our Ancient African Ancestors” by Orchester Benjamin. We believe there is more than enough information to cover the use of African-Traditional-Religion-at-work for people that are interested in going deeper into the subject.

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Aja Creation Story,

The Gods and Goddesses

Well Fellow Detectives, although we can see that the Yoruba influence was in the area of Divination ritual, and the Akan's influence in the area of the organization of Kingship.

However, as mentioned, when it came to the organization of the Aja's religious beliefs we will find that they are not influence by anybody in all of Africa.

For this reason, Grandpa knows that the following stories of Gods and Goddesses will seem strange to you compared to the Gods and Goddesses of the Yoruba, Igbo and Akan. This is because the Aja have strange Gods and Goddesses and a strange religion, as we will soon see.

Grandpa thinks you will begin to see what I mean after we see some of the symbolism in their stories about the Gods and Goddesses; beginning with the one about how the Aja believe the spiritual world came into reality.

 Meanwhile, we should keep in mind that the Aja word for Gods and Goddesses in “Vudu,” pronounced “Voodoo;” and we quote.

"MAWU-LISA, The Great Creator, is one Being with two faces. The first face is that of a Goddess, MAWU, whose eyes are the Moon. The other face is a God, LISA, whose eyes are the Sun. MAWU is Calm and Cool like the Moon, and LISA, is hot and ruthless like the Sun.

          Since MAWU-LISA is one Being who is both God and Goddess, MAWU became pregnant. The first to be born were a pair of twins, a God child called DA ZODJI, and a Goddess called NYOHWE ANANU.

The second birth was SOGBO, who had the form of his parent, God and Goddess in one.

The third birth was also of twins, a God, AGBE, and a Goddess, NAETE. The fourth to be born was AGE, a God.

The fifth GU, also a God: GU is all body. He has no head, instead of a head, a great sword is coming out of His neck. His trunk is of stone.

The sixth birth was not a spiritual Being, but DJO, Air, atmosphere; Air is needed to create the breath of life.

The seventh to be born was LEGBA; MAWU said LEGBA was to be Her spoiled Child God, because He was the youngest.

One day the Goddess face of MAWU-LISA assembled all the children in order to divide the kingdom of the Universe. To the first twins, DA ZODJI and NYOHWE ANANU, She gave all the riches and told them to go and inhabit the earth. She said the earth was for them.

MAWU said to SOGBO, He was to remain in Heaven, because He was both God and Goddess like His Parent. She told AGBE and NAETE to go and inhabit the sea and command the waters. To AGE, She gave command of all the animals and birds, and She told him to live in the bush (forest) as a Hunter.

To GU, MAWU said He was Her strength, and that was why He was not given a head like the others. GU is a Blacksmith God who makes weapons for War, and tools to build, thanks to him, the earth would not always remain wild bush. GU taught men about warfare and building houses and farms.

MAWU told DJO (air) to live in space between the earth and sky. To him was being entrusted the life-span of man. Thanks to Him also, His Brothers and Sisters would be invisible, for He would clothe them. That is why another name for Vodun (Gods and Goddesses) is DJO the Invisible Ones.

When MAWU said this to the children, she gave the SAGBATA TWINS (DA ZODJI and NYOHWE ANANU) the language which was to be used on earth, and took away their memory of the language of Heaven. She gave to SOGBO the language He would speak, and took from Him the memory of the Parent language. The same was done for AGBE and NAETE, for AGE, and for GU, but to DJO was given the language of men.

Now she said to LEGBA, "You are my youngest Child, and as you are spoiled, and have never known punishment, I cannot turn You over to Your Brothers. I will keep you with me always. Your work shall be to visit all the Kingdoms ruled over by Your Brothers, and to give me an account of what happens." So LEGBA knows all the languages known to His Brothers and Sisters, and He knows the language MAWU speaks, also, LEGBA is MAWU's Spokesman. If one of the Brothers or Sisters wishes to speak, He must give the message to LEGBA, for none knows any longer how to address Himself to MAWU-LISA. That is why LEGBA is everywhere.

You will find LEGBA even before the houses of the Vudu (Gods and Goddesses), because all Beings, humans and Gods, must address themselves to Him before they can approach the Great Creator, MAWU-LISA. (End of story).

This gives some indication of what Grandpa meant by the Aja having strange Gods and Goddesses, as related to our usual way of thinking about the image of Gods and Goddesses. And at the same time, tells us how the Aja believe the Gods and Goddesses, and their functions and domains, came into reality.

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