| |
Author's
Note: This essay was written in response to a questions posed by the
moderator at Windowsonhaiti.com. The entire thread may be accessed on
Black Woman, Mother of all the Races at: Windowsonhaiti.com
Black Women: Mother of All the Races
HOW THAT BLACK WOMAN CAME TO BE?
If we are talking about who gave birth to the FIRST human being (s),
and we are assuming, She is, the very oldest skeletal remains there
is and She is the FIRST, then "How That Black woman came to be?"
is beyond anyone’s real knowledge. Those answers lie in myths,
legends, world cosmologies and religious dogmas.
So let’s quickly look at a few Haitian/African myths, legends
and cosmologies that may address "How That Black woman came to
be?"
MYTHICALLY - If we look at Haitian cosmology:
1. Perhaps SHE came to be because "one plus one is three."
2. Perhaps SHE was the original twin.
3. Perhaps "One and one is three" as She is unseparated, indivisible,
mysterious, unnamed. As She is a mystical marriage of some of the sacred
trinities - mind, body and soul.....past, present and future, et cetera,
simultaneously.
No matter. Before it became a scientific fact, Vodouist believed everyone,
in their world, as they knew it, were related directly - like parent to
child - like Lè marasa, lè mò and lè mistè;
like zanset yo e ti moun yo.
Lè marasa, lè mò and lè mistè
There are various ways of looking at the Haitian concept of Lè
marasa, lè mò and lè mistè:
The holy trinity of past, present and future;
Of life as a circle;
Of everything, tree, animal, moon, stars, earth as containing Go(o)d’s
enabling light;
Of life as energies all connected and vibrating, molding, remolding
and unmolding on unseen planes;
Life as the serpentine movement of undulation, transforming multiplicity;
Reaching for fusion, syncretism – synthesis;
Culling "the Many" back to "the One;" and,
Reaching for Black.
HISTORICALLY/CHRONOLOGICALLY
How SHE came to be? has never been the Vodouists’ issue. It was
how THEY (Lè marasa -the male and female twin) came to be that
I learned about.
But, one and one is three. So, perhaps one must mold all the folklore
and myths together to get the whole picture? Perhaps, after we look at
the
1) historical/chronological,
2) the metaphysical,
3) allegorical and spiritual/ritualistic we shall find a fuller picture
in a way that simple compartmentalization cannot reveal?
But let’s compartmentalize for the moment and look at the historical/chronological
aspects.
The African ancestors in Haiti brought the power of their spirits to the
New World where it has been maintained and syncretized, for generations,
in the rituals of Vodun. Thus, we know, the Vodouist foreparents in Haiti
synthesized, molded all their Yoruba, Fon, various other West African,
then Kongo and Angolan beliefs; reblended these pagan codes to fit their
circumstances, wrapped it with a sprinkling of European and New World
facade, and passed it on, to their descendants in Haiti today, as Vodun.
It’s plausible, I would say, though no one I know explains it quite
this way, that: out of primordial darkness came the indivisible female
TWIN. (Perhaps Ayida Wedo?) The TWIN had children becoming the first parent.
The first parent died, eventually becoming the first Black goddess, lwa
(irreducible essence) – divinity/saint after time unremembered.
In Vodun, this trinity is also represented by the cross symbol, which
points to the cosmic crossroad/meeting place/kalfou/Poto Mitan of the
trinity (Lè marasa, lè mò and lè mistè).
This trinity cuts across dimensions, time and space. And more particularly,
for our discussion, ALL peoples and all energies, everything is connected
- through this trinity – all the races (ethnicities) on earth.
Except, we know the pagan Vodouists did not, in any way, create their
cosmology to divide the world by gender, races or "chosen peoples"
who are "superior" or "inferior" one group or gender
to the other. Why would they? Africans peopled the earth alone, before
dogmas of patriarchy and racism that I know about took hold.
So, as far as I can interpret, the ancient pagan Vodouists, in rituals,
veves, dance and songs, talked of themselves and their connection
to divinity only. We do know "manman mwen" is a natural prefix
before many supplications to many of the lwa-yo for help, blessings and
guidance. We also know, women were the first deities of all the ancient
pagan peoples on earth. But, in Vodun, the origin of humanity is explained
in terms of Lè marasa, lè mor and lè mystè.
In my view and best interpretation of the information available, I would
say, "Gran met la" has no gender in Haitian cosmology to the
best of my knowledge and no race is given as to the lwa-yo or spirits
or saints. BUT, as the Haitian Lwa (s) are direct descendants of
the Africans telling the story, one naturally knows the lwa-s are Black
also, and look like their descendants. BUT, as only women give
birth, and the pagan Vodouist was not known to be illogical, one may conclude,
"Gran Met La" or "Bondje" is capable, of giving birth,
like a female.
But if patriarchy won't allow this conclusion to stick, se bon, se bon
- whatever rocks your boat. Danbala-Wedo or Ayida Wedo. It's all
good! The most amazing thing I find, is that female and male are just
accepted in Vodun, equally. No sweat. Wholeness requires both female and
male energy in ONE. Yin and yang, Danbala-Wedo/ Ayida Dan Wedo.
Witness the most famous traditional-Haitian-Rada song of creation and
wisdom: Danbala-Wedo se bon se bon. Ayida Wedo se bon se bon. Lè
ma monte chwal mwen gen moun k ap kryè …." Does it give
any hints? Perhaps so.
The most salient point, to understand, perhaps, is that there is
no inherent or unnatural (good vs evil) division, worthy of comment, for
the Vodouist. "Se bon, se bon." It's all good - no original
sin. Therefore, no inherent dualistic dichotomy.
Humanity - we - all came from the same sacred indivisible Twin.
Images and structures are not as important to the Vodouist. Not like they
are to the Western and Eastern global race hierarchy pundits, who, over
time, syncretized and reinterpreted some of these original pagan beliefs
and devised their Judeo-Christian and Islamic theologies and cosmologies,
on divisions, based on gender, nationalism and race, for control and hegemonic
purposes. That’s my interpretation.
METAPHYSICALLY: On the metaphysical level, the Haitian elder also
explains the origin of humanity as follows: Out of primordial space, Anba
Dlo, a sound came. This first disturbance of cosmic silence/primordial
space, caused an echo. That echo and the original sound together caused
a third separate entity to be born. Allegorically this Haitian
cosmology/mystical concept is explained with the phrase: "One plus
one equals three" - 1 e 1 fè twa. For, from that first echo
and original sound "the child" arose. Out of that first primordial
movement and its echo, in an unseen dimension, "the other" was
born. Mirrored-images. That other had issues, another was born of those
two and on and on and on, ad infinitum. The world was thus created. Thus,
the idea every action has a consequence is illustrated by the Vodouist.
"One plus one equals three" tells a thousand tales to the Vodouist.
It also allows for the acceptance of contradictions, in a way traditional
European minds do not accept.
SPIRITUAL LEVEL On a mythical/spiritual level, one could say, the
Haitian elder explains how that first Black woman came to be, thus: Out
of Anba Dlo, (Lan Ginen), that is, out of cosmic space, came
the first movement, or "breath" of Bondye, (or "ashe"
the reservoir of all potentiality of infinite intelligence.) It was like
a zigzag, like your breath. It was like a coiling and uncoiling image
undulating, shedding layers, Her rainbow colors along the way. It was
like the action of birth – release/contract. It was as if Go(o)d’s
first inhalation had its twin, the exhale. To Haitians, overtime, the
principle/archetype/lwa Ayida Dan Wedo represents wisdom and this action
of creation/birthing.
Ok that takes care of the 3rd question.
In two Ezili Danto posts above:
"The
Black Mother - she's Moroccan too! It's true" and, "Haitians
have a legacy to reach for......." I’ve already explored
why patriarchy and racism was used to destroy the Black goddess.
Now, for my attempt at the first question: A Black woman is the mother
of all the races. "What is the nature of this claim?"
2. WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THIS CLAIM?
I’ve written, in, numerous posts on this Forum, that:
Quote:
| "Based on recent scientific
studies of DNA, there is little dispute that modern humanity originated
in Africa, that African people are the world's
aboriginal people and that ALL
modern humans can ultimately trace their ancestral roots back
to Africa. Africa is the cradle of civilization….."
|
I’ve addressed the Black origin of all civilizations on earth
at these posts and identified the nature of the claim at:
I’ve written
Quote:
| "If not for the primordial
migrations of early African people, humanity would have remained
physically Africoid, and the rest of the world outside of the
African continent absent of human life. This is our starting point."
(The
African Presence In India: A Photo Essay by Runic Rashidi.)"
|
Yet, one of the questions presented is "What is the Nature of This
Claim? To start with I know this to be a rhetorical question sent out
for "Ann Pale" debate. But, I will answer, again, as if I have
not already stated the answer.
A Black woman is the mother of all the races. It’s not only allegorical,
metaphysical, historical, it is based on the latest, known SCIENTIFIC
facts.
But reality, to the African philosopher, cannot be divided in compartments.
A Vodouist knew, through centuries of observing reality, and listening
the griot tales of the Black mother – Black Madonna. Creation was
union -sexual, carnal, spiritual, metaphysical - not a sterile, taking
a rib from Adam thing.
"Sitting on Isis' lap" was a phrase that illustrate the origin
of the crown and royalty in ancient KEMET (Africa) Then, it was the Black
woman who would choose the leaders in her society and family, by literally
sitting him/her on her lap! What we know now as the Kings chair and crown
could not be passed-on to an heir, by a male, only by the elder priestess/Manbo/woman.
The embroidered crown (feather), scepter and royal red chair, in ancient
Africa, were symbols of the Black woman’s divine decree. Evidencing
that women were originally the primary religious figures, not the Pope,
et cetera. Later on, patriarchic cultures, sprung up because of all-male
migration throughout the world. These patriarchic cultures then took on
these symbols of authority for their own, not knowing their original meaning…..
Hence, it was Cecil Fatiman, mounted by the spirit of Ezili Dantò,
who gave the scepter of leadership to Boukmann. His power came form source
– a powerful, ancient, female source remembered.
But, let's leave, folklore and storytelling alone for a moment. Those
"scientists" who live ONLY by "scientific" and data
compartmentalization have come to agree that "all humans alive today
can claim as a common ancestor a woman who lived in Africa some 150,000
years ago — dubbed, inevitably, "Eve." (See, the
face of eve)
We know neither the white European nor the Arab settlers in Africa where
indigenous to the African continent. Thus, the notion of an African origin
of the human family has grown to be accepted by most scientists, historians
and scholars.
I’ve written, on this matter, in at least four posts, but probably
in others. I wrote of this, not because I am a human being ordinarily
categorized as a "Black woman," but in context to certain points
I wished to make that are essential primarily because of the racists burdens
heaped on the issues of human beings categorized as, of "the Black
race of Africa."
I wrote to say Blacks once peopled the earth, therefore we claim
more than Africa as our "place."
I wrote to say that Blacks, not whites, are the parents
of civilizations. Thus, we are no one’s children, don’t
need patronizing. Au contraire.
Most importantly I point to the Black mother because of Haiti's unique
relationship with Her original creed. And, to help liberate Haitian
and Black minds in general. To cut our mental chains and give us a means
to stop our strange associating with our former captors, where, similar
to hostages exhibiting long-term psychological problems called, the
"Stockholm Syndrome", we-Blacks also consistently exhibit
these mental aberrations by identifying with whites, our former captors/colonial
rulers, while actually FEARING those Blacks, amongst us, who
seek to end our captivity. (See, the
Stockholm Syndrome)
I point to the Black mother of all the races to say we-Blacks don’t
need to seek to win white favor, like sufferers of "Stockholm Syndrome"
seek their captors approval, "in an almost childlike way."
I point to the Black mother of all the races so we mostly miseducated
Blacks may know were the original parents. So that, if we understand
this, we may begin to address the mental aberrations of neocons like
Condoleeza Rice, Powell, Clarence Thomas, Ward Connelly, Armstrong Williams,
et cetera and most of the African feudal lords, who, display strong
attachment to their former captors/colonizer’s points of view,
reference points, automatically defending their captors interest to
their own Blacks peoples detriment. (See, the
Stockholm Syndrome)
Those are the reasons I wrote, in many posts that a Black woman is the
mother of all the races. I can’t look for them all. But one also
may look in the following posts at:
1. "The
Sacred Power of Words - A vision for Gifrants" : where I wrote,
among other things:
Quote:
| "I live and understand
very well my paradoxes and purposes. Whosoever is not emitting
energies that end up killing the Black woman’s issues have
nothing to fear from Ezili
Dantò, the spirit that guides me. And, I’ve
already pointed out a Black woman is the mother of all the races.
So think about those two sentences the next time you think I am
anti-white. Perhaps it will help you decipher a few things. For,
I mean what I say, in all its infinite variations, but most directly
about liberating children that could fall down my thigh. I don’t
pander to anyone who can’t get down with that." |
2. "Nature
of Vodun" (at "The attack on Vodun Part 3 - Vodun keeps
us together") where I revisited references I’d already made
in other posts about the original Black mother issue. I wrote:
Quote:
| "The time has come for
us to STOP being confused, ashamed of our Black peoples and at
frozen impasse… We know the truth and to know the truth
and still remain "in confusion" is to deliberately collaborate
with Category One – the imperialist, his white privilege
and racist patriarchy." |
3. I also wrote in The
Origin of Civilization:
Quote:
THE ORIGIN OF CIVILIZATION:
"…..(O)nly Black people peopled the earth once. Our
history is not limited to just the one area called Africa but
instead encompasses the entire planet Earth."
"…we-Haitians must stop being stymied, apathetic or
cynical. We could say no and empower ourselves. Knowing world
history would be a good place to start with the empowerment. Most
African leaders don’t even know Black people’s true
glorious history on this planet."
"We outnumber Category One by our sheer numbers (They only
make-up 17% of the world population) and have survived a whole
lot longer on this earth than their histories are even willing
to acknowledge. As they say one drop of Black blood is enough
to spoil a whole bunch of "whites" for generations to
come. Their fear comes from our power over them, especially biologically.
Otherwise why would they separate the Black woman and imprison
the Black men so in U.S. prisons all over this planet, in job
locations, on Islands and continents of pain et cetera…..
Our problem as Black people is we don’t have this fear of
biological extinction. We are too complacent, forgiving, kind
and hospitable. All some white guy must do to get our admiration
or vote is to drop a few Kreyol words into his conversation. We
have accepted just survival, not quality of life, or the treasure
throves that are ours, as a people, for the taking. |
I've written: THE ARABIA, EGYPT, PALESTINE, INDIA -FIRST WERE BLACK.
Quote:
| According to Herodotus, a
Greek historian, who lived during the 5th century b.c.e., and
whom the Europeans regards as the Father of history, all
the people of Arabia, Egypt, Palestine, India, Western Asia,
the Sudan and what we now call sub-sahara Africa were Black. |
I’ve written: THE FIRST CHINESE WERE BLACK.
Quote:
The first Chinese were Black
(See tricenter.com
and J.A. Rogers’ book "Sex and Race and Sex, Vol. 1
and 2 and, according to the Los Angeles Times, Sept. 29, 1998,)
"Most
of the population of modern China--one fifth of all people living
today--owes it genetic origins to Africa."
Black people peopled, at sometime, all of Southern India and Indo-China.
(See, book by J.A. Rogers entitled "Sex and Race" See
also – The
African Presence In India: A Photo Essay by Runoko Rashidi.)
In China, an Africoid presence in visible from remote antiquity.
The Shang, for example, China's first dynasts, are described as
having "black and oily skin." The famous Chinese sage
Lao-Tze was "black
in complexion." or Study
traces genetic origin of Chinese to Africa. |
THE FIRST JAPANESE WERE BLACK.
I’ve written:
Quote:
The Japanese have a saying
that a great samurai must have Black blood.
"Although the island nation of Japan is assumed by many to
have been historically composed of an essentially homogenous population,
the accumulated evidence places the matter in a vastly different
light. A Japanese proverb states that: "For a Samurai
to be brave, he must have a bit of Black blood." Another
recording of the proverb is: "Half the blood in one's veins
must be Black to make a good Samurai." Sakanouye
Tamura Maro, a Black man, became the first Shogun of Japan. |
I’ve written: BLACKS WERE IN THE AMERICAS BEFORE COLUMBUS.
Quote:
Everybody knows by now that
we Black people came to the Americas before Columbus (Read, Ivan
Van Sertima’s book "They Came Before Columbus."
Any of his or Lerome Bennets’ books, including "They
Came Before The Mayflower.")
There are Eskimos in Alaska and Greenland darker in pigmentation
than the darkest African from equatorial Africa (See, Cheik A.
Diop book "African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality")
|
I’ve written: WE-HAITIANS MAY USE KNOWLEDGE OF BLACKS HISTORY
IN THE WORLD TO SEE OUR FULLER CAPACITY –TO STOP BONDING WITH OUR
ABUSERS AS A MEANS TO ENDURE VIOLENCE...
Quote:
| We-Haitians must open up
our minds to our possibilities and then move forward towards those
uplifting imaginings, letting the way be made out of no way. The
"rational" does not include all that is "the possible."
Just because our suffering still looks "inevitable",
doesn’t mean we-Haitians couldn’t change the Euro/US
oppressive blueprint/archetypes in a short 13-years as the Bwa
Kayiman warriors did." |
I’ve written:
Quote:
| "My point is, when I
hear Haitians say they have nowhere to go. I know they don’t
know Black people peopled the earth once and are natural travelers.
I know no one has given them the vision of OUR PLACE on this earth
as Black people; that they are imprisoned within the prisms of
the fairly new, but very artificial Euro/US prototype Nation-States,
with artificial borders and Euro/US draconian exclusionary passports
and exclusionary-mostly-to-dark-peoples-entrance-laws. But examine
our Haitian and even the recent African republics’ histories.
And you’ll see these borders cannot and will not hold the
Black spirit and thirst for travel, learning, upward mobility
and for humane co-existence with all the peoples and cultures
on earth." |
THE BLACKS IN MEXICO.
Quote:
| "It’s our glorious
legacy as the original ancient world travelers, explorers and
builders of civilizations. In ancient times, in Mexico, the Olmec
Blacks left their great imprints. All over South America our imprints
haven’t faded over time. It is because we have not been
taught "our glorious history", as Mbeki might put it,
that we might cringe at the shenanigans of Aristide as a feudal
lord for the self-appointed "Divine Kings" – as
an agent of imperial white power." |
I’ve written:
Quote:
| "I briefly recount this
world Black history as a way to say neither this little Island
called Ayiti nor even Africa (ancient Kemet) are our only place
of abode. The white man wishes we-Blacks were "aliens"
to the Americas. But, we had a
history before these coarse white tribes of Western
Europe and their settler’s barbarity started. (BEFORE, Islam
decimated the traditionalist.) We don’t have to take on
anyone’s biological fatalistic notions, their fear, chaos
and confusion. To undo is a daily task I know. But I say give
the fear back intact. Call up the power spirit of the ancestors.
Our ancestors built every major civilization that ever existed
on this earth. Look up and remember who you are my Black people." |
**********
To conclude, I made my statements within the context of empowering Black
Haitians, liberating Black minds and uplifting us with truth about our
place and connectedness one to another, on this planet earth.
In all these posts, I believe I’ve given references where these
fact may be further analyzed.
If, there are other, more reliable scientific and historical information,
that civilization did not start in Africa; that human existence
did not start in Africa; that the white race peopled the earth
before the Black race; that a white European woman or an Asian
or Native American woman gave birth to the Black race and all
the races (ethnicities); that all the races cannot be traced back to
Africa, and therefore back to BLACK. If Black doesn't encompass
all peoples and Black is not "diversity" personified. If there
is credible information out there that the European white woman’s
is the mother of civilization; that the first Madonna and therefore
first human attempt ever, at the Goddess, was white, not Black, please
I’d like to read it?
For, from reading the most informed sources and writing on this topic
for years now, it is my understanding, that DNA research, by modern
scientist, reveal the human race can be traced back genetically, through
tracing a woman’s genetic make-up back through her mothers, grandmothers,
great-grandmothers and on to the woman’s line back to the beginning
of known history.
And, that scientists have pretty much extrapolated that if this was
done, with every human being on the planet, the original mother of any
race line, as far as we have been able to go back, to date, is traced
to a Black woman. (See, Eve
explained: And the
real Eve Rediscovered.
*******
3) WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
I’ve already addressed what it means to Haiti.
To the rest of the world, it states, simply, that the most up to date
evidence, besides all the historical works on the issue, shows that
the oldest skeletal remains found, on this earth, was a Black woman.
This skeletal remains contains the genetic information of all the races.
There's no such thing as a "pure white race." If you have
different information that is more credible than the discovery channels
two hour documentary on this, or any of the references I’ve noted
above. Please, point it out so I may get better informed.
I say this especially since I am currently working on "Ezili Dantò
in Africa before Islam and Christianity".- a multi-media project
which will look at the Black goddess and African traditional cultures
before racist patriarchy reared-up its ugly head. A work, which may
be entitled, once completed – "Ezili Dantò:
Claiming Africa before Islam and Christianity."
I got this idea as I worked on pieces to answer M’beki’s
challenged and to show why Haiti matters. In this work, I am examining
the profound importance of the existence of Haiti. I am delving into
what happened when, after 900 years of Islamic imperialism in Africa,
compounded by 300 years of European Christianity in the Americas, Blacks
finally remembered their Black mother’s culture not their rapists/enslavers/captors’
dogmas and cultures and used that strength to tear their chains into
smithereens, for the first time in almost 1200 years, reaching for source
- traditional African source, as its been syncretized in the best amongst
us today.
There in Haiti, my Black ancestors, for the first time cut through the
cultural imperialism and confusion and found unity in Vodun. They found
libète when they touched Vodun, their own source, and lanmò
in the other imported cultures with their intolerant creeds.
It’s worth repeating:
On August 14, 1791, my ancestors, in Haiti remembered their dark, African
mothers and honored Her culture. For their men warriors had been decimated
during years of the various invaders brutality and co-option. But, on
August 14, 1791 Boukmann remembered, not his Arab father or great-great-great-great
fathers father’s culture/creed, relegating women to the inferiority-rank,
et cetera, but Mother Africa. The amalgamated tribes, in Haiti, found
and took hold of, Ezili Danto who said, "Kanga Mundele" on
August 14, 1791.
They found legba, Danbala, Manman Lasirene, Ogou Feray, Atibon Legba,
Gran Bwa, Simbi, Grann Ezili. Over two hundred delegation where present.
A woman priest, Cecil Fatiman, a manbo, passed that message on to Boukmann,
a marroon warrior.
As I’ve pointed out before, both Fatiman and Boukmann could have
been Muslim converts. But, everyone at Bwa
Kayiman, all, be they Muslim and Christians converts, went
HOME that day, back to Vodun and, that, my friends, as I will explore,
has been the road less traveled by any African nation to date.
That, has made ALL the difference to modern world history and to Africans
in the New World and around the world, globally.
Again, "What does this mean:"
I’m thinking of not only Ezili Dantò: Claiming Africa
before Islam and Christianity, but, why limit ourselves to Africa,
why not record: Ezili Dantò: The Rise Of the Black Goddess
in the 21st Century?
There are probably other interpretations out there, I look forward to
reading about them.
|
|
