Naming in Africa
Introduction
African culture is a very rich culture. It is a culture full of various meanings that may not be directly accessible to a stranger. Often, it is important to know the context of certain rituals, ways of behaving and other culturally based activities to comprehend fully that culture.
In order to understand better the value of African traditional approach to naming few general consideration should be kept in mind. It is relevant to do it to locate naming process within certain cultural and religious beliefs that influence it, or may even be the raison d'etre of it.
When we talk about African culture, we should keep in mind that there is no clear distinction nor separation between that culture and religion. They form one interconnected universe where human beings live. Anything 'cultural' usually has a religious connotation and vice versa.
African universe is a universe that is full of invisible forces. God, divinities, ancestors, living-dead and various spirits inhabit that world and coexist with human beings. They all cohabit in a balance that is easily affected by the behaviour of the living. As such, a considerable amount of time, ritual activities and social institutions is spent, used and created in order to maintain that balance.
A special role among invisible beings is attributed to the ancestors. They are the ones who were human beings and they are close to God now. Their role may vary, though, in general, they are interested in the quality of life of the living. They are those who take active interest in the matters related to the life of the community, since their well-being depends upon the well-being of the living. They can affect the living in a positive or negative way. Their impact on the community is directly connected with certain behaviours of the living- if people venerate them, offer libations, live in peace, keep taboos, then they support the community. If some rules are not followed, the ancestors make people realize, through various forms of punishment, that something has to change in order to restore the balance.
The African way of looking at the world is a practical one. Man is in the center of the universe and he is the point of reference. Everything exists in order to help him or is evaluated as preventing him or disturbing the harmony and the good life which is the goal of his endeavors. This life is the focus of existence and life after death is somehow a very similar to this one. Everything is to be done to enjoy the quality of earthly life. Here and now is what really matters.
Naming practices
The elements mentioned above seem to me to be one of the principal ones that influence the naming process in Africa.
The variety of local cultures, richness of rituals and diversity of names used on this continent make it impossible to deal with the naming practices in any other except general way.
The following factors can be taken into account, depending upon the community, when naming a child:
- among the Kikuyu, parents name their first son after the father's father, their first daughter after the mother's mother, their second son after the mother's father and their second daughter after the father's mother;
- children may be named according to the day of the week, the time of the day or the season when they were born;
- children may be named following the order in which their were born in the particular family;
- circumstances of the birth of the child, whether it was a premature birth or a normal one, circumstances of the family and the community, important events, material wealth of the family may be reflected in the names selected by the parents for their children;
- sometimes, if a child is born and dies and it is believed in that family that the death was caused by the spirits, in order to deceive them, a new born child is given a name that is supposed to deceive or scare the spirits;
- in some communities names are used as a way of informing one's enemies that he is aware of some evil scheme that is used against him, such as sorcery;
- many names reflect the attributes of God, express praise or thanksgiving to God;
- many children are named after the deceased members of the family;
- names may be related to some tribal myths, e.g.many Kikuyu girls are named after one the nine daughters of the first man, Gikuyu;
- some names refer to state of health of the new born baby and his physical features.
Wagner in his book 'The Bantu of Western Kenya' (1949) talks about 3 names given among the Vugusu: one is chosen by the mother while she is confined to her hut, the second one is chosen by his age-mates. The most important name is the ancestral name. It is ceremonially given and its choice has to be carefully considered. It is given to a boy after he has passed the circumcision rites. As such having an ancestral name is necessary to achieve an adult status. Wagner also mentions the fact that a male child can only be named after the male ancestor and a female child after the female ancestor. Another general ruled used is one that a child can never be named after a person who died without getting married or without offspring.
The value of the naming process
We have seen that there are many elements that may have to be taken into consideration when thinking about the name for a new born child. Usually, it is not an easy or obvious process. It may involve a lot of deliberation within the family itself, the elders and the diviner who is to reveal to the family what name the ancestors want the child to be given. That naming process is deeply rooted in cultural practices and religious beliefs mentioned above.
In general, as described, names have a meaning. They may convey various aspects related to the birth and the condition of the child.
Names, e.g.those related to the attributes of God, are a means of worship. A name may be a way of expressing specific beliefs of a given community concerning Supreme Being and a way of worshiping in a 'practical' way.
A name confers a status in the community. Only child that was names is considered a member of the community. If a child dies without having been given a name, he may become a malicious spirit.
In most cases, a community of the living and of the dead would participate, in one way or another, in the naming process. It was a way of strengthening the community, of transmitting communal values and showing the interconnectedness of all members of the community. It should be stressed that it was very important for the living not too offend the ancestors who could revenge.
A child named after an ancestor was believed to be somehow 'inhabited' by the spirit of that ancestor. The ancestor was believed to be incarnated in that particular child and to influence his qualities, often to the extent, that somebody observing the child or an adult person later would almost automatically associate him with that ancestor. This process was very important because it was a way of enhancing the quality of life after death. As long as a dead person was remembered, e.g.through a naming process, he was retained in the memory of the community and enjoyed a better status. Magesa in “African religion. The moral traditions of abundant life” (1998) describes it in the following way: “Naming involves the incarnation of a person (an ancestor)... The child is often perceived to take on the physical and (later, as it matures) the moral characteristics of the ancestor after whom it is named. It is expected to live these characteristics, to lead a virtuous and exemplary life in whatever sphere of life the ancestor in question excelled... In this way, the connection between the living community and that of the living dead is preserved and strengthened. Through remembrance in naming, the vital force of the ancestors is transmitted to the entire clan” (p. 89-90). The ancestor after whom the child was named acts also as a guardian of that child.
Parents naming the child after his ancestors were transmitting the beliefs of the society and also they were 'ensuring' their future after their death – if a child was named after his forefathers, it was rather likely that he would do the same and the very parents would be reincarnated and continue to live in the grandchildren.
Naming children using divine attributes, naming them after ancestors, giving them names that would cheat evil spirits were means used to preserve what was the most important in the African culture – to preserve life so that the life of the family, community, clan may continue without end.
A name served in many cases as a blueprint for what was expected from that child during his life. Looking at it from a psychological point of view is could serve as a self-esteem fostering element – a child knew that he was to be somebody unique and was to achieve some special tasks in life. That expectation contained in the name, if a name had such a connotation, would serve as an element stressing the individuality of a person in a very community oriented society.
Conclusions
The naming process played a very important role in the life of the community. Various members of the community could be involved at various stages: parents, family, elders, age-mates.
Names usually had a meaning. In such a name, one could see connection with the past. e.g.being named after ancestors, and with the future. Name served as a kind of manifesto one was supposed to implement in his life at later stage.
Looking at the present situation, whereby 'European' names are used more and more, one should keep in mind that they also have meanings. In the Christian culture, a name would be associated with a saint. That is the reason why, in the Catholic tradition, at baptism parents are encouraged to pick up well-known Christian names for their children. The same goes when it comes to confirmation. A child or a young person receiving or choosing a name of a saint is supposed to live according to the qualities that holy person displaced in his life.
I believe it will be beneficial to continue this beautiful African tradition of choosing a name that has a particular, positive meaning. Choosing an African name, or a European one should be a process that only in part depends upon the personal preference of the parents. They should be concerned more about the meaning that name conveys. In such a way, indirectly, they may influence for better the future of their children.