SHIDA
allyMisfortune, wandering spirit
Shida is, in Swahili, the everyday word for difficulty, hardship, trouble or the bad luck of daily life. In certain compilations of East African mythology, this term is personified as a wandering spirit embodying the setbacks and small adversities of ordinary life, in Tanzania and on the Kenyan coast. This figure belongs to a vast Swahili imagination peopled with spirits, notably the shetani, held capable of bringing sickness, misfortune or possession. Shida does not, however, correspond to a named deity solidly attested by research: it is above all a notion — vexation — to which popular tradition sometimes lends the features of a presence.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
A fragment of Onionkupón's Breath, bound to one of the five elements of the cosmic balance.
Sacred Mask
A mask carved of ancient energy — a symbol of the cosmic force proper to its pantheon.
Era
3,000–1,000 BCE — Cycle of Elemental Powers
Spiritual Lesson
To understand the nature of one's own balance and the wisdom hidden behind every trial.
Words of the Spirit
“The spirit crosses what the body cannot.”
Frequently asked questions
Is Shida a god or a word?
Above all a word: in Swahili, shida means difficulty, hardship or bad luck. Its personification as a spirit belongs to popular compilations, not to a cult or a clearly documented deity.
To which region is Shida attached?
To the Swahili area of East Africa, mainly Tanzania and the Kenyan coast, where the Swahili language serves as a common cultural foundation.
Which other spirits accompany this imagination?
The Swahili tradition knows many spirits, among them the shetani, reputed to bring sickness, misfortune or possession, as well as the majini, spirits close to the djinns.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Dictionnaires swahili (Glosbe, lughayangu): sens de shida (difficulte, epreuve, probleme, malchance)