WAAQ / NGAI
allySky god, rain
This entry brings together two distinct celestial deities of the Horn of Africa and East Africa, joined by their common function as god of the sky and of rain. Waaq is the sky god of the Cushitic peoples, in particular the Oromo and the Somali. At the heart of the Oromo religion known as Waaqeffanna, he is a single, unfigured and transcendent power, guarantor of the moral order, the safuu, and of the world's harmony, whose presence is felt in the storm, the rain and the wind. Ngai, also called Enkai or Mwene Nyaga, is the supreme creator god of the Kikuyu and the related Embu, Meru and Kamba peoples, as well as of the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania. Creator of the universe, he is associated with Mount Kenya, held to be his earthly throne, from which he watches over and blesses humankind; among the Maasai he is bound to rain and presents a double principle, masculine and feminine. These two figures illustrate the central place of the sky god in the traditional religions of the region.
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
Who is Waaq?
The sky god of the Cushitic peoples, notably the Oromo and the Somali, central figure of the Oromo religion Waaqeffanna.
Who is Ngai?
The supreme creator god of the Kikuyu and neighbouring peoples, as well as of the Maasai, associated with Mount Kenya, held to be his earthly throne.
Why are Waaq and Ngai brought together?
They are two distinct traditions, but both place at the summit a god of the sky and of rain, guarantor of the world's order in East Africa.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Lambert Bartels, Oromo Religion: Myths and Rites of the Western Oromo of Ethiopia, an Attempt to Understand (Collectanea Instituti Anthropos 8) (1983)
- Jomo Kenyatta, Facing Mount Kenya: The Tribal Life of the Gikuyu (1938)