Were est-il un dieu luo ou luhya ?

Le nom Were est d'abord attesté chez les Luhya (Abaluyia) de l'ouest du Kenya, qui appellent leur dieu créateur Wele ou Were. Son usage chez les Luo est mentionné par certaines sources mais reste discuté.

Que sait-on de Were ?

On le présente comme un créateur suprême de l'ouest du Kenya. Au-delà de cette fonction créatrice, les traits qu'on lui prête varient selon les auteurs, et les sources accessibles restent limitées.

Were a-t-il d'autres noms ?

Dans la région, l'être suprême porte plusieurs noms selon les peuples et les contextes, comme Nyasaye ou Nyakalaga chez les Luo, et Wele ou Were chez les Luhya. Ces noms renvoient à des manières différentes de nommer Dieu.

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WERE

ally

God

☥ SpiritLuo →Luo — LuoElder

Gender: MasculineSign: suprême

Were is a name of the supreme being in western Kenya. It is above all attested among the Luhya (Abaluyia), who name their creator god Wele or Were. Certain sources also associate it with the neighbouring Luo, alongside other names of God such as Nyasaye or Nyakalaga, but this attribution remains debated. An entity unevenly documented in the available sources, whose exact area of use and proper traits vary from one author to another.

Powers & Attributes

supreme

Role in the ROHO universe

Founding presence. WERE stands at the root of the world and sustains the weave since before the beginning. Bound to the Luo pantheon.

Sacred Mask

An ancient ritual mask of sacred wood, old metal and black stone, engraved with symbols of supreme, embodiment of the power of Were

Era

Ancient cycle

Frequently asked questions

Is Were a Luo or a Luhya god?

The name Were is first attested among the Luhya (Abaluyia) of western Kenya, who call their creator god Wele or Were. Its use among the Luo is mentioned by certain sources but remains debated.

What is known of Were?

He is presented as a supreme creator of western Kenya. Beyond this creative function, the traits lent to him vary according to the authors, and the accessible sources remain limited.

Does Were have other names?

In the region, the supreme being bears several names according to the peoples and the contexts, such as Nyasaye or Nyakalaga among the Luo, and Wele or Were among the Luhya. These names refer to different ways of naming God.

Related spirits

JOK JUOK KAIKARA LOMA

Sources and references

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyasaye
Günter Wagner, The Abaluyia of Kavirondo (Kenya), dans Daryll Forde (dir.), African Worlds: Studies in the Cosmological Ideas and Social Values of African Peoples, p. 27-54 (1954)
John S. Mbiti, Concepts of God in Africa (1970)