Ngai (also called Múrungu or Enkai) is the monolithic

Supreme God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

in the spirituality of the

Kikuyu Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) mostly refers to an ethnic group in Kenya or its associated language. It may also refer to: *Kikuyu people, a majority ethnic group in Kenya *Kikuyu language, the language of Kikuyu people *Kikuyu, Kenya, a town in Centr ...

(or Gikuyu) and the closely related

Embu Embu may refer to: Places ; in Brazil * Embu das Artes * Embu-Guaçu ; in Kenya * Embu, Kenya * Embu County Other *Embu people of Kenya *Embu language Embu, also known as Kîembu, is a Bantu language of Kenya. It is spoken by the Embu peopl ...

Meru Meru may refer to: Geography Kenya * Meru, Kenya, a city in Meru County, Kenya ** Meru County, created by the merger of *** Meru Central District *** Meru North District *** Meru South District * Meru National Park, a Kenyan wildlife park Tanz ...

and Kamba groups of

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

, and the Maasai of Kenya and

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

. Ngai is creator of the universe and all in it. Regarded as the

omnipotent Omnipotence is the quality of having unlimited power. Monotheistic religions generally attribute omnipotence only to the deity of their faith. In the monotheistic religious philosophy of Abrahamic religions, omnipotence is often listed as one ...

God,Middleton, John; Kershaw, Greet ; ''The Kikuyu and Kamba of Kenya: East Central Africa, Part 5,''

Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law ...

(reprint, 2017), p. 128,

(Retrieved 5 April 2019) the Kikuyu, Embu, Meru, Kamba and the Maasai of Kenya worshiped Ngai facing the Mt. Kirinyaga (

Mount Kenya Mount Kenya (Kikuyu language, Kikuyu: ''Kĩrĩnyaga'', Kamba language, Kamba, ''Ki Nyaa'') is the highest mountain in Kenya and the Highest mountain peaks of Africa, second-highest in Africa, after Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro. The highest pea ...

) while prayers and goat sacrificial rituals were performed under the sacred Mugumo tree (a fig tree species). Occasions which may warrant

sacrifice Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly exis ...

libation A libation is a ritual pouring of a liquid, or grains such as rice, as an offering to a deity or spirit, or in memory of the dead. It was common in many religions of antiquity and continues to be offered in cultures today. Various substanc ...

include times of

drought A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...

; epidemics; during

planting Sowing is the process of planting seeds. An area or object that has had seeds planted in it will be described as a sowed or sown area. Plants which are usually sown Among the major field crops, oats, wheat, and rye are sown, grasses and leg ...

and

harvest Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most l ...

ing; and human life stages such as birth, marriage and death.

Ngai in Kikuyu, Embu, Meru and Kamba Worship

Ngai was often referred to as "Mwene Nyaga", meaning "Owner of the Dazzling Light". Kenyan

anthropologist An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms an ...

, later

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

, Jomo Kenyata notes that: "In prayers and sacrifices Ngai is addressed by the Gikuyu as Mwene-Nyaga (possessor of brightness)." He went on to write that: "This name is associated with Kĩrĩ-Nyaga (the Gikuyu name for Mount Kenya), which means: That which possesses brightness, or mountain of brightness." According to Kikuyu

creation myth A creation myth (or cosmogonic myth) is a symbolic narrative of how the world began and how people first came to inhabit it., "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the universe and its inhabitants came to be. Creation myths develo ...

, Ngai created

human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...

ity, first man called Gikuyu and first woman called

Mumbi {{No footnotes, date=July 2020 Mũmbi Muthiga is regarded as the mother of the Gĩkũyũ people. The word Mũmbi can be translated as the creator, "one who moulds/creates/builds". She and Gĩkũyũ were married, and both are claimed ancestor to all ...

. Ngai created a mountain "As his resting place when on inspection tour and as a sign of his wonders." Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi bore nine daughters who became the origins of 9 clans of Kikuyu people. "The names of the main clans are: (1) Acheera; (2) Agachikũ; (3) Airimũ; (4) Ambũi; (5) Angarĩ; (6) Anjirũ; (7) Angũi; (8) Ethaga; (9) Aithĩrandũ."

Ngai in Maasai Worship

For the Maasai, Ngai (also called ''Engai'' or ''Enkai'') is the androgynous Supreme Creator, possessing both masculine and feminine principles. The Maasai refer to Ngai's primordial dwelling as "Ol Doinyo Lengai" which literally means "The Mountain of God" , which they believe is in Northern Tanzania. Asante, Molefi Kete; Mazama, Ama; ''Encyclopedia of African Religion, Volume 1'', SAGE (2009), . 427, (retrieved March 18, 2020

/ref> Ngai or Enkai's name is synonymous to "

rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...

." In Maasai religion, the ''Laibon'' (plural: ''Laiboni'') intercedes between the world of the living and the Creator. They are the Maasai's high priests and diviners. In addition to organizing and presiding over religious ceremonies—including sacrifice and libation, they also heal the living, physically and spiritually.Asante, Molefi Kete; Mazama, Ama; ''Encyclopedia of African Religion, Volume 1'', SAGE (2009), . 428, (retrieved March 18, 2020

/ref>

References

Bibliography

* Kenyata, Jomo, ''Facing Mount Kenya'', (introduction by B. Malinowski) originally published by Martin Secker & Warburg LTD, (1938), n South African History Online, pp. 22–23, 41, 233-234

(Retrieved 5 April 2019) * Yosef Ben-Jochannan, Ben-Jochannan, Yosef, ''African Origins of the Major "Western Religions"'', Black Classic Press (reprint, 1991), pp. 42–49,

(Retrieved 5 April 2019) *Middleton, John; Kershaw, Greet; ''The Kikuyu and Kamba of Kenya: East Central Africa, Part 5,''

(reprint, 2017), p. 128,

(Retrieved 5 April 2019) *Kenyatta, Jomo (1965). ''Facing Mt. Kenya'' (2nd ed.). Vintage Books. p. 175 *Olney, James, ''Tell Me Africa: An Approach to African Literature'',

Princeton University Press Princeton University Press is an independent publisher with close connections to Princeton University. Its mission is to disseminate scholarship within academia and society at large. The press was founded by Whitney Darrow, with the financial ...

(2015), p. 88,

Retrieved 5 April 2019)

External links

Ngai, The High God of the Kikuyu
{{Names of God African gods Bantu mythology Creator gods Creation myths Names of God Religion in Kenya Solar gods Maasai deities Names of God in African traditional religions

Ngai in Kikuyu, Embu, Meru and Kamba Worship

Ngai in Maasai Worship

See also

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links