CARNIVAL IS “WE THING” - PART 7

What and How

     The what and the how of Carnival are best studied in conjunction with each other. Carnival is a festival. Some say it is the greatest festival on earth. Some say it is the ultimate pan-African festival. Once we know how the festival is celebrated, we will fully understand what kind of thing it is.

Festivals and Society

     Every human society has festivals. Scholars tell us that, as far as our knowledge goes,  Africans from the Nile Valley were the first human beings to keep a written record of their history. These Africans have left us very clear and detailed written records of their festivals. The Pharaoh or king was responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the festivals. If he became remiss in this responsibility, he could be dethroned, for without festivals the society was considered to be without life.

     Although there were many festivals in ancient Egypt, the one which scholars consider to be the most important was the festival to open the new year. In this celebration, the greatest of the ancestors or orisha, Wosir (whom the Greeks mistakenly called Osiris), was the center of focus. And the centerpiece of the ritual for Wosir was an activity in which his suffering, death, and ultimate  triumph over death were reenacted. So the retelling, the repeating through a theatrical activity, of the central events in the life of Wosir was the way in which (the how) the ancient Egyptians organized his festival.

      Wosir was more than a mere mortal, he was an orisha, a god, or more precisely, an aspect of the Creator, a cosmic force or energy. He was also considered to be an ancestor, since he is thought to have actually lived at some point of time in the past. In this respect, Wosir is exactly like Shango, one of the four great orisha of the Yoruba people. The events of Wosir’s life are called mysteries, and the religion of the ancient Egyptians is the Mystery System.

TO BE CONTINUED