Teilhard de Chardin and Senghor on the civilization of the universal

II.4.5. Africa and Art

African art expresses itself in ancient Egypt through several aspects. We are going to limit ourselves in architecture and drama.

As far as Architecture is concerned, there is no doubt that it had its beginnings in Egypt. Egyptians were actually great architects and many experts have not ended expressing their wonder when faced with the marvellous architectural work of Egyptians because this implies a certain mechanical and technical knowledge. They used to build pyramids with big stones and experts still recognize that it is difficult to give an explanation on how Egyptians managed successfully to build pyramids. This is what Cheikh Anta Diop expresses in the following words:

Les savants reconnaissent que nul n'est encore en mesure de donner une explication satisfaisante de la manière dont les Egyptiens ont procédé pour la construction de la grande pyramide de Khoufou (Chéops) : la technique employée pour rassembler 2 300 000 pierres dont chaque pèse en moyenne deux tonnes et demi, et surtout celle utilisée pour polir les surfaces et les assembler si parfaitement qu'on chercherait en vain, aujourd'hui encore, à introduire entre elles une lame de rasoir.^75(*)

In effect, building even today, with more than two billions heavy stones is not something easy; but the Egyptian built their pyramids with the poor material at hand with a remarkable technique that keeps us wondering even today on the precious character of their architecture.

As far as drama is concerned, Cheikh Anta Diop demonstrates the Egyptian origin of Greek drama from the mysteries of Osiris or Dionysios, its representation in Greek soil. Drama used to take place in ancient Egypt especially in the royal family as he says:

Jusqu'à la première dynastie thinite, la famille royale elle-même jouait le drame d'Osiris, assimilé au pharaon défunt. Puis plus tard, les prêtres seuls joueront la passion d'Osiris, le mystère de la mort et de la résurrection du dieu devant la famille royale.^76(*)

From every indication, drama had taken place in Egypt even before the first dynasty. The royal family, and then later on the priests only, used to play the passion and the resurrection of Osiris. Let us now consider how religion was expressed in Africa in ancient times.

II.4.6. Africa and Religion

When we consider the catholic religion, we see that there are many similarities with what religion was in ancient Egypt. It just seems that many rites found in the Catholic religion or even in the Muslim religion, were just copied in ancient Egypt.

The king is the demiurge, Ra, who reflects and perpetuates creation on earth. He is the intermediary between God and men and as such, he is the guarantor of cosmic order. Hence he is the one who is called to perform the tasks and since he cannot be everywhere at the same time, he delegates his religious functions to priests in the various temples.

The servants of God cannot come into His presence with physical impurity and so they have to clean themselves twice a day and twice a night, they have to practise their ablutions on the side of the sacred lake, which in each temple, symbolises the waters of the Noun from where creation came about. This water is used for baptism. This is what Cheikh Anta Diop has to say about it inter alia:

Le baptême royal est assuré avec l'eau lustrale, le baptême chrétien (Jean-Baptiste et l'eau du Jourdain), la tonsure du prêtre catholique, les ablutions musulmanes trouvent ici leur lointaine origine (...) Le prêtre égyptien, comme celui de l'Eglise Catholique, avait une tenue réglementaire qui dans le cas égyptien excluait la laine, comme matière de souillure animale. L'administration des temples, celle du domaine d'Amon à Thèbes, en particulier, avec son armée de clercs, préfigurait la savante organisation de l'Eglise Catholique. Le prêtre égyptien est marié, généralement monogame, peut-être par abstinence, mais les femmes ne sont pas explicitement admises dans la caste. On jouait la passion et les mystères d'Osiris devant le temple. Le temple était une réplique du ciel sur la terre, et toute son architecture était un vaste symbole de l'univers.^77(*)

In effect, the revealed religions were greatly inspired by Egyptian rites, by their ways of relating with divinity. This shows itself in the similarities between the vesture of the Catholic priest, the rite of baptism, and even the organisation of the Church. As far as Islam is concerned, the practice of ablutions did not leave them indifferent in their religious practices.

Furthermore, the religion of Osiris is the first in date in the history of humanity to invent the notions of paradise and hell:

Deux mille ans avant Moïse et trois mille ans avant le Christ, Osiris, la personnification du Bien présidait déjà le tribunal des morts dans l'au-delà, coiffé du Atew ou Atef. Si le mort a satisfait durant sa vie terrestre aux différents critères moraux, il gagne le Aaroure ou Aar, un jardin protégé par un mur en fer avec plusieurs ports et traversé par un fleuve. Le mort justifié devient un Osiris, immortel, et vit désormais parmi les dieux pour l'éternité.[...] L'enfer est réservé au châtiment des impies, représentés par des âmes, des ombres plongées dans les gouffres de feu où l'on aperçoit aussi des têtes coupées. Des bourreaux féminins surveillent ces gouffres, des déesses à tête de lionnes qui se nourrissent des cris des impies, des rugissements des âmes et des ombres, qui leur tendent les bras du fond de leurs gouffres.^78(*)

And so, after death, every soul presents itself at the tribunal of Osiris in order to be judged. If one's life on earth was good, one will inherit paradise and if one's life on earth was wicked, one will be sent to hell, to be tortured by the goddesses who feed themselves with the cries from hell.

Again, other practices like fasting are showing once more the great heritage given by Egypt to the other religions: Judaism, Christianism and Islam. As Diop says, fish, pork, and wine were not to be eaten or drunken by priests in ancient Egypt. It is therefore judicious to remark once more that Egypt and in a wider dimension, Africa, stands at the centre of religious practices and rites as we see them being practised in the revealed religions we have just mentioned.

* ⁷⁵ Cheikh Anta Diop, Civilisation ou Barbarie, Paris, 1981, p. 364.

* ⁷⁶ Ibid., p. 422.

* ⁷⁷ Cheikh Anta Diop, Civilisation ou Barbarie, Paris, 1981, pp. 420-421.

* ⁷⁸ Cheikh Anta Diop, Civilisation ou Barbarie, Paris, 1981, pp. 416-418.