Cumanana X - ENG

JANUARY 2022

ISSUE N° 10

Cumanana PERUVIAN CULTURE VIRTUAL BULLETIN FOR AFRICA MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

TRIBALISM AND RELIGION IN WEST AFRICA

MEMORY FROM MOROCCO

Traditions, past and present of Ghana

Story of the Mechouar and the royal palace

RECIPE Peruvian flavours wih an African influence

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TRIBALISM AND RELIGION IN WEST AFRICA MC ABEL CARDENAS HEAD OF MISSION OF THE EMBASSY OF PERU IN GHANA I will start by saying that social roles become more differentiated when societies increase in size and become more complex. In religion, these divisions are more discernible between the clergy and laity, or between the sacred and the secular.

In tribal religions (also called traditional), there is a "mythical world" (spiritual realm), different from the sensory one, which is not altered by time, and shares physical space in an almost parallel way. It is a space populated by legendary figures who, without really being gods (despite the fact they are often considered as such), are larger and more powerful than people, since they are the ones who created or established the acts shape everyday life (such as hunting, gathering, making war, or loving).

The stories about these wonderful beings are fundamentally verbal, it is an oral tradition that does not see contemplate writing because, as a traveller through Africa said: "unlike the English (educational) system, in which one can live without poetry, the tribal system uses poetry as a vital accompaniment to dance, weddings and farming, functions in which all members participate as part of their tribal life.

If we were to identify the factor causing the decline of culture in English villages, we would have to say that it was literacy” (Archer). Here, it is worth mentioning that, in the Akan culture (which makes up most of Ghana), it is polite not to openly express certain words related to marriage, sex, spirits, illness, death or bad luck, so the verbal transmission of religion becomes more complex.

In that same way, we must consider that tribal religions are rooted in their places of origin, acquiring meaning only in them. I was able to appreciate this in an outdoor ceremony in which I participated; the one that began with a fifteen-minute prayer, during which no-one’s eyes were closed. On the contrary, everyone had them open, actively observing around.

As the prayer was said in the local language (Twi), I did not understand it, so I later asked what it was said, and was told that it had been meant to name everything in sight, animate and inanimate, including invisible spirits of the area, and invite them to participate in the celebration and bless it.

On the other hand, I believed that traditional religions had their attention on the past, contrary to modern religions that are focused on the future. But I discovered that the notion of time in this area of Africa is not linear, nor is it circular: it is the primitive notion of time of an "eternal now", focused more on a causal sequence than a chronological one, since the past implies an approximation to the original source of things (the gods who, although did not create the world, did order and provide its structure). The fact that this source is prior to the present, is of secondary importance.

In this sense, they tend to divide human beings by their proximity to the source. Thus, the first person to have been created has pre-eminence over the last and, for this reason, these peoples have a lot of respect for their elders. Thus, human ancestors are considered extensions of the primitive ancestors of the tribe (who were divine), becoming a bridge that unites the current generation with its supreme ancestor.

For this, the members of the tribe have great respect for all creation, because all visible things were created before them and are closer to the source..

On the other hand, we must consider that the network of tribal relationships sustains individuals in all areas of their lives.

Thus, their relationship with their tribe is almost identical to the relationship between a person's organs and the body. The world begins in the tribe, and outside of it, individuals hardly have their own identity.

Another important characteristic would be that, instead of trying to affect or control nature through magical recipes,

Traditional tribal costumes of Ghana

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African rites are mainly intended to preserve what is regular and normal. It is therefore about rituals that reminds of cooperation and sustain the confidence of those who participate in natural processes, that are conceived and determined spiritually, which allows them to renew their hopes in the future.

In the same way, we could say that traditional religions have an all-encompassing vision of reality, since all beings, including the celestial bodies and the elements, are brothers, they have life and, to a certain extent, they all depend on each other. In this same reasoning, everything, in its own way, is religious..

We can conclude then that, in Africa, religion is in the very cultural foundations of community and becomes a determining principle of life. Therefore, to understand Africa and its people, one must understand the influence of religion on their lives.

It should be noted here that African Traditional Religions are part of humanity’s religious heritage and, like all religions, deals with the sacred and seeks to respond to man's eternal desire to understand the universe and the forces that control our inner being, yet it has special characteristics that involve the African way of understanding concepts such as the supernatural, humanity, society and nature, which form a system that gives meaning and significance to life in this continent.

In addition to what has been mentioned so far, I will say that at the base of African life is the notion that the invisible is as much a part of reality as the visible. In other words, the spiritual is just as real as the material, and there is a complementary relationship between the two, with the spiritual being much more powerful than the material. This way, the community is not only made up of the living, but also the dead, which gives meaning to libation rituals (sprinkling alcohol on the ground as an offering with a prayer) and other sacrifices for the dead, whose help is sought, as being an integral part of the community.

Likewise, there is a similar notion in regards with nature, since the essences or powers found behind the visible constitute the true nature of those objects. Thus, we find a set of beliefs and practices that are consequences of these values: 1. There is belief in a god, who receives different names, depending on the locality or tribe (but who is not mentioned frequently). Being essentially a spirit, there are no images or visual representations.

He is the creator of the world and everything in it, as well as the final authority in all kinds of matters, for which he rewards or punishes men.

2. Next to God, ancestral spirits have a preeminent role. This is the reason ancestors are treated with great respect 3. Next, supernatural entities, or lesser deities, have a power derived from god, but they may or may not be treated with respect, depending on whether they help achieve human aspirations. Nevertheless, they are believed to have the power to reward or punish men through disease or even death.

Reflecting certain aspects of godly power, they domain spheres in which they can be consulted or asked for help. These deities are associated with certain objects or places in nature, such as rivers, trees or stones, where they reside. Some animals are also included, which may have played an important role in the survival of the tribe at some point, creating a special bond with the members of the tribe.

4. Other spirits or mystical powers known to help or harm men.

These are the agents of magic or witchcraft, which in this area of Africa is known as "Juju".

5. Finally, there are talismans or amulets, which are also called "Suman", objects that can be used for both defensive and offensive purposes.

Finally, it may be pointed out that religious issues in this area of Africa, as well as their tribal manifestations, despite the influence of Christianity or Islam, still constitute an important part of the collective unconscious of Africans, so our relations with them must take such convictions into account, as necessary to understand and respect these beliefs, which may even determine certain behaviours in this area of the world.

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MEMORY FROM MOROCCO STORY OF THE MECHOUAR AND THE ROYAL PALACE FOREWORD BY MC. JAIME ARRÓSPIDE DIRECTOR OF AFRICA As Director of Africa, I am pleased to start a new year for the Cumanana cultural newsletter, which has allowed us to strengthen Peru's relationship with African countries, through the promotion of culture, cooperation and increased trade. for the benefit of our nations.

who announced to me that I was about to present the Letters of Credence to His Majesty and that the exact date and time would be communicated to me in due course, he gave me a copy of the Ceremony Protocol and finally let me sign His Majesty's Golden Book.

In this edition of Cumanana Cultural Bulletin, we go back in time to the arrival of the first Peruvian ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1964, with the opening of the Embassy by Ambassador Adhemar Montagne Sánchez, who concurrently performed his duties in Tunisia and Algeria.

Indeed, twenty-four hours later, I was informed of the exact date and time and, thus, on that day, at a quarter to eleven, a white car from the Royal Palace showed up at the hotel where I am staying, from which the Chief of Royal Protocol (not to be confused with the Director of the Royal Protocol and of the Chancellery, an official who is above the Chief of the Royal Protocol and the Chief of the Protocol of the Chancellery) descended along with an Aide-de-camp of His Majesty.

Accompanied by these two gentlemen and escorted by motorcyclists, I went through the Ambassador's Gate, a large access through which one enters the "Mechouar", the enormous enclosure in which the Royal Palace is located.

The fruitful relations of friendship, cooperation, understanding, and economic and commercial exchanges characterise and have embodied the ties between the Government and the people of both Peru and Morocco.

Currently, the relationship focuses on cooperation in areas such as agronomy, science and technology, trade, culture, and tourism, among others.

With this introduction, I am pleased to present Ambassador Montagne's first communication, which exposes, as an entertaining narration, that first meeting between the two countries, in the beautiful halls of the Royal Palace.

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Embassy of Peru Rabat, September 21, 1964. Presentation of Credentials To the Minister of State in the Foreign Relations Office Lima.

Dear Sir, As I communicated to your Office in my cablegram No.4, I presented my Letters of Credence to His Majesty the King of Morocco, Hassan II, on the 19th of September.

Three days before, I was summoned to the Royal Palace by the Director of the Royal Protocol and of the Chancellery,

Arriving at this gate, the motorcyclists who had guided us handed over the escort to the King's motorcyclists and, with them we travelled along the main avenue of the "Mechouar". In it, and shortly before diverting to the Palace itself, a picket of soldiers paid the corresponding honours, to which I answered by making a gesture of greeting.

The car later stopped on a large path in front of the Palace door, where the Minister of the Royal House, the Director of His Majesty's Private Secretary, the Head of His Military House and The Aide-in-Chief, greeted me. With them, I reviewed a battalion of the Moorish Guard, with their beautiful white uniforms, adorned with wide red and white belts and blue turbans with white diamonds. I then bowed before the Moroccan flag.

We immediately headed towards the door of the Palace, enormous, ogival and made of coloured glass, which opened slowly as we approached, and revealed the stupendous gardens inside. I walked through these passing amid the King's halberdiers with their colourful uniforms, in which green and blue predominate, and elaborate and impressive turbans. The music from the King's civil orchestra was also heard. I thus arrived at what is called the Throne Room. This is made up of two parts, one that is a kind of loggia with wide steps leading to the gardens, and another interior segment where the Throne is located.

PAGE 4 I was received in the stands by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and, with all the committee, I reached the lintel of the inner hall of the Throne, from where I was announced, aloud, to the King by the "Caid Mechouar". The Director of Royal Protocol and the Chancellery was waiting for me on the threshold.

Both parts of the Throne Room are entirely covered with fine tapestries and the walls covered with tiles adorned with the characteristic Moroccan arabesques. I could see the King from the lintel where I was, sitting in his Throne and surrounded by high dignitaries.

The King, like many of those present, wore the characteristic white caftan and red fez. A young man with a sad look and much thinner than what appears in the photographs that are seen throughout Morocco, moments later he would reveal himself as a person of bright intelligence and vast culture.

From the lintel, I made a first bow that I repeated in the middle of the room and then for the third time when I reached a step away from His Majesty.

The King remained seated (and he had to remain so throughout the ceremony). I was introduced to him by the Director of Royal Protocol, I shook his hand and handed him the Letters of Credence without more words than those necessary to carry out the act, then the King invited me to sit to his right.

His Majesty expressed to me the satisfaction he felt that Peru, a country with an ancient civilization and currently one of the modern nations of America, had sent an Ambassador to Morocco. He told me that he considered that this gesture should be reciprocated by Morocco, by sending an Ambassador to Peru, especially since its geographical location and the importance of our country so advised, but that Morocco was a young Nation that had not yet been able to complete its administrative staff, and since he considered that the person who would take the Moroccan representation to Peru had to be carefully chosen, his appointment would necessarily take some time.

I was commissioned by His Majesty to convey to the President of the Republic his gratitude for the friendly gesture he had made in appointing an Ambassador to his Kingdom, and then expressed his wishes of prosperity to the President, and the well-being and progress of the Peruvian people. He continued telling me that both countries had similar problems and that the representation that was now beginning would help both nations to get to know each other better, and to know how these problems were faced and resolved in both countries.

He ended by telling me that in this work of rapprochement I would receive the full support of the Government and of Him personally.

These were the words of the Moroccan Sovereign and, significantly, the newspaper "Le Petit Marocain" with a strong government tendency chose, as a headline, the announcement of the presentation of my Letters of Credence, and the forthcoming appointment of a Moroccan Ambassador in Lima.

When His Majesty finished this brief speech, the microphone that the Monarch had had until then was placed in front of me.

I thanked His Majesty for his kind words as well as for all the consideration I had received from the moment I set foot on Moroccan soil. I told the King that our President, Architect Fernando Belaunde Terry, had commissioned me before leaving Peru to express His Majesty all the deference and friendship that the President felt for him, that the Government of Peru wished to strengthen its ties with all free and peaceloving peoples, and that Morocco had been chosen as the seat of our Diplomatic Mission in this region of the world because of precisely these characteristics, and because of the similarity of our problems, which His Majesty had also alluded. I ended by stating that the work of rapprochement between our two countries, sponsored by His Majesty, would be eased, in addition to the valuable and benevolent help He promised me, by the old ties that united Peru and Morocco, ties that Spain had provided in the past and that now the two countries would run directly through the establishment of diplomatic relations.

At a slight nod from His Majesty, the Director of Royal Protocol introduced me to the dignitaries in attendance, after which I shook hands with the King and withdrew with the entourage that had accompanied me, walking backwards and repeating the three bows I performed when entering.

All the ceremony was carried out while wearing a morning suit, while in thirty-eight degrees centigrade, and with a strong hot wind from the desert that is known by the name of "chergui".

I returned through the same way and with the same honours.

When I arrived to the hotel, the Peruvian flag was hoisted, an act that my companions and I watched while standing up. We then entered the hotel to toast with a glass of champagne for the prosperity of Peru and Morocco, and their respective leaders.

For further illustration, I am enclosing this document with some press clippings or photographs of the ceremony.

Yours sincerely, Adhemar Montagne Ambassador of Peru

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RECIPE: ANTICUCHOS

Anticuchos in Peru are so popular they are honoured with their own national holiday, on October 17.

Before the arrival of Spaniards, the inhabitants of these lands consumed a large quantity of llama meat seasoned with aromatic herbs and ají.

During the viceroyalty, these techniques were adopted by the newcomers: the enslaved Africans made use of the offal of cattle, using large pieces of beef heart skewered on cane sticks and roasted on the grill.

INGREDIENTS 1 beef heart 1/2 tablespoon of pepper 1/2 tablespoon cumin 2 teaspoons of oregano 5 cloves of minced garlic 3/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup of ground ají panca Salt to taste Skewer sticks 1 brush, made of corn leaves potato and corn

PREPARATION Remove the fat and the membrane that covers the heart, leaving only the meat. Cut the heart on a diagonally into approximately 3 cm pieces.

Mix ground garlic, ají panca, salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Add the vinegar and stir the entire mixture.

Pour the mixture over the anticucho pieces. Let marinate for at least two hours.

String the pieces of anticucho on the skewer sticks (3 pieces per stick).

Heat the grill with a little oil and when it is very hot, place the Anticucho sticks. Fry well on both sides. Brush from time to time with the seasoning mixture so that the meat does not dry out.

Serve with pieces of potato, corn and a spicy sauce, preferably ají or rocoto.