Travis Slade, Department of Anthropology
The OvaHimba tribe of Southwest Africa have a tradition of ancestor worship that extends back into the past when their ancestors made the long trek from the Horne of Africa into present day Namibia. This subgroup of the Herero tribe are pastoralists with limited horticulture of maize to subsidize their cattle products. These cattle are divided into secular and religious wealth. The religious wealth is inherited from father to eldest son. The religious inheritance of the OvaHimba is called the Oruzo. Oruzo is the religious aspect which I focused on in my studies of genealogy and ancestor worship among the OvaHimba.
The eldest son inherits the religious wealth of his father and the patrilineage ceremonial responsibilities. This wealth includes material wealth as well as spiritual wealth. The material wealth consists of a herd of cattle designated as sacred beasts of which many of them are symbolic of deceased ancestors. The OvaHimba are very conscientious herdsmen as they do not wish to show disrespect to the memory of the deceased people whom these sacred cattle represent.
The spiritual wealth is also of great value to the OvaHimba. This wealth involves the transfer of the sacred fire from one kraal to another. This sacred fire is vital to the OvaHimba practice of revering their ancestors. The OvaHimba approach the sacred fire to commune with their ancestors when they need guidance, blessings, or to repent of a misdeed or sin.
The OvaHimba practice of honoring their ancestors brings to mind the importance placed on ancestors in my own religion, Mormonism, and its emphasis on genealogy work. As a Latter Day Saint, I believe that our ancestors can not be saved without the work of the living just as we cannot be saved without our dead. The Savior promised that there would come a time when the hearts of the children would he turned to their fathers. Just as Elijah brought this about in this dispensation, in a sense, this time has also occurred among the OvaHimba. They love their ancestors a great deal.
Perhaps the most telling reason that the OvaHimba place such importance in the revering of their ancestors came in response to my question of what happens to a person if they are not a good person in this life. The OvaHimba answered “that person is forgotten by their children and grandchildren.” Upon further questioning I found that the OvaHimba felt that to be forgotten by one’s descendants is the worst possible fate. The OvaHimba revere and worship their ancestors because they love them and because they wish for the same treatment when they pass on to the afterlife.
OvaHimba ancestor worship practices may not be done in the same manner as Mormonism does so, but the reasons are not that different. Genealogy and temple work is a is a commandment for Latter Day Saints. Ancestor worship and remembrance is a necessity for the OvaHimba to survive in the harsh African bush. To quote one member of the tribe: “Without our ancestors there would be no cattle, no rain, no maize, and no people. Our ancestors are a gift from Mukuru (God).”