Arusha Region
113-427: ( Meru District ) The Rwa or Meru sometimes Rwo ( Wameru in Swahili ) are a Bantu ethnic and linguistic group based on the south and eastern slopes of Mount Meru in Meru District of the Arusha Region of Tanzania , the Rwa population is estimated to number 198,000. Except for their shared Bantu linguistic group membership, the Wameru have no kinship links with the Ameru people of Kenya. The Wameru have
226-561: A querent should proceed by reading signs, events, or omens , or through alleged contact or interaction with supernatural agencies such as spirits , gods, god-like-beings or the "will of the universe ". Divination can be seen as an attempt to organize what appears to be random so that it provides insight into a problem or issue at hand. Some instruments or practices of divination include Tarot-card reading, rune casting , tea-leaf reading , automatic writing , water scrying , and psychedelics like psilocybin mushrooms and DMT . If
339-580: A CFR of 100%, followed by Malaria in terms of morbidity, with a CFR of 0.23. By June 2017, the prevalence of severe malaria had dropped from 10.91% to 5% and the HIV prevalence had dropped from 1.6% to 1.5%. Diviners Divination (from Latin divinare 'to foresee, foretell, predict, prophesy, etc.') is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic ritual or practice. Using various methods throughout history, diviners ascertain their interpretations of how
452-467: A Public-Private Partnership. Council has 8 health centers, 6 of which are government, 2 of which are faith-based, and 50 dispensaries, 29 of which are government, 12 of which are faith-based, and 9 of which are private. There are three dispensaries operating under temporary structures (shistoni, Kitefu and Kisimiri chini). Meru District's Maternal death rate of 26/100,000; neonatal mortality rate of 6/1000. In general, females are more afflicted than men over
565-418: A better position because all women share the workload and care for the children. As a result, polygamous families are wealthier and better off. According to Meru traditions, a male can have as many wives as he can support. His first wife later assists him in choosing subsequent wives. All of the wives recognize her dominant position. At the same time, all children in a polygamous family receive an equal share of
678-522: A brick residence. Mangi ruled his people from here, holding regular meetings, making crucial decisions, and resolving clan disagreements and disputes. This house is still standing in Poli as a historical relic. Today, local authorities are attempting to rehabilitate it and convert it into the Meru History Museum. The establishment of moran 's organizations among Meru's youth created some social conflict in
791-539: A certain age group , which grew into a warrior group as a result of encounters with the Arusha. Meru was initiated into Talala (a Maasai loibon village) and attained the morans status with Maasai boys from 1881 to 1929. A young Meru's parents would pay for his or her admission into loibon with tobacco and goats. During this time, the Meru joined the two succeeding Maasai age groups: Tuati (1896-1917) and Tareto (1911–1929). Until 1959,
904-417: A distinct fighting unit. Initially, there was open antagonism to Christian beliefs in Meru society, and missionaries were met with hostility. The first Meru who converted to Christianity in 1905 were regarded to have lost their identity and were completely shunned . Luke Kaaya, Nderingo Palangyo, and Yohana Ndosi were among the first Meru converts to Christianity in 1905. After receiving thorough training in
1017-460: A distinction is made between divination and fortune-telling , divination has a more formal or ritualistic element and often contains a more social character, usually in a religious context, as seen in traditional African medicine . Fortune-telling, on the other hand, is a more everyday practice for personal purposes. Particular divination methods vary by culture and religion. In its functional relation to magic in general, divination can have
1130-546: A dowry from their parents in the form of small and large animals, which the woman, her husband, and children can utilize after marriage. However, in polygamous families, cattle ownership and use is restricted to the woman and her progeny. Among the Datoga, similar rituals of acquiring animals for a woman are observed. Polygamy has long been practiced among the Meru. Polygamous males had more children, which meant more laborers to manage more land. Women in polygamous families are also in
1243-531: A few examples. Tanzanian Meru can also be found in Arusha, Moshi , and Karatu . They work in agriculture and handicrafts (pottery). Among the Meru are members of Tanzania's modern middle class : doctors, teachers, lawyers, engineers, and military professionals. Meru District, Arusha Meru District , officially the Meru District Council ( Wilaya ya Meru , in Swahili ) is one of seven districts of
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#17330846392141356-429: A general wanted to know if the omens were proper for him to advance on the enemy, he would ask his seer both that question and if it were better for him to remain on the defensive. If the seer gave consistent answers, the advice was considered valid. During battle, generals would frequently ask seers at both the campground (a process called the hiera ) and at the battlefield (called the sphagia ). The hiera entailed
1469-459: A monetary punishment in the form of livestock. Both parents educate their children in accordance with the gender principle. The mother teaches girls, while the father teaches boys. Parents have the authority to discipline their children for a variety of infractions by using a stick (rod) or just slapping with their hand. However, certain guidelines must be followed: if the father is there, the punishment may be carried out alone by him. In his absence,
1582-575: A popular form of divination from physiology. Stemming from Western influences, body reading or ninsou , determines personality traits based on body measurements. The face is the most commonly analyzed feature, with eye size, pupil shape, mouth shape, and eyebrow shape representing the most important traits. An upturned mouth may be cheerful, and a triangle eyebrow may indicate that someone is strong-willed. Methods of assessment in daily life may include self-taken measurements or quizzes. As such, magazines targeted at women in their early-to-mid twenties feature
1695-520: A population of roughly 198,000 people as of 2015. The Meru have been active in intense agriculture and currently live on Mount Meru's southern and eastern slopes. The Meru are frequently referred to as 'Varwa,' which means 'those who climb' in the Kimeru language. 94 percent of the Meru are Christians (75 percent are Protestants and 25 percent are Catholics), and 3 percent are Muslims. When the Arusha first came on
1808-410: A practitioner to "a physician trying to heal the sick with the help of the same natural principles." Divination was a central component of ancient Mesoamerican religious life. Many Aztec gods , including central creator gods , were described as diviners and were closely associated with sorcery . Tezcatlipoca is the patron of sorcerers and practitioners of magic . His name means "smoking mirror,"
1921-427: A preliminary and investigative role: [...] the diagnosis or prognosis achieved through divination is both temporarily and logically related to the manipulative, protective or alleviative function of magic rituals. In divination one finds the cause of an ailment or a potential danger, in magic one subsequently acts upon this knowledge. Divination has long attracted criticism. In the modern era, it has been dismissed by
2034-528: A reference to a device used for divinatory scrying . In the Mayan Popol Vuh , the creator gods Xmucane and Xpiacoc perform divinatory hand casting during the creation of people. The Aztec Codex Borbonicus shows the original human couple, Oxomoco and Cipactonal , engaged in divining with kernels of maize. This primordial pair is associated with the ritual calendar, and the Aztecs considered them to be
2147-481: A result of his decision. Furthermore, such criminals were required to pay Mangi penalties for their mistakes. While the title of Mangi was previously hereditary, it was eventually abolished due to pressure from the colonial authorities (first German, then British). The chiefs were chosen based on their ability, popularity among the people, and devotion to the colonial government. In Poli, the German colonial authorities built
2260-415: A standstill. “Negative poe” is when the flat sides fall downward and abruptly stop; this indicates "No". When there is a positive fall, it is called “Sacred poe”, although the negative falls are not usually taken seriously. As the blocks are being dropped the question is said in a murmur, and if the answer is yes, the blocks are dropped again. To make sure the answer is definitely a yes, the blocks must fall in
2373-446: A woman may seek assistance from neighborhood elders or her husband's relatives. The Meru people's last Constitution, based on customary law , has a provision that expands female rights. It is specifically mentioned that if her husband drives her out of the house, she has the right to claim her husband's land or that her husband's clan must supply her with a piece of land. Furthermore, if her husband commits major physical abuse, he must pay
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#17330846392142486-465: A “yes” position three times in a row. A more serious type of divination is the Kiō-á. There is a small wooden chair, and around the sides of the chair are small pieces of wood that can move up and down in their sockets, this causes a clicking sounds when the chair is moved in any way. Two men hold this chair by its legs before an altar, while the incense is being burned, and the deity is invited to descend onto
2599-558: Is 41%. Deep and shallow wells are the district's primary source of drinking water . However, the situation is significantly better in urban areas, where 67% of all homes have piped water. All of these water sources are held by the village government, community water groups, or individuals. The paved trunk road T2 from Arusha to Moshi passes through the district. There is 146 kilometers of road in Meru District. Only 67.2 km are passable all year, with 32.8 km only usable during
2712-1079: Is 500 mm to 1200 mm, and it usually rains between mid-October and December, February, and May. The distribution of these rains is completely improper for agricultural and livestock rearing activities in the District. Meru district's soil is relatively fertile due to its volcanic origins. They are well-drained dark sandy loams with good moisture retention. However, soil erosion occurs in agro-pastoral areas, particularly in King'ori Ward of eastern Meru District. The district has bimodal rainfall, with short rains (Vuli) falling from November to January and long rains (Masika) falling from March to June, resulting in two agricultural seasons with annual rainfall ranging between 500 and 1200 mm and average temperatures of about 25 °C (January–February) and 22 °C (March–August). The district features 11 perennial rivers and 143 springs , some of which serve as irrigation, residential, and cattle water sources. Meru district
2825-415: Is a practice in which one would fast and keep themselves away from light in a room until midnight to then complete a set of complex events to interpret symbols encountered throughout the journey to foresee the coming year. In Islam , astrology ( ‘ilm ahkam al-nujum ), the most widespread divinatory science, is the study of how celestial entities could be applied to the daily lives of people on earth. It
2938-602: Is famous for arulvakku in Tamil Nadu . The people in and around Mangalore in Karnataka call the same, Buta Kola , "paathri" or "darshin"; in other parts of Karnataka, it is known by various names such as, "prashnaavali", "vaagdaana", "asei", "aashirvachana", and so on. In Nepal it is known as, "Devta ka dhaamee" or " jhaakri ". In English, the closest translation for these is, " oracle ." The Dalai Lama , who lives in exile in northern India, still consults an oracle known as
3051-498: Is home to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) which is also shared by Hai District in Kilimanjaro Region. As for water infrastructure, the water need in Meru district as of 2017 is 18,381.12 m /day. The water supply was 11,580 m /day, approximately 64.5% of the total requirement. The percentage of persons that have access to clean and safe water is 64.5%. The percentage of persons that get water within 400 meters
3164-413: Is home to five higher learning institutions : Makumira University College, Patadi Teacher's College, The University of Arusha , The Institute of Community Development, Tengeru, National Artificial Insemination Centre (NAIC) and Nelson Mandela University, and The Institute of Livestock Development, Tengeru. The council has two hospitals. 1 government hospital and 1 faith-based hospital that operates under
3277-427: Is important to emphasize the practical nature of divinatory sciences because people from all socioeconomic levels and pedigrees sought the advice of astrologers to make important decisions in their lives. Astronomy was made a distinct science by intellectuals who did not agree with the former, although distinction may not have been made in daily practice, where astrology was technically outlawed and only tolerated if it
3390-495: Is increasingly important for young Japanese, who consider personality the driving factor of compatibility, given the ongoing marriage drought and birth rate decline in Japan. An import to Japan, Chinese zodiac signs based on the birth year in 12 year cycles (rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, cock, dog, and boar) are frequently combined with other forms of divination, such as so-called 'celestial types' based on
3503-432: Is said to be descended from a common ancestor, who was often an earlier inhabitant on Mount Meru's slopes. As a result, each part of Meruland has been identified with and named after a prominent and respected ancestor. Poli, Urisho, Sura, Sing'isi, Mulala, Nkoaranga, Nsupo, Ndati, Kimundo, Ndoombo, Akeri, Ikona, and Nkoanrua are some of the current localities. Each region is affiliated with a specific clan. Poli, for example,
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3616-474: Is strictly recognized by all members of the age-set; the leader serves simultaneously as a mediator in all internal conflicts, and he is delegated to the appropriate speaker to navigate conflicts with other agesets. Thus, in Meru society, the entire male population is classified as a 'rika' ( age-sets ). After circumcision, young males enter the youngest rika. It takes roughly 15 years to unite young males into one rika. Each rika has its own leader and operates as
3729-536: Is the home of the Sumari clan, whereas Kimundo is the home of the Kaaya. Although most clans live in a specific area of Meruland, certain clans may not have their own territory and may be distributed around the country. Two clans are used as examples: Urio and Kitomari. Additionally, each Meru clan has been given a certain set of skills and tasks to accomplish for the public. Members of the clan Mbise, for example, were said to have
3842-830: Is the primary source of energy for cooking in 90% of households, followed by kerosene at 5%. Agriculture is the most important economic activity in Meru District. Coffee , bananas , maize , and sunflowers are among the crops farmed. Cattle, goats, and poultry are examples of livestock. The district is also one of Tanzania's horticultural capitals. Hortanzania Ltd in Maji ya Chai , Kiliflora Ltd in Usa River, Tengeru Flowers in Maji ya Chai, Tanzania Flowers in Maji ya Chai , Kilimanjaro Dekker Bruins and Mount Meru Flowers both in Akheri Ward are flower companies situated in Meru District. The majority of
3955-478: Is used for agricultural activities, 37.05 km (3%) for grazing, 15 km (0.001%) for pasture /fodder, 203.7 km (16%) is in Arusha National Park , 5.7 km (0.4%) is water bodies, and the remaining area of 44.39 km (3.6%) is settlement and unspecified land. The major climate in Meru District is tropical savanna , with distinct rainy and dry seasons. The average annual rainfall
4068-418: Is vital to stress that the custom of female circumcision, whatever it was and is now, does not entail the association of women in age classes and does not aim to contribute to the formation of coherent female organizations. According to some anthropologists, this ceremony likely conveys the core idea of younger women's subordination to the eldest, as well as the idea of daughters' obedience to mothers, rather than
4181-490: Is “based on the interpretation of figures traced on sand or other surface known as geomantic figures .” It is a good example of Islamic divination at a popular level. The core principle that meaning derives from a unique occupied position is identical to the core principle of astrology. Like astronomy, geomancy used deduction and computation to uncover significant prophecies as opposed to omens ( ‘ilm al-fa’l ), which were process of “reading” visible random events to decipher
4294-739: The Nechung Oracle , which is considered the official state oracle of the government of Tibet . The Dalai Lama has according to centuries-old custom, consulted the Nechung Oracle during the new year festivities of Losar . Although Japan retains a history of traditional and local methods of divination , such as onmyōdō , contemporary divination in Japan, called uranai , derives from outside sources. Contemporary methods of divination in Japan include both Western and Chinese astrology , geomancy or feng shui , tarot cards , I Ching (Book of Changes) divination , and physiognomy (methods of reading
4407-612: The Arusha Region of Tanzania .The District is bordered to the north by Longido District , to the east by Siha and Hai Districts of Kilimanjaro Region , to the south by Simanjiro District of Manyara Region , and to the west by Arusha Rural District and Arusha Urban District . It covers an area of 1,266 km (489 sq mi). The district is comparable in size to the land area of Faroe Islands . Meru District has an max elevation of 3,800 m (12,500 ft) at Rhino Point on Mount Meru . The administrative capital of
4520-508: The German colonizers against both Arusha and Meru, during which a great number of Arusha and Meru were slain, their cattle confiscated, and banana groves were burned down to make way for European farmers. This land was soon colonized by Afrikaners who moved from South Africa . With the establishment of British colonial administration in 1916, the Wameru began to actively expand their towns and farms in
4633-571: The Middle Ages . In the constitution of 1572 and public regulations of 1661 of the Electorate of Saxony , capital punishment was used on those predicting the future. Laws forbidding divination practice continue to this day. The Waldensians sect were accused of practicing divination. Småland is famous for Årsgång , a practice which occurred until the early 19th century in some parts of Småland. Generally occurring on Christmas and New Year's Eve, it
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4746-675: The Rider-Waite-Smith tarot published by the Rider Company in London in 1909. Since, the practice of Japanese tarot has become overwhelmingly feminine and intertwined with kawaii culture. Referring to the cuteness of tarot cards, Japanese model Kuromiya Niina was quoted as saying "because the images are cute, even holding them is enjoyable." While these differences exist, Japanese tarot cards function similarly to their Western counterparts. Cards are shuffled and cut into piles then used to forecast
4859-519: The Siwa Oasis was made famous when Alexander the Great visited it after conquering Egypt from Persia in 332 BC. Deuteronomy 18:10–12 or Leviticus 19:26 can be interpreted as categorically forbidding divination. But some biblical practices, such as Urim and Thummim , casting lots and prayer , are considered to be divination. Trevan G. Hatch disputes these comparisons because divination did not consult
4972-557: The UN resolution. The British authorities, on the other hand, simply ignored the UN resolution. The Meru Community was never going to give up. Japhet conferred with other TAA leaders, Julius Nyerere and S. Kandoro, on probable next steps. They instructed him to travel through Tanganyika informing the entire country about the violation of his people's rights and the British disregard for the UN ruling in favor of
5085-645: The scientific community and by skeptics as being superstitious ; experiments do not support the idea that divination techniques can actually predict the future more reliably or precisely than would be possible without it. In antiquity, divination came under attack from philosophers such as the Academic skeptic Cicero in De Divinatione (1st century BCE) and the Pyrrhonist Sextus Empiricus in Against
5198-510: The social hierarchy . It is worth noting that the blacksmith clan in the pastoralist Datoga society holds a similar low social rank . The Meru clan structure is currently progressively being dismantled. This is a result of the state strategy of Julius Nyerere's government in the 1960s, which was largely aimed at creating an unified Tanzanian country with a common language (Swahili) and cultural traditions. The relationship between Bantu Meru clans and Arusha (Maasai) groups intensified beginning in
5311-461: The "one true God" and manipulated the divine for the diviner's self-interest. One of the earliest known divination artifacts, a book called the Sortes Sanctorum, is believed to be of Christian roots, and utilizes dice to provide insight into the future. Uri Gabbay states that divination was associated with sacrificial rituals in the ancient Near East, including Mesopotamia and Israel. Extispicy
5424-480: The Astrologers (2nd century CE). The satirist Lucian ( c. 125 – after 180) devoted an essay to Alexander the false prophet . The eternal fire at Nymphaion in southern Illyria (present-day Albania ) also functioned as an oracle. The forms of divination practiced in this natural fire sanctuary with peculiar physical properties were widely known to the ancient Greek and Roman authors. The Oracle of Amun at
5537-561: The Chagga. According to most analysts, this similarity is not by chance: a historically large number of Wameru clans believed themselves the descendants of Machame and Siha /Ng'uni groupings affiliated with the Chagga ethnic community. One version claims that approximately 400 years ago, inhabitants from the Machame area traveled away from the Kilimanjaro slopes and toward Mount Meru. Traditionally,
5650-470: The District's tallest waterfall. Meru District Council has a total population of 268,144 persons according to the Population and Housing Census of 2012. There are 131,264 men (49%) and 136,880 women (51%) among them. Meru District Council is predicted to have a population of 306,352 in 2017, with 149,968 (49%) males and 156,384 (51%) females. The average household size is projected to be 5 people. According to
5763-546: The Marangu missionary center, they returned to Meruland and became directors of newly opened schools for the local people. At the start of the Christianization process, women actively rejected missionaries' attempts to enroll their children in school. If that happened, they would shave their heads and mourn their children as dead. The Meru had a hostile attitude toward Christianization for obvious reasons: missionaries convinced
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#17330846392145876-534: The Meru are an example of a patriarchal society. The patriarchy, or institutionalized male domination over women and children in the household and society, was the norm for them. The Meru are organized according to the traditional clan structure, with 26 clans. Most experts assume that the bulk of Meru clans are descended from the Chagga, with only a few clans having Maasai ancestors, such as Pallangyo, Nko, and Sikawa. The four most senior Meru clans all claim Shambaa ancestry (Mbise, Kaaya, Akyoo, and Sumari), while
5989-631: The Meru continued to engage in the initiation with the Maasai and shared age-sets with them. After that, they broke away from the Arusha and continued to form their own warrior units, giving their own titles to each generation set, which differed from the Maasai names for their generation sets. However, the general organizational principles of such units are similar to those of the Maasai: each such unit chooses its own leader (laigvanani in Maa, means commander), whose primacy
6102-948: The Meru district is occupied by small and medium-sized businesses. In 2017, the district had 2,200 stores, 296 barbershops, 23 hotels, 95 guesthouses, and 264 bars. To name a few, important industries situated there include Jumbo Textile Ltd, Tanzania Poultry Farm Ltd, Hughes Motors Ltd, and Maji Tech. Meru District is home to tourist attractions such as the Arusha National Park , the Momella Lakes , Lake Duluti, Kalanga Forest Reserve in Nkoanenkoli, NAIC Forest Reserve in Nshapu, Sakila Hill in Sakila, Shumbumbu Hills Caves in Akheri Ward, Mringaringa in Poli Ward, and Usa River Springs Forest Reserve. Ulon'ga Falls are
6215-409: The Meru now have a limited number of animals. However, the Wameru kept enormous herds of cattle on the open pasture in the late nineteenth century. The shift in land use priorities can be explained by the early twentieth-century switch to cultivating a variety of products for sale (mainly coffee ). A farm ('kihamba') is a farmhouse of a single family that runs on the labor of its members. The soil of
6328-898: The Meru to abolish polygamy , stated that traditional beliefs were not pleasing to God, and denounced female circumcision. That is they condemned cultural and moral norms of the Meru, and obviously, the Meru could have shardly accepted this. By 1912, things had begun to change, and some Meru girls began to attend a day school (Spear 1997: 101–102). Meru's Christianization intensified after 1916. During this time period, missionaries began to demonstrate greater loyalty and tolerance with Meru traditional customs. The vast majority of Meruans are Christians today. But they say that this has nothing to do with their traditional or ethnic identities. Many Christians are proud of their ethnic backgrounds and are well acquainted with cultural traditions. They observe ancient practices, visit traditional sacred shrines, and worship traditional deities . Mangi's traditional authority
6441-547: The Meru. 'The Meru Land Case' became a nationwide business over time, and TAA leaders, notably Julius Nyerere, utilized it to construct the political demands of their party platform in 1954). The Meru revered K. Japhet as their national hero, dubbed 'Merishai' (in KiMeru). Julius Nyerere dealt the ultimate blow to Meru tribal organization and traditional tribe leadership. Previously, Mangi was formally in charge of administrative functions related to colonial authorities, while Nshili Nnini
6554-557: The Population of 2012, Meru District Council has an annual population growth rate of 2.7%. According to the legislation, Meru District Council has a standard administrative structure that extends to all levels, namely the council, the Ward, the Village, and the Sub Village. The district is divided into three divisions, twenty-six wards, 90 villages, and 337 sub-villages. As of 2012, Meru District
6667-404: The age of five, whereas males under the age of five are more affected than females. This is also reflected in total admissions, where females outnumber males. Clinical AIDS is the primary cause of death in younger children, while Pneumonia is the top cause of death in adults, with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 27. Rabies is the main cause of morbidity and mortality among notifiable diseases, with
6780-576: The area is the Meru People, who immigrated there from the Usambara Mountains in Tanga Region , they are the majority of residents in the district. They settled on the southeastern slopes of the mountain and started to farm the land. Meru District has a total size of 1,268.2 square kilometers, with forest reserves covering around 13% (163.7 km ). An area of approximately 813.5 km (64.1%)
6893-430: The bed, the woman gives birth. Disposable razors are used to cut the cord (special knife in the past). The afterbirth is buried near the bed in the ground. The average time between births is two to three years. The birth ceremony is required. First, the woman's mother-in-law pays her a visit. She brings goodies such as milk and butter . Then her neighbors come to see her. They produce loud hooting sounds as they approach
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#17330846392147006-474: The body to identify traits). In Japan , divination methods include Futomani from the Shinto tradition. Personality typing as a form of divination has been prevalent in Japan since the 1980s. Various methods exist for divining personality type. Each attempt to reveal glimpses of an individual's destiny, productive and inhibiting traits, future parenting techniques, and compatibility in marriage. Personality type
7119-401: The chair. It is seen that it is in the chair by an onset of motion. Eventually, the chair crashes onto a table prepared with wood chips and burlap. The characters on the table are then traced and these are said to be written by the deity who possessed the chair, these characters are then interpreted for the devotees. Divination is widespread throughout Africa. Among many examples it is one of
7232-596: The community. The morans stopped obeying not only the clan chiefs, but also the Mangi. Moran parties began attacking, robbing neighbors and stealing their cattle. They were almost deaf to the supreme leader's bans. The following information was found in one of those documents. The first Europeans to enter Meruland in 1887 were promptly robbed by a group of teenage warriors from Meru and Arusha. The victims went to Mangi Matunda to complain. However, he failed to provide genuine assistance to these folks. The Mangi admitted that morans obeyed
7345-650: The concept of language, specifically Arabic , as the expression of "the essence of what it signifies." Once the believer understood this, while remaining obedient to God’s will, they could uncover the essence and divine truth of the objects inscribed with Arabic like amulets and talismans through the study of the letters of the Qur’an with alphanumeric computations. In Islamic practice in Senegal and Gambia , just like many other West African countries, diviners and religious leaders and healers were interchangeable because Islam
7458-475: The district is Usa River . According to the 2022 Tanzania National Census, the population of Meru District council was 331,603. The district is named after Mount Meru , which is named after the Rwa people . The first communities in what would be the Meru District were the now extinct Koningo people, a hunter gatherer group that lived around the slopes of Mount Meru for centuries. The second community to settle in
7571-504: The dry seasons. Electricity, the district is linked to the national grid , and commerce centers such as Usa River, Arusha, and Moshi are linked. The primary source of energy for cooking is wood, which accounts for 90% of the total, with gas stoves accounting for the remaining 0.5%.The most common source of lightning is kerosene, which is used by 90% of all private households, followed by electricity (biogas, fuel wood,) at 5%. Trade centers such as Usa River fuel wood , including charcoal ,
7684-568: The end of the millennium in the Islamic calendar approached. Dream interpretation, or oneiromancy (‘ilm ta’bir al-ru’ya ), is more specific to Islam than other divinatory science, largely because of the Qur’an’s emphasis on the predictive dreams of Abraham , Yusuf , and Muhammad . The important delineation within the practice lies between “incoherent dreams” and “sound dreams,” which were “a part of prophecy” or heavenly message. Dream interpretation
7797-423: The end of the nineteenth century, the Meru and Arusha had developed an ethnic identity. Because of the exceptional fertility of the local soil, Meruland is now characterized by high human density and agricultural specialization. Bananas, mangoes , avocados, coffee, tomatoes, legumes, and grains such as maize, rice , millet, and sorghum are grown on modern Meru. In addition, due to a severe dearth of grazing area,
7910-534: The fact that Mangi had lost his position as Meru's leader, clan leaders still wield influence and regulate the lives of Meru's small communities. For example, a major crime is handled by the police, but litigation and land disputes, as well as violent behavior by young people, are still handled by the local elders. Meru now reside not just on the slopes of Mount Meru, but also in the valley at its base. Such communities are quickly transformed into tiny towns. Madji ja Chai, Leguruku, Ngare Nanyuki, Tengeru, and Usa River are
8023-520: The fact that the tribe protest had no effect, Meru did not accept the colonial rulers' acts. They sent Kirilo Japhet to represent their rights to the United Nations, where the case of indigenous peoples' rights violations was being considered. The United Nations acknowledged that the British colonial authority had acted illegally and passed the resolution in favor of Meru. The land should be returned to Meru as originally belonged to them by law,' declared
8136-579: The first diviners. Every civilization that developed in pre-Columbian Mexico , from the Olmecs to the Aztecs , practiced divination in daily life, both public and private. Scrying through the use of reflective water surfaces, mirrors , or the casting of lots were among the most widespread forms of divinatory practice. Visions derived from hallucinogens were another important form of divination, and are still widely used among contemporary diviners of Mexico. Among
8249-399: The forehead level. Once in this position, the blocks are dropped and the future can be understood depending on their landing. If both fall flat side up or both fall rounded side up, that can be taken as a failure of the deity to agree. If the blocks land one rounded and one flat, the deity indicates "Yes", or positive. “Laughing poe” is when rounded sides land down and they rock before coming to
8362-520: The future, for spiritual reflection, or as a tool for self-understanding. A common act of divination in Taiwan is called the Poe . “The Poe” translated to English means “moon boards”. It consists of two wood or bamboo blocks cut into the shape of a crescent moon. The one edge is rounded while the other is flat; the two are mirror images. Both crescents are held out in one's palms and while kneeling, they are raised to
8475-443: The high demand for oracle consultations and the oracles’ limited work schedule, they were not the main source of divination for the ancient Greeks. That role fell to the seers ( Greek : μάντεις ). Seers were not in direct contact with the gods; instead, they were interpreters of signs provided by the gods. Seers used many methods to explicate the will of the gods including extispicy , ornithomancy , etc. They were more numerous than
8588-923: The highest concentration of personality assessment guides. There are approximately 144 different women's magazines, known as nihon zashi koukoku kyoukai , published in Japan aimed at this audience. The adaptation of the Western divination method of tarot cards into Japanese culture presents a particularly unique example of contemporary divination as this adaptation mingles with Japan's robust visual culture. Japanese tarot cards are created by professional artists, advertisers, and fans of tarot. One tarot card collector claimed to have accumulated more than 1,500 Japan-made decks of tarot cards. Japanese tarot cards fall into diverse categories such as: The images on tarot cards may come from images from Japanese popular culture, such as characters from manga and anime including Hello Kitty , or may feature cultural symbols. Tarot cards may adapt
8701-424: The house, indicating global joy. As a result, the entire district learns about a new member of society. A youngster is given a small quantity of mashed fried banana two to three days after birth. Breast-fed babies live for one to one and a half years. During this moment, a child is sleeping in the same bed as his mother. According to Meru tradition, a kid must receive the name of a recently deceased family member, but
8814-457: The household is not just used for agriculture; a portion of the land can be occupied by trees that provide wood for construction and fuel for the fire. Historically, the Meru erected spherical dwellings covered in banana leaves, but such houses are now rare in Meruland. The majority of the Meru live in masonry houses with galvanized iron sheet roofs. The land in the homestead is passed down through
8927-483: The images of Japanese historical figures, such as high priestess Himiko (170–248CE) or imperial court wizard Abe no Seimei (921–1005CE). Still others may feature images of cultural displacement, such as English knights, pentagrams , the Jewish Torah , or invented glyphs . The introduction of such cards began by the 1930s and reached prominence 1970s. Japanese tarot cards were originally created by men, often based on
9040-494: The inheritance (with the exception of the youngest son, who inherits the house and his father's land). The Meru polygamous household has a separate house for the father (which is an analogue of said male house) where the father and each wife's grown-up boys live, as well as separate houses for each wife where women live with young children. Boys move to their father's house at the age of 10, while girls remain in their mother's house until they marry. The mother's status in Meru society
9153-436: The initiation, this unit does not function as an autonomous military or political organization. Each group of initiating boys choose a leader from among themselves, according to this tradition. These clan chiefs had to submit to the clan chief. Those in turn must submit to the supreme king (Mangi). In general sessions, all clan chiefs represent their clans before the Mangi. After initiation, Meru young males became members of
9266-449: The invisible realities from which they originated. It was upheld by prophetic tradition and relied almost exclusively on text, specifically the Qur’an (which carried a table for guidance) and poetry, as a development of bibliomancy . The practice culminated in the appearance of the illustrated “Books of Omens” ( Falnama ) in the early 16th century, an embodiment of the apocalyptic fears as
9379-507: The local monarch was supporting the colonial authorities in gaining their tribal territory, and hence requested his resignation. The British attempted to crush the insurrection by deporting most of its leaders, but inadvertently exacerbated matters: many Meru joined the Kilimanjaro Citizens' Union (KCU), which had been established by the Chagga with the goal of undermining the power of local traditional rulers. Although this Constitution
9492-465: The magical power of diviners and rainmakers (this clan occupied the highest place in the Meru's social system). The men of the Kaaya clan inherited political power and magical might, while the members of the Sarajija clan had life-giving power and their blessing offered security for dwellings and gardens. The Maasai clan Sikawa was associated with blacksmiths and represented one of the lowest rung of
9605-500: The male line from father to son. Simultaneously, the youngest son gets the family household, comprising the parents' house and the majority of the land plot, while the elder sons take their land plots and must start from scratch to build a house and arrange the economy. When the father grows older, the eldest son must assume parental obligations and care for the younger children. The junior son never leaves his father's house and must care for his parents till they die. Daughters also receive
9718-481: The mid-nineteenth century. According to historical records, the Arusha came on the slopes of Mount Arusha when the Meru people had already established around Mount Meru. The Arusha people settled in the valley south of Mount Kilimanjaro and farmed cattle and corn. The Arusha, who lived close to Mount Meru, actively assaulted their neighbors, stealing their herds and enslaving them. The Meru attempted to repel military assaults by establishing their own military structures. By
9831-520: The more common hallucinogenic plants used in divination are morning glory , jimson weed , and peyote . Theyyam or "theiyam" in Malayalam is the process by which a devotee invites a Hindu god or goddess to use his or her body as a medium or channel and answer other devotees' questions. The same is called "arulvaakku" or "arulvaak" in Tamil , another south Indian language - Adhiparasakthi Siddhar Peetam
9944-528: The mother has the authority to discipline her children for wrongdoing. However, fathers cannot reprimand grown-up females because it is completely forbidden for the father to touch her. In this situation, the penalty is carried by the mother. The Meru have traditionally practiced both male and female circumcision . Immigrants from the Kilimanjaro region introduced the practice of female circumcision. The traditional female circumcision, known as clitoridectomy ,
10057-425: The oracles and did not keep a limited schedule; thus, they were highly valued by all Greeks, not just those with the capacity to travel to Delphi or other such distant sites. The disadvantage of seers was that only direct yes-or-no questions could be answered. Oracles could answer more generalized questions, and seers often had to perform several sacrifices in order to get the most consistent answer. For example, if
10170-428: The orders of their elected leaders but not himself. Thus, the gradual transition of Meru's social organization in the direction of Maasai-style paramilitary formations resulted in significant decentralization of Meru society in the late nineteenth century. The tribal constitution was established in 1948. During this time, the Meru refused to work with the colonial administration and boycotted Mangi because they believed
10283-711: The planets (Saturn, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, or Uranus). Personality can also be divined using cardinal directions, the four elements (water, earth, fire, air), and yin-yang . Names can also lend important personality information under name classification which asserts that names bearing certain Japanese vowel sounds (a, i, u, e, o) share common characteristics. Numerology , which utilizes methods of divining 'birth numbers' from significant numbers such as birth date, may also reveal character traits of individuals. Individuals can also assess their own and others' personalities according to physical characteristics. Blood type remains
10396-448: The principle of gender discrimination. Meru ladies were the main defenders of the rite. Thus, it would be incorrect to interpret Meru excision as a sign of masculine discrimination towards women or an aim to deprive women of sexuality and sexual drive. Some studies believe that this procedure equalizes women's standing with men who also undergo circumcision, helping them to recognize their relevance and worth in society. Male circumcision
10509-504: The rest of the Bantu origin clans are Chagga (Ndosi, Nanyaro, Urio, and Nasari). Researchers believe that the high-status clans purposefully insist on a non-Chagga origin. In this way, they attempt to distinguish themselves from the politically dominant and numerous Chagga neighbors. In this setting, the Mbise, Kaaya, and Sumari regard the Machame as sibling groups rather than ancestors. Each Meru clan
10622-471: The same titles as those who did. From the beginning of Islam, there "was (and is) still a vigorous debate about whether or not such [divinatory] practices were actually permissible under Islam,” with some scholars like Abu-Hamid al Ghazili (d. 1111) objecting to the science of divination because he believed it bore too much similarity to pagan practices of invoking spiritual entities that were not God. Other scholars justified esoteric sciences by comparing
10735-407: The seer slaughtering a sheep and examining its liver for answers regarding a more generic question; the sphagia involved killing a young female goat by slitting its throat and noting the animal's last movements and blood flow. The battlefield sacrifice only occurred when two armies prepared for battle against each other. Neither force would advance until the seer revealed appropriate omens . Because
10848-559: The seers had such power over influential individuals in ancient Greece, many were skeptical of the accuracy and honesty of the seers. The degree to which seers were honest depends entirely on the individual seers. Despite the doubt surrounding individual seers, the craft as a whole was well regarded and trusted by the Greeks, and the Stoics accounted for the validity of divination in their physics . The divination method of casting lots ( Cleromancy )
10961-464: The slopes of Mount Meru in the 1830s, the Wameru were already there. In the 1830s, the Wameru also created the Arusha township. The Meru kept the name of one of their leaders, Rari II (also known as Ndemi), who ruled until 1887. The leader made substantial contributions to the economy, particularly agriculture, by introducing new crops such as millet, maize, and bananas. He popularized pottery and iron crafts. In 1896, punitive expeditions were conducted by
11074-473: The surrounding area, thereby expanding their agricultural crop planting area.Coffee had been the most profitable agricultural product for Meru farmers by the 1920s. They also cultivated bananas, maize, and beans. The Kimeru language, spoken by the Meru, is a Bantu language that is closely connected to one of the dialects of the Chagga language of West Kilimanjaro. The Meru are culturally and linguistically related to
11187-521: The true name must be kept hidden from others. Family violence may occur among the Meru. A husband can beat his wife, but society does not condone it. In this scenario, a lady has the right to seek assistance from the elders. The assembled assembly of village elders will summon husband and wife to explain the reasons for their wrongdoing. Typically, the husband will pay a penalty to his wife. The woman's relatives (father or brothers) will insist that her husband be punished. When her own relatives are far away,
11300-411: Was a common example, where diviners would pray to their god(s) before vivisecting a sacrificial animal. Their abominal organs would reveal a divine message, which aligned with cardiocentric views of the mind. Both oracles and seers in ancient Greece practiced divination. Oracles were the conduits for the gods on earth; their prophecies were understood to be the will of the gods verbatim. Because of
11413-417: Was administratively divided into 17 wards : The 9 added wards as of 2017: In 2007, there were only 38 secondary schools in the district, 21 of which were government-owned and 17 of which were private. In 2017, the district had 113 public elementary schools and 48 private primary schools. There were 29 state secondary schools and 28 private secondary schools in the same year. Meru District Council
11526-459: Was also practiced by the Meru, which originated with a similar tradition among the Chagga people. Male circumcision was first practiced by Mbise clan members. However, they lacked the Morans Institute (warriors). The initiation, which was accompanied by circumcision of boys, granted membership in a specific age group within a specific clan. Despite the fact that men become brothers as a result of
11639-559: Was also the Secretary of the ATA's local branch in Arusha at the time, led the new national party. The precedent was known as 'The Meru Land Case' 1951 in historical records. The confrontation between colonial authority and Meru was caused by the illegal displacement of 3,000 farmers from their ancestral lands in Engare Nanyuki and the transfer of these fertile fields to European farmers. Despite
11752-430: Was always tied to Islamic religious texts, providing a moral compass to those seeking advice. The practitioner needed to be skilled enough to apply the individual dream to general precedent while appraising the singular circumstances. The power of text held significant weight in the " science of letters " (‘ilm al-huruf ), the foundational principle being "God created the world through His speech." The science began with
11865-528: Was appreciative. The Mangi from the Kaaya clan who had come to the Arusha region inherited the traditions of the preceding Mangi (according to Meru elders, all their Mangi descended from the Shambaa). It was considered that Mangi looked for all the people and the country inhabited by the Meruans. Furthermore, he was the principal judge, and the sentenced individuals were flogged with sticks and subsequently put to prison as
11978-552: Was closely related with esoteric practices (like divination), which were responsible for the regional spread of Islam. As scholars learned esoteric sciences, they joined local non-Islamic aristocratic courts, who quickly aligned divination and amulets with the "proof of the power of Islamic religion." So strong was the idea of esoteric knowledge in West African Islam, diviners and magicians uneducated in Islamic texts and Arabic bore
12091-452: Was employed in public. Astrologers, trained as scientists and astronomers, were able to interpret the celestial forces that ruled the "sub-lunar" to predict a variety of information from lunar phases and drought to times of prayer and the foundation of cities. The courtly sanction and elite patronage of Muslim rulers benefited astrologers’ intellectual statures. The “science of the sand” ( ‘ilm al-raml ), otherwise translated as geomancy ,
12204-417: Was harshly persecuted after Julius Nyerere came to power. Nonetheless, this custom lives on in a modified form today. Girls are now circumcised while they are infants, when before this rite was performed when they reached puberty. As a result, the circumcision ceremony no longer served as a symbol of female initiation , marking the shift from adolescence to the age of a mature woman capable of childbearing. It
12317-454: Was in charge of internal matters. Mangi's power was finally destroyed in 1963, and Nshili Nnini remained the lone representative of tribal power (Baroin 2003: 154, 157). His primary responsibility was to execute tribal customary law in conformity with the tribe constitution and intentions. He never made judgments on his own; he always sought consensus, and all problems of general concern were considered in tribal councils or public forums. Despite
12430-535: Was never used, the Meru recognized the supremacy of its fundamental concepts. On January 1, 1951, the Meru formed their own political party, the Meru Citizens' Union (MCU), after breaking away from the KCU. On February 24, the Meru chose their first Paramount Chief, Nshili Nnini (which means "a large leader"), using the same word "nshili" that was used to refer to a clan head alongside the pro-British Mangi. Kirilo Japhet, who
12543-563: Was performed as part of the female initiation ritual. A properly trained woman conducted the circumcision using a special ritual knife. Currently, female circumcision is done using a single blade razor. During British colonial authority, female circumcision was formally prohibited. The planning of a daughter's circumcision resulted in a penalty for the parents responsible, according to a specially drafted law. Attempts to prohibit this and similar operations, however, were futile, and circumcisions were simply carried out in secret. Female circumcision
12656-434: Was traditionally fairly high. The Meru, on the other hand, exclusively rewarded women who had three or more children. Clothing was used to symbolize this transition: following the birth of her third child, a lady switches from a short fringed leather skirt to a long skirt made of long leather stripes. Traditionally, the birth takes place in the woman's home, with the assistance of a specially trained midwife. While resting on
12769-751: Was used by the remaining eleven disciples of Jesus in Acts 1:23–26 to select a replacement for Judas Iscariot . Therefore, divination was arguably an accepted practice in the early church. However, divination became viewed as a pagan practice by Christian emperors during ancient Rome . In 692 the Quinisext Council , also known as the "Council in Trullo" in the Eastern Orthodox Church , passed canons to eliminate pagan and divination practices. Fortune-telling and other forms of divination were widespread through
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