Editing Ubantu:Contents:Religion:KidiniIntro (section)

====Msafu ya Umajina - The Book of the Names of God====

The Umajina text sets out the Kidini cosmology and theology. The word "Umajina" means something like "many namedness". There are three parts, the Primaverse, Evocations and Stories. The Primaverse deals with the the names of God - the primary incantation lists 26, each with an epithet -  Ngai the Great One, Mulungu the Creator, Nyame the Father, Leza of Heaven, Huveane the Raingiver, Wele the King of the Ancestors, Imana the Merciful, Iruwa the Protector, Dziva the Mother, Dyaweh the Benevolent, Nzambi the Inconquerable, Tilo the Eye of the Sun, Mredana Bride of Creation, Mukuru Lord of the Future , Asa the Seer, Utixo the Omniscient, Tuwatabi the Sky Woman, Chiuta the Great Bow of Heaven, Pamba the Great Warrior, Adroa Lord of the Earth,  Ngazi the Earthmother, Katonda of the Clouds, Ruhanga King of Kings, Khuzwane the Ancient One, Kaluma Worker of Miracles and  Unkulunkintu the First Man. This is an obvious attempt at syncretism - a collection of all the various names from every people,  together in a simple easily recited hymn. Seven of the names are feminine. The Umajina aspect of Kidini has been VERY successful - each time a new people is encountered, a name is added, and the Kanisa gains another people.

The primary characteristic of God in Bantu theology is that he is otiose and distant, taking no part in daily affairs. Other than this simple praise, He features very little in Kidini. On the other hand, the Umajina (many names) are of great import to Walozi (book sorcerors), who take an almost kabbalistic view.

The Evocations are a collection of prayers, each one focusing on one of the aspects of God. Each of the names has several Evocations. The following will serve as an example:

:::"O Imana wa Umajina, if only you would help me!
:::O Imana of pity, Imana of my father's home, if only you would help me!
:::O Imana if only you would help me just this once!
:::O Imana, if only you would give me a homestead and children!
:::I prostrate before you, Imana wa Umajina.
:::I cry to you: Give me offspring, give me as you give to others!
:::Imana, what shall I do, where shall I go?
:::I am in distress: where is there room for me?
:::O Merciful, O Imana of mercy, help this once"

The next sections, Stories, is just that - myths that mention God. There are 46 Stories, gleaned from numerous cultures, all of which refer to God only as Umajina. The myths are inconsist, redundant and mutually contradictory - God is expected to beyond human understanding. It is nowhere clear whether or not Umajina and Unkulunkintu are separate beings. There are, for example,  five creations myths, four concerning the origin of men and two about the origin of death. A few examples:   Umajina vomits up the celestial bodies, the animals and then man. Umajina creates the Moon and the Morning and Evening Stars as his wives, who later give birth to all the plants and animals. Umajina breaks off a reed, which becomes the First Man (Unkulunkintu). Umajina planted the Great Tree of Heaven, the leaves that fell from the tree becames the animals, the seeds fell and broke open and became the first men. Umajina married the Earth and her children crawled up from caves. Umajina created Unkulunkintu and Mbovyajiva, the first woman, in a beautiful garden at the center of which grew the Great Tree of Heaven, guarded by the Serpent. Mbovyajiva tricked the Serpent and tried to climb the Tree to get into Heaven, and was cast down into the sea. Unkulunkintu was then expelled from the garden and given new wives, created to be subservient, and these became the mothers of humanity. The Judaic elements in Kidini come from the Lemba Jews in Uganda, who created one of the original kingdoms swallowed by Kodumodumo and also brought written language.