AFRICAN CATS AND NAMES: Cats as Chicken in Meals

Friday, May 1, 2015

Cats as Chicken in Meals

Cats are used for human consumption in some African sub-regions due to the fact that they taste just like chicken. Cats in most cases being domestic animals become afraid of man in view of the above reason. They are more intelligent than some dogs. Most cats, having realize this, at times flee from home permanently. This also makes them to be aggressive in any attempt by man to kill them. Some seem to behave like lion if noticed in such an attack.

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Nyambe - Common Nigerian Cat

NYAMBE (Nigh-Ahm'-Bee; Male): There are actually two gods with this same name or a variation of it (Nyambi.) One is the Nyambe of the Koko tribe in Nigeria. To the Koko, he was the god of regeneration. He lived on the earth with humans and provided them with immortality through the agency of one very special, life-giving tree. But the people began to take this beneficent god for granted. This hurt Nyambe very much. One day he called the people to gather around. When they had assembled, the god took a bundle of twigs and asked if any man was strong enough to break them. Many tried that day, but no one succeeded. Nyambe then pointed out that when the twigs were released from the bundle, they broke quite easily. He explained that when they had bound themselves to him, they had strength and nothing could take that from them, but now that they distanced themselves from him, they were alone and weak. With that, Nyambe pulled the tree of immortality from the ground and disappeared forever. It wasn't long after this that people began to die. The other Nyambe hails from the Barotse tribe of Upper Zambesi. His tale is interesting in that it is one of many African legends which, from tribe to tribe, speak of man's foolishness in attempting to reach god by constructing a tower to the heavens. Sound familiar? Anyway, this legend reads more like an old Warner Brother's cartoon, with Nyambe being chased around the globe by a whining human named Kamonu. Kamonu was full of petty requests which the god always fulfilled. Then one day, the god had reached his limit. Unfortunately, that was the day that Kamonu's child died. For the first time the god's help was needed for something really important, so Kamonu tracked Nyambe down and begged his assistance. But the god wouldn't listen and ran away into the forest. No sooner had Nyambe settled down in the forest than he noticed Kamonu only a few steps away. The god ran off to a secluded cave, where, who should be waiting for him but Kamonu. Nyambe, stunned by the sight, ran to the top of the world's highest mountain only to find Kamonu there already. Undaunted, the indefatigable Kamonu built himself a tower just as high as he possibly could. It is said that Kamonu sits upon his tower to this very day, greeting the sun and the moon as they make their passage across the sky, and that he shall continue to sit there for all eternity, hoping one day he will be allowed to see Nyambe again. In both stories you'll notice the god's desire to shun human society, so consider that should you be trying to think of the right name for an adopted feral cat.

Puzzie - A Typical African Cat Name

PUZZIE CAT: This is the common cat found in Nigeria. The name Puzzie is derived from its sound and lion characteristics exhibited in cats. Cats as domestic animals live with human in Africa within a given restriction. A typical black African nation cat is depicted on the photograph shown above. The same specie can also be found in sub-sahara African regions. Puzzie is always added to cat as a name in order to distinguish the local cat from foreign cat due to the difference in hair colour, head structure and as well as body size amongst others.

Agassou - An African Cat fron Nigeria

AGASSOU: This cat is found in West Central coast of Africa from a tribe called the Yorubas originated from Ile Ife. People from a region called Edo also raise Agassou. Within this rather small district, four kingdoms arose, the mightiest of which was Abomey. Dahomey was well known for its fine craftsmanship, being particularly adept in ivory sculpture. A walled city said to be 25 miles in circumference, Dahomey was one of the magnificent jewels of African civilization. Now Agassou wasn't a god but a fetish, which means an object empowered by spiritual forces. Since the Panther was considered a creature of great power and courage, the figure of Agassou the Panther was assigned as guardian and protector to the king (called the Oba.) A very unique name for a brave and regal cat.

AKONGO - Yellow African Cat from Congo

AKONGO (Ah-Kong'-Go; Male): There are those cats which enjoy the company of humans and then there are those that do not. If your cat is one of the kind that despises the formalities of social interaction, then listen to this tale from the Ngombe tribe of the Congo. Akongo was the Supreme god. Being a benevolent, easy going deity he chose to live upon the earth with humanity because he enjoyed working and relaxing alongside them. But things began to grow sour. The humans began complaining and bickering about the most trivial of things. They became more and more self-centered, selfish, greedy and covetous. Where they once enjoyed idyllic pleasures during their time of leisure, they now filled those moments with drunken revelry and obnoxious behavior. Then one day, two of the humans attacked each other. A violent battle ensued which so disgusted the god Akongo that he left humanity to themselves. He was said to have disappeared into the depths of the jungle, determined to never again associate with people. It is said that he has not been seen since. So if you know of a cat like this, antisocial and preferring solitude, remember the name Akongo.

BUMBA - An African Cat from Congo

BUMBA (Boom'-Bah; Male): Cats will at sometime in their lives throw up hair balls. No big deal, it's just a fact of feline existence. If your cat seems to be hacking them up continuously, then this god name with its odd little tale might be appropriate. Bumba is another one of those creator gods, this time of the Bushongo people of the Congo. How this god created the world is disgusting to say the least since he vomited up the stars, the sun, the moon, everything in fact. He then created (or vomited) Heaven and Earth who were supposed to live together as a married couple. Things didn't work out and Heaven decided to leave for good. They have been divided ever since. Reunification is only possible when the material Earth ceases, which actually means when WE cease.

FA -An African Cat from Dahomey

FA (Fa'; Male): Fa is in one respect the god of destiny to the people of Dahomey. But in another sense, Fa is the distinct, individual predestination of each human being. Since there's not much a person can do about what is to be, the Dahomey believe that humans must integrate the habits of their lives with their own particular Fa. This was accomplished through the agency of a shaman or magician known as a bokonon. The bokonon would prepare representative items of threaded palm nuts which were believed to be empowered with the individual's Fa. These "fetishes" were then guarded with utmost care since they symbolized the complete course of events in that persons life. The individual still couldn't do much about what was destined to be, but at least these items gave a sort of road-map of advice whereby the best course of action involving those impending circumstances might be taken. The bokonon also performed a method of divination utilizing palm nuts. This operation, basically consisted of allowing the palm nuts to fall upon the ground at random which the sorcerer then translated into either short or long marks which were then traced within a ceremonial tray of sand. This produced a pattern which was interpreted by the bokonon. This system, known as Ifa to the Yoruba tribe, was very similar to the Chinese oracle, I Ching. It has been said that some cats possess uncanny skills of prognostication. If this happens to be true of your cat, consider this name of destiny

KALUMBA - An African Cat from Zaire

KALUMBA (Kah-Loom'-Bah; Male): This famous TV detective was known for his shabby overcoat and...no wait, that's Columbo. Kalumba was the god of creation to the Luba tribe of Zaire. Cat fanciers can appreciate one story concerning this god, if only because it makes dogs look so stupid. As the tale goes, Kalumba noticed the forces of Life and Death, casually strolling down a dirt path toward the world of the creatures called men whom he had only recently created. To insure that his creations would be allowed to flourish, Kalumba posted Dog and Goat in the middle of the road with orders to let Life pass while apprehending Death. Once Goat and Dog were in place, they started bickering about which one of them would do the best job by staying awake the longest. Goat left Dog alone, just out of spite. So, all alone, Dog did his best to keep a vigilant watch, but to no avail. Dog fell sound asleep and while deep in slumber, Death walked right on by and entered the world of man. Well, the next day Goat returned to relieve Dog who quickly departed in shame. Determined not to be as foolish as Dog, Goat forced himself to stay wide awake. Eventually he spotted Life coming on down the road and promptly detained him. Thus it was that Life was prevented from passing to the world of men, giving Death free reign. Of course things would have been a lot different had Kalumba posted cats on that road. Especially if they were BIG cats.

KYALA - An African Cat from Tanzania

KYALA (Kye-Ah'-Lah; Male): This is the creator god to the Nyakyusa tribe of Tanzania. He started off as a simple provincial god then made his way up to the king-sky god. He became so vainglorious as a result of his rise to power that he demanded an instant cessation in devotions from those who worshipped him. He decided that he was just too significant to be dealing with trivial little creatures like humans. Got a stuck-up feline who thinks his litter box doesn't stink? Then here's the consummate name.

AMMA - An African Cat from Mali

AMMA (Ah'-Mah; Male): This is the Supreme god of the Dogon tribe of Mali. He was something of a misogynist actually, so here's a name for a neutered cat that really couldn't care less about females. Why was Amma such a misogynist? Well, being the supreme god, naturally he created the world and the universe. They say he created the stars by tossing dirt clods into the sky. Next, he decided that he would create a woman so he could breed. He made this woman, also from clay. She was the earth. But one thing bothered Amma. Upon the surface of the newly formed earth grew a termite mound. This was in fact her clitoris. Fearing that this might prove to be a sign of a competing masculinity, the god had it severed, believing that in doing so he would make her 100% woman. An awful story, I know, but to this day some African peoples still practice a form of female circumcision called clitoridectomy. Whether or not this has anything to do with the myth is uncertain.

NAMPA - An African Cat from Senegal

NAMPA (Nahm'-Pah; Male): Does your cat have a problem with hairballs? What cat doesn't? Of course some cats have more of a problem than others, so if your kitty happens to be one of those chronic hairball types, Nampa may be just the name for you. Nampa was more of a spirit than a god. To the people of Senegal he is represented as a fetish composed of pulped roots and leaves which are then, you guessed it, rolled into little balls. That's about all the information I could get on him since only the elite get to worship him and that they do in utmost secrecy. Wouldn't you if your god was a few wet balls of plant material?

MUNGO - An Afrtican Cat from Kenya

MUNGO (Muhn'-Goh; Male): Here is a name that recalls the cat "Mungojerry" of T.S. Eliot fame. Actually, Mungo was the rain god of the Giryama of Kenya. To get him to send rain, what you do is sacrifice a goat along with a chicken, beat on the horn of a water buffalo while asking Mungo to send precipitation, then tie a white sheet to the roof of your house. As if through a miracle, it will begin raining! Well, eventually anyhow. Name your cat Mungo if he happens to love staring out the window on dark and drizzly days.

AFRICAN CATS AND NAMES

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Friday, May 1, 2015

Cats as Chicken in Meals

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Friday, May 1, 2015

Cats as Chicken in Meals

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