Words

In much of Africa, words do far more than carry a message or meaning. Words are believed to have power when spoken. For example, the Dogon people of Mali believe the African concept of Nommo, which states that the power of the spoken word carries a life force that produces all life and influences everything. By human utterance or through the spoken word, human beings can invoke a kind of spiritual power. Even the ancient Egyptians believed that power emanated from words. This belief is linked to their ethical principle, Maat (meaning truth, harmony, balance, and reciprocity).

The power of words is different from one individual to the next. The word power of the Creator is more powerful than that of any other being. In African philosophy, individuals have, by the [Page 725]power of their words, dominion over things, which they can change and make work for their purposes and command them. The Dogon believe that to command things with words is to practice magic. The power of the speaker determines how fascinated the audience will be.

The African's preference for words spoken over the written language speaks to words being viewed as a life force. Written words do not have the transformative powers of spoken words. Only words that are spoken can engage the human being, putting him or her on the path of harmony. Furthermore, written words cannot facilitate human interaction and are therefore lifeless. Words that are spoken permit us to experience life in the most significant of ways.

Naming in African culture is also an area in which the power of words is ever present. Naming is an essential characteristic of African philosophy and religion. Naming is a creative act. What we cannot conceive does not exist because every human thought expressed becomes reality. In other words, it is spoken into being. Once we name it, it moves into existence. The power of Nommo through naming creates life. Additionally, without naming, life would be static; there would be no possibility of social development or growth and no integration into human society. Naming, for Africans, is significant because it identifies whom they are and where they hope to ascend. African naming ceremonies are sacred. Each time parents name a child, they are commenting on the life path of that child, how that child will see him-or herself, and the hope of what the future of African people will be. The name goes with the child as a symbol as he or she navigates through life.