What does a ram mean in Africa. Encyclopedia of symbols

Ram: masculinity and thunder

For the animal world of Africa, rams are not typical; they can be found only in the highlands of Kenya. In the minds of the Moroccan Berbers and among the peoples living in southwestern Egypt, who still speak the ancient Berber language, rams are traditionally associated with the sun. The Swahili people celebrate the New Year on March 21 - the day when the sun enters the astrological sign of Aries (ram). This day is called Nairutsi, which is very similar to the name of the Persian holiday Navruz, which can be translated as "New World". The Swahili people worshiped the ram as the sun god. In Namibia, the Hottentots have a legend about a solar ram called Sore-Gus. Other tribes, such as the Akan-speaking peoples of West Africa, associate rams with courage and thunder. Their ram personifies male sexual power, and also, to some extent, serves as a symbol of militancy.

The picture shows the mask of a ram from Cameroon.

Source: "Symbols of Africa" ​​Heike Ovuzu