Azaghvana E-Book 2003 - Flipbook - Page 430
Figure 25 is an illustration I published over twenty years ago as a model of the Dghweɗe
cosmography in which a rim of outer world mountains holds up the 'hard sky', and where a
cosmological snake forms the limit and outer bounds of the living world, while the sun
circulates through this and the other worlds above and below (Muller-Kosack 1996:149). 1
Figure 25: Model of the Dghweɗe view of cosmographic mirror worlds
In our model, the
expression
of
multiple
cosmological
worlds
below
luwa mbarte and
above ghaluwa
is an expression
of the Dghweɗe
reproductive
mode of thought
as applied on the
cosmographic
level of belief.
We think it is a
representation of
hope
for
a
prosperous
future, perhaps
taken from the
idea
of
the
seventh-born son
(thaghaya) for
good luck in the
face of adversity.
This is not just
an instance of
belief in the
supernatural as a
source of good
luck, but also the
belief in human
endeavour
against environmental crisis. We will discuss this way of thinking further in Chapter 3.18,
concerning the significance of the seventh- and eighth-born child as expressions of good and
bad luck, and also in Chapter 3.19 about the Dghweɗe belief in the communal reincarnation
of twins, which were seen as reproductive mirror images.
Figure 25 contains the expression gwal ghwa'a which refers to the 'People of the hills' (gwal =
people; ghwa'a = mountains) as opposed to luwa haya. We know that the latter refers to the
settlements of the plains. We do not have any comparative data on cosmographic ideas from
1
My artist friend David Lewis created this adaptation by following my instructions at the time, and I
am grateful for his effort. When David gave me the completed illustration, I realised that he had taken
the mirror image of the world literally and not only as a social mirror image. I decided to leave it as it
is, despite the fact that the first picture might create the impression that the earth is not flat but
spherical, however it is a view of the disc from above. The side view shows how the sun rises in this
world after it has moved through the next world, and we also see in the side view that the sun circulates
above the 'hard sky', which is something we are uncertain about. David also put the idea of 'The Seven
Worlds' below luwa mbarte, which is potentially misleading since it is meant to apply not only to the
next world but also to world above, which has, according one source, as many as nine multiple worlds.
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