Blog Archives
African Masks
African masks play an important role in the various cultures and tribes found throughout the African continent. Generally speaking, African masks are used in intricate religious ceremonies as a way to conjure or communicate with spirits or ancestors. Visually and aesthetically speaking, masks will differ not only from culture to culture, but also in the intended purpose of each mask. Furthermore, African masks will also vary in the types of materials used to construct each individual mask. In many African cultures and tribes, they have an appointed member attributed with the purpose of designing and fabricating the masks. This person is usually referred to as an African tribal artists. Each tribal artist is expected to perfect specific carving techniques associated with its various social and religious connotations and apply them to each individual mask, depending on the intended purpose of that mask. Typically, a tribal artists learns his skill by becoming an apprentice of the master tribal artists. More often than not, it takes many years for tribal artists to master his art through rigorous training. In many African cultures and societies, the task is passed down from father to son, through generation after generation. The African tribal artist is … Continue reading
African History
African history and African heritage are topics that are crucial in the study of the human civilization. Not only is the study of African history important as it relates to the rest of the world, but furthermore, it is also one of the most extensive and complex to undertake. The African history and African heritage can trace back their roots to what is arguably the single most important piece of human history. It has been concluded that man originated somewhere in the eastern regions of the African continent. Africa, in fact, can be considered to be the birthplace of the human race. This simple yet important fact are not only crucial in African history, but also in the history of man and of the Earth. Though there has been much to study in terms of artifacts and other important pieces of history left behind, much of African history is still very much an elusive, complex, and difficult concept to explain. Much of this is due to the fact that there is not very much of African history that was committed to writing. For the very few exceptions left behind by the Ancient Egyptians of other early civilizations, it seems that … Continue reading
Africa
In more recent times, Africa has been in the news in a different light. Unfortunately, any news regarding Africa tends to concentrate on the negative aspects that the government, people, and culture have suffered throughout past decades because of extreme poverty levels and diseases running rampant throughout the continent. It is no surprise that because of its lack of resources, Africa is constantly being reported in the news as a horrible place to live. However, in a change of tone, recent news having to do with Africa seems to be in a more positive light. South Africa will play host to one of the most widely-viewed sports in all the world and its most prestigious championship event, the World Cup. Soccer–or Football, depending on where you are geographically–is the sport that has the most popularity in nations throughout the world. Save the United States, Soccer is the most participated-in sport, so much so that it is infused with the inherent culture, specifically in Latin America and Europe. Every four years, the World Cup becomes a worldwide event where nations rally behind their home team in a display of patriotism and nationalistic pride. In June of 2010, the World Cup will … Continue reading
Africa Maps
Africa is often discussed as being one of the most mysterious continents in the world. There is so much history and culture found across its borders that it can truly offer much to say about the human civilization as a whole. An Africa map will show how it is the world’s second-largest continent, only comparable to Asia. Its size is easy to see on an Africa map, dwarfing other neighboring nations in their size such as Italy, Spain, France, and pretty much the rest of Europe. There exists quite a variety of Africa maps. Some of them are simply enough, displaying country names and borders, and their respective capitals. Other Africa maps display is topographical features, such as prevalent land masses and rivers. In viewing an Africa map, one can draw a fairly good assessment as to how the continent can provide for such a rich and complex history. Africa is not only the second-largest continent in world, but it is also the second-most populated, falling behind only to Asia. It is the home to over a billion people, stretched out over 53 countries and a total of 61 territories. An Africa map will show that it is bordered by … Continue reading