Modimo: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|"God" in some southern African languages}}

{{refimprove|date=March 2024}}{{uncat|date=March 2024}}

"Modimo" is a Sesotho or Setswana word that means "God" in English. Setswana is one of the Bantu languages spoken in Southern Africa, particularly in Lesotho, Botswana, and South Africa. "Modimo" is often used to refer to the supreme deity or divine force in various religious and spiritual contexts within these regions. It carries a sense of reverence and is used to express a connection to the divine or to seek divine intervention.<ref name="B.Isaaks">{{cite journal |last1=Becca |first1=Isaaks |title=Modimo |journal=Document Analysis system |date=3/3/2024 |url=www.researchgate.net/publication/346943485_The_contested_history_of_Modimo#:~:text=%22Modimo%22%2C%20in%20modern%20Setswana,of%20God%20and%20the%20supernatural. |ref=B.Isaaks |language=English}}</ref>

{{Infobox deity

| type = [[traditional African religions]]

| name = Modimo

| ethnic_group = [[Sotho-Tswana peoples]] <br/>[[Basotho]], [[Tswana people|Batswana]], [[Bapedi]]

| image = [[File:Iziko Lydenburg Heads 2.JPG|Iziko Lydenburg Heads 2|250px]]

| caption = The [[Lydenburg Heads]] used in the rituals of the Bantu-speaking people, in possible connection to Modimo

}}

'''Modimo''' (also spelt as '''Molimo''' in [[Sesotho orthography|Lesotho Sesotho]], and known as '''Mudzimu''' or '''Raluvhimba''' in [[Venda language|Tshivenda]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stayt |first=Hugh A |title=The Bavenda |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=1931 |isbn=9780429942778 |publication-date=2018 |pages=230-236}}</ref> and '''uMlimo''' or '''Zimu''' in [[Southern Ndebele language|Southern]] and [[Northern Ndebele language|Northern Ndebele]]) is a [[Creator deity|creator god]], [[King of the gods|supreme deity]] and [[sky deity]] in the [[Traditional African religion|traditional religion]] of the [[Sotho-Tswana peoples|Sotho-Tswana people]]. Modimo and all its derivatives ultimately stem from the [[Proto-Bantu language|proto-Sotho-Tswana]] prefix ''*mo-'' which indicates personhood + ''*-dzimu'' "above, in the sky"<ref>{{Cite book |last=Casalis |first=Eugene |title=The Basutos |publisher=[[Books on Demand]] |year=1861 |isbn=9783375040543 |pages=248}}</ref> and so Modimo can be translated to mean "the high one" or "the sky-deity" or "the one above" or "the Supreme Deity" or merely "the high god" in English. Modimo is the equivalent of the Xhosa Supreme Deity [[Qamata]] and the Zulu Supreme Deity [[Umvelinqangi|uMvelinqangi]] and the Shona Supreme Deity [[Mwari]].<ref>{{cite web |first1=Bruce |last1=Bennett |title=The contested history of Modimo |date=January 2022|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346943485 |language=English}}</ref>

== ReligiousMeaning and origins ==

In Sotho-Tswana cultures, the concept of Modimo is deeply rooted in traditional religious beliefs. Modimo is often ascribed feats such as the creation of the universe and is considered the highest spiritual authority. There are various other names for Modimo such as '''Mmopi''', '''Tlatlamatjholo''' (or '''Tlatlamacholo''' or '''Hla-Hla Macholo'''), '''Ramasedi''' or '''Rammoloki''' or '''Raluvhimba'''. Modimo is often described as a genderless, formless, omnipresent and omnipotent maker. Modimo is the most supreme deity in a [[Pantheon (religion)|pantheon]] of different deities and [[Apotheosis|deified]] ancestors, or [[Badimo]], and mythological figures of the Sotho-Tswana people. There are various legends, stories and mythologies regarding Modimo amongst the Sotho-Tswana people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Modimo and the Origin of Death |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100203655 |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=Oxford Reference |language=en }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mothoagae |first=Itumeleng Daniel |date=December 2014 |title=The gendered God in the Setswana Bible and the captivity of Modimo: Moffat and the translating of the Bible into Setswana |url=http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S1017-04992014000300011&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en |journal=Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=149–168 |issn=1017-0499}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Crisp |first=William |title=The Bechuana of South Africa |publisher=[[Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge]] |year=1896 |isbn=9780598934956 |publication-date=1896 |pages=43 |language=English}}</ref>

In many Southern African cultures, the concept of "Modimo" is deeply rooted in traditional religious beliefs. It is often associated with the creator of the universe and is considered the highest spiritual authority.

==Beliefs, mythologies and legends==

The word is also used in cultural expressions and everyday language. It reflects a cultural understanding of a higher power, and it may be invoked in various situations to express awe, gratitude, or a sense of reliance on the divine.

{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2024}}

The reverence for Modimo often extends to traditional rituals and ceremonies. Many traditional practices involve prayers, songs, and offerings to seek the favor or blessings of the divine. Although Modimo is the most powerful being in the order of creation of the Sotho-Tswana religion, he is often seen as a deistic god who can be appealed to through intermediaries like the [[Veneration of the dead|ancestors]] or [[Badimo]], who are believed to be closer to Modimo in the [[underworld]].

"Modimo" is commonly used in Setswana, similar terms are used in other Bantu languages. For example, in Zulu, the term for God is "Unkulunkulu," and in Sotho, it is "Modimo" as well. The specific term used can vary among different linguistic and cultural groups.

==Traditional Practices==

The reverence for "Modimo" often extends to traditional rituals and ceremonies. Many traditional practices involve prayers, songs, and offerings to seek the favor or blessings of the divine.

==Daily beliefs==

The belief in "Modimo" can influence various aspects of daily life, providing a moral and spiritual framework for individuals and communities. It may guide ethical behavior, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making.

==History==

==Modimo in Christianity==

{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2024}}

Before the arrival of European colonizers, the various Bantu-speaking communities in Southern Africa had their own distinct spiritual beliefs and practices. The concept of a supreme being, often referred to as "Modimo" or similar names in different Bantu languages, was central to these belief systems. The supreme being was seen as the creator of the universe and the source of life.

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Many people in Southern Africa continue to find meaning and cultural identity in their traditional beliefs, which include a reverence for the supreme being.

==References==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Religion in South Africa]]

[[Category:Traditional African religions]]

[[Category:Bantu religion]]

[[Category:Religion in Lesotho]]

[[Category:Religion in Botswana]]