Richard asked:

In what ways can the ideas of the Akan, Bantu, and Yoruba be traced back to Ancient Egyptian
philosophy?

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I can give a partial answer to this question.

In a search for the roots of the Yoruba religion one can look to the Egyptians. One has to remember
that religion and philosophy are very difficult to separate in some of these early civilizations. What can
be deduced from archeological and historic records the Yoruba people migrated from east to west. J.
Olumide Lucas in his book The Religion of the Yorubastraces their history as a civilization back to
Egypt. "A chain of evidence leads to the conclusion that they must have settled for many years in that
part of the continent known as Ancient Egypt." (Cook, 1974, p. 184) In his work Lucas shows that
there were similarities in language, religion and customs between these two groups of people.

"Abundant proof of intimate connection between ancient Egyptians and the Yoruba may be produced
under this head. Most of the principle gods were well known, at one time, to the Yoruba. Among these
gods are Osiris, Isis, Horus, Shu, Sut, Troth, Khepera, Amon, Anu, Khonsu, Khnum, Khopri, Hathor,
Sokaris, Ra, Seb, the elemental deities and others. Most of the gods survive in name or in attributes
or in both" (Lucas, 1948, p.21).

In comparing the religions, we find that the Yoruba had a moon deity known as Osu (moon) which is
the Egyptian lunar god Khonsu. To find the conclusive proof of this similarity one has to look at the
etymological development of the Yoruba language. In the Yoruba language Kh does not exist. By
following the consonant—vowel rules in Yoruba the vowel is dropped and you are left with the word
Osu from Khonsu. If we follow this etymological analysis we find that "Amon exists in Yoruba with the
same meaning it has in ancient Egyptian: hidden. The god Amon is one of the first deities known by
the Yoruba and the words Mon and Mimon (holy and sacred) are probably derived from the name of
that god, according to Lucas. Troth would become To in Yoruba" (Cook, 1974, p. 185).

Following this lead we can see that the development of a monotheistic religion had it roots in the land
of Egypt. Although many have claimed that the religion of the Egyptians was polytheistic in fact it was
not. Moses even went so far as to declare that Yahweh, like the God of Egypt, was one (Deut. vi.4).
To the Egyptians Path was a spirit self created having no beginning or end. Path was the intelligence
of the universe and it was his thoughts that produced the material world and everything in it. Path had
power in the words that resided in his mouth. This idea was pointed out by Jablonski where he
connected it with the Hebrew idea of how the world was created by their God. The idea of an all
powerful god was developed in Egypt and spread with the migration of the Yoruba people. This
spiritual conception of god and the universe was begun in the Nile valley 4000 years before the
Christian era. Later we see Amen of Thebes be declared as having the same power and nature as
Path. "...Lucas recalls that all the ontological notions of the ancient Egyptians, such as the Ka, Akhu,
Khu, Sahu, and Ba are found in the Yoruba" (Cook. 1974, p. 186). We see in the Egyptian Ka
transformed into the Guarding spirit of the Yoruba. The final cement for an Egyptian and Yoruba
connection is the existence of Yoruba hieroglyphics. "To conclude, let us note that Pedrals mentions,
on page 107, the Kuso Hill near Ife and the existence of a Kuso Hill in Nubia, near ancient Meroe,
west of the Nile 'in the heart of the land of Kush'" (Cook, 1974, p. 187). From this we can thus
consider that a historical connection of facts joins the Egyptian and the Yoruba civilizations together.

The labyrinth of religious development is long and complex from its root beginnings at the dawn of
civilization to its numerous forms in the present day. Its importance for the peoples of Africa was to
keep them secure through out their long history. Whether as rulers of great civilizations or as slaves
in foreign countries the Yoruba maintained their identity and life blood throughout their religious
convictions and heritage.

Selected Bibliography

Cook, M. (1974) The African Origin of CivilizationChicago

Lucas, J. O. (1948) The Religion of the YorubasLagos

References

Mbiti J.S. (1975) Introduction to African ReligionNew York

Noss, J. B. (1949) Man's ReligionNew York: Macmillan

Wippler, G. M. (1989) Santeria The ReligionNew York

Wippler, G. M. (1994) Legends of SanteriaMinn.

John Eberts