"Ukuta Yuva" (To Praise the Sun)

Modern Astronomy is so dominated by European mythology, it is easy to forget that other people across the world also observed and forged relationships with the sun, the moon, the stars and other celestial bodies.

"Ukuta Yuva" i.e. To Praise the Sun is a Nyaturu (Tanzania) prayer which pays homage to the goodness of the Creator as perceived through the Sun (Yuva), the Moon (Mweri), and the stars, more precisely the rain-bringing Pleiades (Kirimia).

The poem is an intimate exploration of what the Nyaturu believe about themselves and their relationship with the denizens of the sky.

Read the full poem here.

This week’s episode is the first in a series which will feature replays from the MA YouTube Deep Dive Episodes. If you never got the chance to watch, here’s your chance to listen in!

Next week, we’ll replay the episode on African Sun and Moon lore, and the week after, we’ll explore African Star lore!

Artwork created by the South African Astronomical Observatory based on the astrology of different Southern African peoples.