Nokwasɛm a Ɛfa Buronya, Easter, ne Halloween Ho
BIBLE da no adi sɛ ná Yesu adi mfirihyia 33 1/2 bere a wɔbɔɔ no asɛndua mu wɔ fefɛw bere mu afe 33 Y.B., wɔ Yudafo Twam afahyɛ da. Eyi kyerɛ sɛ, sɛ yɛkan san akyi a, wɔbɛwo no ahohuru bere [October] afe no mfiase hɔ.
Ná Romafo abosonsomfo no di Saturnalia, owia a wontumi nhu no no awoda bɛyɛ asram abiɛsa akyi. Ɛyɛɛ dɛn na wopiaa Yesu awodadi kɔɔ anim koduu December 25, ma ɛne abosonsomfo abusude a ɛne owia no awodadi kohyiae?
Esum a ɛba ntɛm anwummere ne anim a ɛntetew ntɛm adekyee wɔ December mu no kanyan ehu a egyina gyidihunu so wɔ owia asomfo mu sɛ gyama wɔn nyame no rewu. Ná wɔsosɔ kyɛnerɛ ne gyatanaa ahorow de boa wɔn nyame a ɔyare no. Na ɛyɛɛ te sɛ nea etumi boa onyame no. Ná ɛyɛ sɛ nea owia nyame no san nya ahoɔden December 21 akyi bere a esum mma ntɛm no.
Church Christmas Tab nhoma no kyerɛkyerɛ mu sɛ: “Ná December ne ɔsram titiriw a abosonsomfo di wɔn afahyɛ, na na Dec. 25 ne awɔw bere mu anigye ntraso no mpɔmpɔn so. Ebinom gye di sɛ Roma sɔfopɔn no paw Dec. 25 sɛ Kristo awoda sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ na ɔde ‘bɛtew’ abosonsomfo afahyɛ ahorow no ho. Nea efii mu bae ne abosonsomfo ne Kristofo afahyɛ ahorow a adi afra wɔ ɔkwan a ntease nnim so a wiase no frɛ no Buronya nnɛ no.” Asɛm no kyerɛ sɛ: “Asɛmfua ‘Buronya’ nni Bible mu. Na biribiara nni Kyerɛwnsɛm no mu a ɛkyerɛ sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ yedi Yesu awoda.”
Enti ɛnyɛ nwonwa sɛ nyamekyerɛfo Tertullian kae sɛ: “Wɔ yɛn a na yennim Homenna, ne asram foforo ne [Yudafo] afahyɛ afoforo a na Onyankopɔn gye tom bere bi ho biribiara fam no, yedi Saturnalia ne [abosonsomfo afahyɛ afoforo] mpɛn pii, yɛde akyɛde ahorow di akɔneaba, . . . na yɛbɔ ose wɔ agodie ne apontow ahorow ase mprempren.”
Paapa Gregory I toaa adeyɛ a ɛmfata yi so. Sɛnea Natural History nsɛmma nhoma kyerɛ no, “sɛ́ anka paapa no bɛbɔ mmɔden atu nkurɔfo no amanne ne gyidi ahorow a na wɔwɔ dedaw ase no, nea ɔkae ne sɛ wɔmfa nni dwuma. Sɛ nnipakuw bi som dua bi a, sɛ́ anka wobetwa akyene no, wohyira so ma Kristo na wɔma wɔkɔ so som.”
Ɛnsɛ sɛ Wɔde Atoro Frafra Nokware
So Onyankopɔn penee nkabom yi so? Hyɛ sɛnea Onyankopɔn bɔɔ ne nkurɔfo a na wɔrehyɛn Kanaanfo abosonsomfo asase so kɔkɔ no nsow: “Hwɛ wo yiye . . . na woammisa wɔn anyame akyi kwan sɛ: Amanaman yi sonsom wɔn anyame dɛn? na me nso menyɛ sa. Nyɛ [Yehowa] wo Nyankopɔn sa, na [Yehowa] akyide a ɔtan nyinaa na wɔayɛ ama wɔn anyame.” (Deuteronomium 12:30, 31) Wɔati saa kɔkɔbɔ yi ara mu wɔ Kristofo Hela Kyerɛwnsɛm no mu: “Mo ne wɔn a wonnye nni nntwe kɔndua koro; na twaka bɛn na trenee ne amumɔyɛ wɔ? Anaasɛ ayɔnkofa bɛn na hann ne sum wɔ? Na ɔka bɛn na Kristo ne Belial [anaa sɛnea New World Translation Reference Bible ase hɔ asɛm ka no, Satan] ka? Anaasɛ kyɛfa bɛn na ogyidini ne nea onnye nni wɔ?”—2 Korintofo 6:14, 15.
Dɛn na ɛwɔ saa atoro anyame yi ne wɔn som ho a ɛma ɛyɛ nea Onyankopɔn kyi koraa? Ná Saturn ne Romafo owia nyame a na wɔnam Saturnalia afahyɛ no so di no ni no. So na ɔfata nidi? Simon Schama, abakɔsɛm ho ɔbenfo a ɔwɔ Harvard Sukuupɔn mu, frɛ no “adidi, asanom, ne nneyɛe bɔne afoforo nyinaa wura.” Lear’s nsɛmma nhoma no frɛ dapɔnna no sɛ “tete wiase no mu asanom afahyɛ a na agye din sen biara.”
Owia nyame Mithra som mu trɛw wɔ Asia. Sɛnea onipa ho adesua ho ɔdenimfo Gabriel Seabrook kyerɛ no, na ɔyɛ “ɔkofo nyame a ɔtotow agyan ahorow a edi awu ne nyarewa ahorow a wonni ano aduru gu n’atamfo so wɔ akono.”
Nã wohwie mogya gu kɛse wɔ Aztekfo owia som mu titiriw. Natural History nsɛmma nhoma kyerɛkyerɛ mu sɛ, “sɛ wɔamfa nnipa ammɔ afɔre amma owia anyame no a, ná biribiara a nkwa wom—a anyame no ka ho—bewuwu.”
Bere a yɛayɛ saa afahyɛ yi fibea ahorow ho nhwehwɛmu no (hwɛ adaka a ɛwɔ ase hɔ no), ebia ɛrenyɛ wo nwonwa bio sɛ abayifo ne Satan asomfo da so ara bu December 25 sɛ da kronkron. San Francisco Chronicle a ɛbae December 21, 1991, faa ɔkyerɛwfo bayifo bi a wagye din wɔ abosonsɛm ho asɛm kae sɛ: “Ɛyɛ yɛn nnapɔnna a yenni adagyew koraa no mu biako. Yesi pɛ anadwo mũ no nyinaa.” Kuw bi a ɛde Covenant of the Goddess no muni bi kae sɛ: “Yɛyɛ amanne. . . . Yɛn asɔfokuw no mufo yɛ owia ba no awo ho ɔyɛkyerɛ nwonwaso bi.”
So Onyankopɔn anaa ne Ba no begye nidi a ɛte saa a ɛda ɔsom a wɔde ma atoro anyame adi no atom?
Ɛyɛ Easter—anaa Astarte?
Wofi saa abusua dapɔnna afahyɛ yi ase anɔpa tutuutu, bere a wɔsɔre de obu a nidi wom kohyia owia a ɛrepue no. Mmofra no hyehyɛ wɔn ntade foforo a ɛyɛ fɛ, ne kyɛw foforo nso. Nea ɛka afahyɛ no ho ne nneɛma a egyina hɔ ma nnanko, nkesua a wɔaka ho aduru kɔla ahorow a ɛyɛ fɛ nkɛntɛn amaama, ne paanoo a wɔayɛ mmeamudua sɛnkyerɛnne ato so. Ɛbɛyɛ Easter. So ɛne no?
Ná fefɛw bere yɛ bere kronkron ma wɔn a na wɔsom ɔbarima ne ɔbea nna wɔ Foinike. Ná wɔn abawo nyamewa, Astarte, anaa Ishtar (Helafo Aphrodite), nsɛnkyerɛnne ne kesua ne adanko. Ná ɔpɛ mogyahwiegu ne ɔbarima ne ɔbea nna ho ɔbrasɛe kɛse. Ná wɔtaa yeyɛ n’ahoni ahorow a awode pii wɔ ho wɔ ɔkwan a ɛmfata so anaasɛ nea okura kesua wɔ ne nsam na adanko gyina ne nkyɛn. Ná tuutuusi yɛ ne som no fã. Wɔ Kanaan no, wɔyɛɛ ɔbarima ne ɔbea nna ho nyamewa no sɛ Baal yere. N’asomfo a wɔabobow nsa nam ɔbarima ne ɔbea nna a ɛboro so so hyɛ no anuonyam, a na wogye di sɛ ɛbɛkanyan Baal ma ɔne ne yere ada. Sɛnea nhoma Recent Discoveries in Bible Lands, kyerɛ no, “wonhuu ɔman biara a wɔwɔ abawo nyamewa ahoni pii a wɔdeda adagyaw a ebi yɛ tan yiye saa da.”
Wohuu nkuku ahorow a ɛho kɔla hyerɛn a mmofra nketewa nnompe a wɔahyew gugum wɔ ne nkae adamoa mu wɔ Carthage. Akyinnye biara nni ho sɛ na wɔn awofo bɛyɛ asikafo a wɔkɔhwehwɛɛ anyame no hɔ mmoa de bɔɔ wɔn sika ne wɔn tumi ho ban. Wohuu mmofra pii a wɔn mfe gu ahorow a ɛbɛyɛ sɛ wofi abusua koro mu nnompe wɔ nkuku no bi mu.
Sɛ wohwɛ adaka a ɛwɔ atifi hɔ no a, wubehu sɛ tete amanne ahorow no ne nnɛyi de no yɛ adekoro. Edin Easter no mpo ne tete ɔbosom bi din yɛ adekoro. Ɛnde, so eyi ne ɔkwan a wɔnam so hyɛ Onyankopɔn Ba kronkron no anuonyam?
Halloween—Tete Anadwo a Ɛyɛ Hu
Ɛyɛ anadwo a etwa to wɔ October mu. Sɛ ɔsram pae a, na nnipakuw ketewaa bi a wɔhyehyɛ afahyɛ ntade kɔ afie afie de ahunahuna a emu yɛ den kogye nea wɔpɛ. Wɔsosɔ kyɛnerɛ a wɔde nnipa srade ayeyɛ sisi ɛferɛ a wɔayeyɛ no sɛ nnipa ti huhuuhu so de sisi afie akwan ano. Nnipa mogya sosɔ wɔ afie afoforo apon ano. Ɛyɛ anadwo ma Celtfo awufo wura, Samhain.
Ɛbɛyɛ sɛ afahyɛ biara nni hɔ a wɔadan no “Kristofo de” a Satan hyɛ ne ho anuonyam wom na ɔnam so kae n’akyidifo a wɔawuwu no a ɛsen eyi. Ɔkyerɛwfo J. Garnier susuw sɛ ebia ɔsɛe a ɛbaa n’akyidifo a wɔyɛ nnipa ne abɔfo bɔne mma abran no so Nsuyiri no mu no na ɛde amanehunu ne owu ho afahyɛ no bae. Wiase aman nyinaa wowɔ afahyɛ ahorow a wɔde kae awufo, “na wɔn nyinaa hyɛ fã no wɔ da pɔtee a sɛnea Mose kyerɛwtohɔ no kyerɛ no, Nsuyiri no bae, a ɛne, ɔsram a ɛtɔ so abien no da a ɛtɔ so dunson—ɔsram a ɛreyɛ ne November ahyia.”—The Worship of the Dead, a J. Garnier kyerɛwee.
Ná Druidfo nso ka ho. Wɔka sɛ ná Samhain gyae awufo ahonhom ma wɔne ateasefo bɛtra October 31. Ná Druidfo de akanea kyinkyin mmorɔn so, na sɛ wɔkɔ ofie bi mu a wogye sika anuɔden so sɛ biribi a wɔde bɔ afɔre ma Satan.
Halloween yɛ Satan amanne da titiriw. Sɛnea USA Today mu asɛm bi kyerɛ no: “Ɛyɛ nyamesom mu dapɔnna ma awufo, bere a Ɔbonsam asomfo bɔ afɔre ahorow na abayifo nam mpae a wɔbom bɔ anaa nnuan a wɔnoa ma awufo so di afahyɛ no komm.” Ɛfaa Washington ɔbayifo Bryan Jordan asɛm kae sɛ: “[Kristofo] nnim, nanso wɔne yɛn redi yɛn dapɔnna. . . . Yɛn ani gye ho saa.”
Awofo, so mopɛ sɛ mo mma suasua amanne a ɛyɛ hu yi?
[Kratafa 12 adaka]
Buronya ho Agyiraehyɛde Ahorow
Buronya dua “ne Kristofo afahyɛ nni biribi titiriw bi yɛ na mmom ɛne abosonsomfo amanne horow a ɛfa awɔw bere mu hann ne owia a wɔsan wo no bio a atra hɔ bɛyɛ mfe apem no na ɛwɔ pii yɛ.” (The Boston Herald) “Ná nnua a wɔde agude sesɛn so yɛ abosonsomfo afahyɛ ahorow no fa wɔ mfehaha pii mu.”—Church Christmas Tab.
Ná Celtfo taa de Nhwiren “di dwuma de ma ahonhommɔne a wɔwɔ afie mu yi suban pa adi wɔ awɔw bere mu a owia no adu asase atifi fam pɛɛ no. . . . Etumi ma bɔne pare obi, ɛboa ma wɔsoso adae pa, na ɛbɔ ofie bi ho ban fi apranaa ho.”—Beautiful British Columbia.
Nyankonnuru “fi Druidfo a wɔwɔ England a wɔde di dwuma wɔ anwonwa kwan so som bi a ɛne Abonsansɛm ne ahonhommɔne tumi wɔ abusuabɔ mu.”—Church Christmas Tab.
“Ná Mithra akyidifo di Mithra awoda [December 25] . . . Bible mu asɛm biara nni hɔ a ɛka December 25 ho asɛm sɛ ɛne Kristo Awoda.”—Isaac Asimov.
Ná adekyɛ yɛ Saturnalia afahyɛ no mu adeyɛ. “Ná wɔhwɛ kwan sɛ wode akyɛde bɛmema wo nnamfo nyinaa wɔ afahyɛ yi mu.”—Ancient Italy and Modern Religion.
“Na wɔsom [nsoromma] a ɛwɔ dua so wɔ Apuei fam sɛ ahotew, papayɛ, ne asomdwoe ho sɛnkyerɛnne mfe 5,000 ansa na wɔrewo Kristo.”—United Church Herald.
Kyɛnerɛ “mfi . . . Kristosom mu. Yɛfa fii tete Druidfo abosonsom afɔrepon bi so.”—United Church Herald.
Wɔfaa Papa Buronya “fii tete Germanfo anansesɛm mu: ‘Ná Thor yɛ ɔbarima a n’ani afi a ɔka aseresɛm na ɔwɔ adamfofa su, onipa a na ne mu yɛ duru a wafuw abogyesɛ tenten fitaa. Ná ɔka teaseɛnam, na na wɔka sɛ ɔte Northland . . . Wɔde ogya na ɛyɛɛ no, na na ɔyɛ nipa kɔkɔɔ. Ná beae a wɔsɔ gya wɔ ofie biara mu yɛ kronkronbea ma no, na wɔka sɛ ɔnam owisikwan mu na ɛba ofie mu.”—United Church Herald.
[Kratafa 1 adaka]
Fefɛw Bere mu Amanne Ahorow
“Mfiase no na [Easter] yɛ fefɛw bere mu afahyɛ a wɔde hyɛ Germanfo hann ne fefɛw bere nyamewa a wonim no wɔ Anglo-Saxonfo mu sɛ Eastre no anuonyam.” (The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible) “Biribiara nni Apam Foforo no mu a ɛkyerɛ sɛ wodii Easter.”—Encyclopædia Britannica.
Ná adanko na “ɛbɔ Germanfo nyamewa Ostara ho ban.”—Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend.
“Wɔka sɛ na wɔka [Nkesua] no ho aduru kɔla ahorow bi wɔ fefɛw bere mu afahyɛ ahorow ase wɔ tete Misraim, Persia, Hela, ne Roma.”—Celebrations.
Mfiase no na Easter kyɛw no “yɛ nhwiren anaa nhaban a wɔanwene. Ná kontonkurowi anaa ahenkyɛw no gyina hɔ ma owia kurukuruwa no ne ne kwan a ɛnam so wɔ ɔsoro a ɛsan de fefɛw bere ba bio no.” Easter ntade foforo baa so efisɛ “na wosusuw sɛ ntade dedaw a wɔbɛhyɛ de akohyia Scandinavia fefɛw bere mu nyamewa, anaa Eastre no nkyerɛ obu na ɛyɛ tibɔne, esiane sɛ na onyamewa no na ɔde ntade foforo ba asase so nti.”—The Giant Book of Superstitions.
Paanoo a wɔayɛ mmeamudua sɛnkyerɛnne ato so: “Te sɛ Helafo no, na Romafo di paanoo a wɔayɛ mmeamudua sɛnkyerɛnne ato so . . . wɔ mmɔnten so afɔrebɔ ahorow mu.” Ná Saxonfo abosonsomfo di de hyɛ Easter anuonyam.—Encyclopædia Britannica.
Owipuei asɔre ne amanne ahorow a “wɔyɛe wɔ fefɛw bere mu, bere a adekyee ne adesae nyinaa yɛ pɛ de hyiaa owia no ne ne tumi a ɛde ahoɔden foforo brɛ nnipa, mmoa ne afifide nyinaa no sɛ.”—Celebrations.
[Kratafa 14 adaka]
Halloween Nnyinaso a Ɛyɛ Hu
Kaakaamotobi ne Halloween ntade: “Ná Celtfo ma ahonhom no nnuan, nsa, ne nneɛma afoforo a wɔde som ahɔho pii na afei wɔdaadaa wɔn ma wofi ateasefo mu denam kaakaamotobi ne Halloween ntade a wɔhyehyɛ de tu aperenten kɔ kurotia no so.”
Ná ogyatanaa no “yɛ ‘ogyatanaa ankasa’” a na “akɔmfo no nam afɔre ahorow a wɔde mmoa ne mpɛn pii no nnipa bɔ so pata owia nyame no.” (The Tampa Tribune) “Ná Druidfo gyina ɔkwan a mmoa anaa nnipa a wɔde bɔ afɔre no nam so wu so hu nea ebesi daakye.”—Beaumont Enterprise.
Trick or treat (Sɛnea mmofra gyigye nneɛma Halloween da): “Nteɛteɛm a na Druidfo de gye ade no ne sɛnea nnɛyi mmofra gyigye nneɛma wɔ Halloween da a wɔfrɛ no ‘Trick or Treat’ no yɛ pɛ.”—Central Coast Parent.
Anansesɛm a ɛyɛ hu: “Druidfo mogyahwiegu amanne ahorow da so ara da adi nnɛ wɔ asaman ne ahonhom a wosi so dua mu. . . . Halloween apontow ne anansesɛm ahorow a ɛyɛ hu a wɔto no nso nyaa ne mfiase fii Druidfo mmere so, bere a na wogye di sɛ ahonhom no nenam asase so no.”—The Tampa Tribune.
Ɛmfaho sɛ saa nnapɔnna horow yi nyaa ne mfiase fii abosonsom mu no, ebinom rempene so sɛ wɔbɛma wɔn mma ahwere anigye a ɛwɔ nnɛyi nnapɔnna ahorow no mu no. Dɛn koraa na mmofra a wɔakyerɛkyerɛ wɔn no nim fa tete Saturn, Astarte, ne Samhain ho? Wɔn mu bi nim ɛho biribi kakra. Wonim nso sɛ wɔmpɛ sɛ wonya mu kyɛfa.
[Kratafa 12 mfonini]
Mithra
Thor
[Asɛm Fibea]
Mithra: Musée du Louvre, Paris
Thor: The Age of Fable a T. Bulfinch yɛe wɔ 1898
[Kratafa 13 mfonini]
Astarte
Tikora: U.S. Forest Service photo