Ahead of his appearance at HistFest at the British Library, Luke Pepera spoke to us about the many civilisations and societies that make up the fascinating history of Africa.
Published in January, Luke Pepera’s ‘Motherland: A Journey Through 500,000 Years of African Culture & Identity’ is a breathtaking examination of African History. Pepera begins by discussing early Nomadic cultures and ends with contemporary events. On this journey we encounter figures such as Mansa Mursa, who lived during the 14th century and may have been the welathiest person ever in history – with a worth of around $400 billion today. Pepera alsoexplores how the more contemporary concept of the ‘Rap Battle’ evolved from early African oral literature.
On the 26th of April, Pepera will be appearing at HistFest, hosted at the British Library in London, to discuss this groundbreaking work. We previously spoke to Pepera and were delighted to share a small excerpt of our conversation, exploring some of the rich traditions and civilisations detailed in ‘Motherland’.
How did studying early Homo-sapien life in Africa help you understand the civilisations that followed?
I think it made me appreciate more the depth of the beliefs and practices that people in later civilisations held and engaged in. I thought of these beliefs and practices as having a tradition not just in the civilisation itself, but one that extended back tens and even hundreds of thousands of years. Even though people in later civilisations lived very differently to their ancestors from long ago, they still practised many of the same things in the same way. This tells me that these practices are not only very old but must be especially significant or play a uniquely important role in the later society for the people of this society to continue engaging in them. I therefore paid closer attention to them and asked myself about the purpose they played and whether this was the same in other civilisations or not.
Are there any particular eras or people that stand out as deserving more attention than history has given them to date?
For sure. Generally, medieval Africa pre-European contact (up until around the mid-15th century) is neglected and this is a shame, particularly because African civilisations at this time were some of the world’s wealthiest, most powerful and most impactful.
You have Mali in West Africa, which I explore at the beginning of Motherland. In the 14th century, Mali exports 50 percent of the world’s gold, even as far as Western Europe, and one of the world’s first universities was founded here – the University of Timbuktu. It’s also at this time the biggest university in the world, with over 25,000 students who study subjects ranging from law and medicine to astronomy and poetry and take part in exchange programmes with comparable universities in Morocco and Egypt. Moreover, students from those universities are scrambling over each other to study at Timbuktu, where some of the world’s greatest scholars teach. Timbuktu also has a library with over a million books, which grows rapidly as its scholars produce more and more.
Connections to the past, through ancestors or stories, seem to be a recurring theme in your book. Could you tell us a little about that tradition?
The ancestors are people who lived exemplary lives that have passed from the mortal world to the spirit world. But despite not being in the mortal world with the living, they still exert a great deal of influence over the lives of their living descendants. Not only do the living try to live their lives like their ancestors did and attempt to embody their ancestors’ values, but they also communicate directly with their ancestors in various ways (through rituals, dreams, objects or shrines), asking them for help, advice or guidance. In that way, historical values and wisdom are passed on and continue to exist through the living, and aid them.
There is this constant connection between both living and dead and past and present. You are very conscious of the fact that you have access to wisdom and teachings that helped the people who came before live successful, fulfilling and accomplished lives. The practice of remaining connected to one’s ancestors provides a source of knowledge and comfort, not just in knowing that you can always be in touch with those who’ve passed on but that you always have answers to life’s many pitfalls and predicaments.
MOTHERLAND: A Journey through 500,000 Years of African Culture and Identity by Luke Pepera is available now from Weidenfeld & Nicolson
