Majaji-Modjadji, translated as ruler of the day and also known as the "Rain Queen", was queen regnant of the Lovedu tribe and part of the Kingdom of Kush. This ancient African kingdom was situated on the confluences of the Blue Nile, White Nile, and River Atbara in what is now known as the Republic of Sudan. At around 350 AD, she led her people into battle against the Romans, who were at war with the Kushites.
History[]
Queen Modjadji is the hereditary female ruler and queen of Balobedu, South Africa. She is known to be mythical and historical,[citation needed] and she is believed to have had powers that let her control the clouds and rainfall by bringing rain to her friends and drought to their enemies. Female rulers were known as “rain queens” or “rainmakers” around this time. Furthermore, she brought rain to the regions of any visitors who offered her gifts and tributes. As a conspicuous figure in South Africa, transforming the clouds was her specialty. She was essentially not a ruler, but a rainmaker. Men relied on her ability for security, as she would provide rain for her town’s tribe as a shield. The Lobedu (Lovedu) tribe believed that the queen exercised some general control over their seasons, and thus, she was held accountable for the effects of the rain conditions. She also had a team of assistants.
The queen also functioned as a ritual doctor who made medicines. The rain medicines were stored in earthen pots in a secure part of the village. Her reputation spread from Zambezi to the Southern Ocean as having medicines for all people, including medicines that made warriors invincible by crippling their enemies.
Death[]
She was believed to be killed while defending the capital city of Meroe against the Romans. She carried a shield and a spear into battle.
Sources[]
- "Majaji (c. 350 CE)" URL accessed 11/26/06
- The Spectator, Volume 97 (July 7, 1906)
- "Changing the Seasons with "The Rain Queen" " URL accessed 12/2012
- "The Realm of a Rain-Queen A Study of the Pattern of Lovedu Society" by Eileen Jenson Krige and J.D. Krige
The original article can be found at Majaji and the edit history here.