Ahmed asked: Where did the Hausa come from?

A: This is an excellent question. I believe the oral tradition of the Hausa is reliable in the fine details. According to Hausa oral tradition, Bayajida (or Bayajidda) is the founder of the seven Hausa city states. He is said to have come to Bor’No (Land of Noah) from the east. He was a stranger to the area because his name is "Ba ya ji da", which means "he who didn't understand the language before, he was a stranger here." He likely came to Nigeria from Arabia. The name resembles the Arabic name 'Ub ay diyya. Al-'Ubaydiyya (Arabic: العبيدية‎) was an Arab village before it was depopulated on March 3, 1948. It was located in Galilee about 6 miles south of Tiberias, close to the Jordan River. The Canaanites referred to al-'Ubaydiyya as Bayt Shamash which means "House of God." Shamash was another name for the Creator Re, whose emblem was the Sun. He was worshiped by different names across the vast Afro-Asiatic Dominion.
In Bor’nu, Bayajida married the daughter of a local chief, but later fled after having a dispute with the ruler. This fits the biblical person of Cain (Kano) who married a daughter of the chief Nok. He is said to have fled after killing his brother.

The Hausa claim that their founder, Bayajida, came from the east in an effort to escape his father. It is possible that his father was a ruler in Egypt or ancient Nubia. The story goes on to say that Bayajida eventually came to Gaya where he employed blacksmiths to fashion a knife for him. This fits the picture as the region of Gaya, Nok and Kano is famous for blacksmiths, such as the Inadan. Gaya is said to be the origin of a man named Kano who first settled in the present Kano State in search of ironstone.

With his knife Bayajida proceeded to Daura where he delivered the people from oppression by a powerful serpent who guarded their well and prevented them from getting water six days out of the week. The serpent could not keep them from taking water on the holy day. In appreciation, the queen of Daura married Bayajida and she gave birth to seven sons. Each became a ruler and ruled the seven city states that make up Hausaland.

A problem arises when we attempt to put dates to these events. The Hausa states are recognized as entities only as early as 500 A.D., and they did not control the region until 1200 A.D. Their history is tied to Islam and the Fulani who wrested power from them in the early 1800s through a series of holy wars. It appears that the original Hausa story has taken on layers of interpretation since the influx of different peoples to the area.

Nevertheless, there are striking parallels between Bayajida’s story and the stories of Abraham’s ancestors who lived in west central Africa. For example, Bayajidda, the son of a ruler, met his wife at a sacred well where he delivered her people from a great serpent. Most of the heroes of Genesis met their wives at sacred wells or springs. Abraham married Keturah at the Well of Sheba (Beersheva). Issac (Yitzak) found a wife at a well in Aram. Moses encountered his wife at a well sacred to the Midianites and won her had after he delivered the women and flocks from Egyptian raiders.

Bayajida was associated with metal workers, as was Cain. The metalworkers of the ancient Kushite civilization were also rulers which is what the word Cain means. (The Eastern Afro-Asiatic equivalent is Khan, meaning king or ruler.) The Kushite maintained two wives in separate households. This is still done today among the metalworkers of the region. The metal working chiefs of the Inadan who live in the Air Desert surrounding Agadez, maintain two wives in separate households on a north-south axis (National Geographic, Aug. 1979, p. 389). There appears to be a connection between the Kushite priesthood and metalwork. This suggested by the story of Aaron (Ex. 32) who made a statute of a calf (the symbol of Hat-Hor, the virgin mother of Horus who was said to the "son of God.".

I believe that the root of Bayajidda's name is BJA, the ancient Egyptian word for meteroric iron. Bja meant "metal from heaven." The Beja of Sudan, Egypt and the Horn of Africa are metalworkers.(The Beja's metalworking kin in Niger and northern Nigeria are the Inadan.) Bja corresponds to the Sanskrit word bija, meaning semen or seed. Meteoritic iron was used in the fabrication of iron beads in Nubia about 6000 years ago. These beads may have been perceived as seeds from heaven which brought divine power to the wearer. Meteoritic iron was used in the fabrication of crooks and flails, the symbols of the Egyptian and Kushite pharaohs. These symbols were believed to give the ruler powers from heaven.

That the earlier layer of the Hausa origins account is very old is attested by the role which water plays in the story. In the ancient Afro-Asiatic Dominion shrines were built along rivers and at wells and springs from west central Africa to the Indus River Valley. Serpents inhabited these places and were both venerated and feared. In Sanskrit serpent is “naaga”, in Hebrew “nahash”, and in Hausa the serpent is “naja.”

Such shrines exist today in Africa and Asia. It is not uncommon for the serpent to speak through a woman who goes into a trace. This is regarded as prophecy. However, in the Hausa, Jewish and Christian tradition the serpent is regarded as an enemy whose head is to be crushed once and for all by the Anointed One. This is the meaning of Jesus’ saying: “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly they will recover; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Injil, Mark 16:17-18)

Christians believe that Jesus is the fulfillment of the first promise in the Bible, Genesis 3:15. This is called the "Edenic Promise" because it was made to Abraham's Kushite ancestors in Eden. Here God declared that "the Woman" (not Eve since she isn't named until verse 20) would bring for "the Seed" who would crush the serpent's head and restore paradise.

I hope that this will stimulate further discussion of the fascinating topic of Hausa origins. Please email me if you'd like to contribute to this information. I can be reached at aproeditor-at-gmail-dot-com.

Best wishes to you Digare Ahmed!

I think dey originated from ishmael....

Cutehector4u:
I think dey originated from ishmael....

read before you comment.
even if you are expert, like me, you have to read and know other opinions.

The Hausa claim that their founder, Bayajida, came from the east in an effort to escape his father. It is possible that his father was a ruler in Egypt or ancient Nubia.

Typical revisionist, they want us to believe the Hausas came from Egypt, abeg no make me laugh. At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter where they came from, as long as return. Egypt's Muslim brotherhood will welcome them with open arms.

tit:


read before you comment.
even if you are expert, like me, you have to read and know other opinions.

tit i said i think, i ddnt say i knw .... Wat is wrong wit all these nairalanders sef..cant sumbody share thr opinions ? Mctheew

From GOD like every-every

Cutehector4u:
tit i said i think, i ddnt say i knw .... Wat is wrong wit all these nairalanders sef..cant sumbody share thr opinions ? Mctheew

are you in IT?
i post 111111 words by 8:22 and you reply by 8:24.
how manage?
are you a computer?
read my brother ahmad's dissertation before you comment based on what he wrote like the fool mogidi has done.

tit:


are you in IT?
i post 111111 words by 8:22 and you reply by 8:24.
how manage?
are you a computer?
read my brother ahmad's dissertation before you comment based on what he wrote like the fool mogidi has done.

ah ah..fool ke..babe smal smal abeg...u realy dnt knw who u r referin to so pls be civilized a lil bit..dr can be some words u can use to describe a person whch can be allowed but fool is not tolerable.... Abeg....

tit:


are you in IT?
i post 111111 words by 8:22 and you reply by 8:24.
how manage?
are you a computer?
read my brother ahmad's dissertation before you comment based on what he wrote like the fool mogidi has done.

tit wetin na?

Cutehector4u:
ah ah..fool ke..babe smal smal abeg...u realy dnt knw who u r referin to so pls be civilized a lil bit..dr can be some words u can use to describe a person whch can be allowed but fool is not tolerable.... Abeg....

Chai you used 2minutes to read everything? There is god o! Actually it is one minute and a few seconds you used. You are a legend!

Idrismusty97:
Chai you used 2minutes to read everything? There is god o! Actually it is one minute and a few seconds you used. You are a legend!

lol why would i waste my time to read such..... I only read the topic nd put my comment...dats all...

Mogidi:


tit wetin na?

bros,
nothing do you.
how yar side?
any owambe?

Cutehector4u:
I think dey originated from ishmael....

descendant of ishmael...yeah right.

ahnie:
descendant of ishmael...yeah right.

ahnie thnk u very much...dnt mind the Op...i think we hav like minds hr...

but you spoke the truth...forget the cosmetic myth.

Cutehector4u:
ahnie thnk u very much...dnt mind the Op...i think we hav like minds hr...

tit:


bros,
nothing do you.
how yar side?
any owambe?

My sister we dey look God face ja re.

Bullcrap! who believes in this stories again? Everybody claims to come from the East.

ahnie:
but you spoke the truth...forget the cosmetic myth.

abi....u wil born twins...i think i need to always be standin on my grounds ....

Nobleval:
Bullcrap! who believes in this stories again? Everybody claims to come from the East.

yoruba came from Egypt.
only Oduduwa was shased down from heaven.

would actually prefer triplets.thanks all the same.[quote
author=Cutehector4u post=27759487]abi....u wil born twins...i think i
need to always be standin on my grounds .... [/quote]

Hausas originated from Sambisa from there they spread to other parts of the north.

ahnie:
would actually prefer triplets.thanks all the same.

lol.....all in ur stomach? How fast can three spermatozoas swim at the same time lol...

tit:


yoruba came from Egypt.
only Oduduwa was shased down from heaven.

Hey fool, face your rubbish thread and leave yoruba out of your madness.

If Nigeria had got her acts together. Who knows, maybe work by archeologists-historians would have been put to work offering us insights into all these ancient empires, cultural artefacts, (think NOK, Ife etc) trace their journeys, carbon date and all that.

collynzo82:


Hey fool, face your rubbish thread and leave yoruba out of your madness.

big bros,
are you from Egypt.
Cramjones/FFk said he comes from semitic or something.
i no know where that country is.

Eeboes are from congo/bantu.

Almost every ethnic group above the Niger claims some sort of Mid Eastern link. I disagree (without proof tho)) for the following reasons.

Africa is the mother continent, I believe creation occurred in Africa, every one then spread out from here. including the Middle East folks many people claim they descend from.

In the Hausa case any cultural similarity between them and the Arabs is as a result of Islam.

While in secondary school, I was taught Bayajidda migrated from present day Iraq, And I've read the account from books.

tit:


big bros,
are you from Egypt.
Cramjones/FFk said he comes from semitic or something.
i no know where that country is.

Eeboes are from congo/bantu.

Dont forget to use your drugs, enjoy you stay at yaba left.

theSpark:
Almost every ethnic group above the Niger claims some sort of Mid Eastern link. I disagree (without proof tho)) for the following reasons.

Africa is the mother continent, I believe creation occurred in Africa, every one then spread out from here. including the Middle East folks many people claim they descend from.

In the Hausa case any cultural similarity between them and the Arabs is as a result of Islam.

You miss the point. Of course everyone came from Africa, but many African groups migrated out and settled the middle east, Europe, Asia etc in ancient antiquity. In the Middle east and Egypt, many African groups built kingdoms and empires, but were later forced to migrate BACK into inner Africa following foreign invasions of their abodes, Jihads, desertification etc.... This journey back south occurred in several migratory journeys by various African groups from at least 1200 BC to 600 AD. There is massive cultural and linguistic evidence to support the fact that many African groups have a connection to the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Nubia, and the Levant.

Hausa DNA show that they originated from Asia