Religion is something that speaks high
volumes within every country these days, and it’s no different in Tanzania. Christianity is a massive religion that takes
over one-third of the Tanzanian population, another third is Muslim, and the
remaining third is made up of numerous amounts of indigenous religions. With
humanity in this region dating back so far in time, other religions such as
Hinduism and Buddhism can also be found amongst its Asian minority population[1].
 |
| Each Religion of Tanzania only takes up 1/3 of the Nation. |
Even though the main religions are only
broken up into thirds within this African Nation, these three play many roles
within each other, which aid in the expansion of them as well. The Indigenous beliefs hold true to the idea
that there is a higher god, which is similar to that of Christian and Islamic
beliefs. The Indigenous beliefs go beyond
the thinking that giving your children a name from a grandparent in addition to
a Christian or Islamic name, it represents a relationship with the ancestral
spirit world.
 |
| The Maasai Tribe of Tanzania. |
Christianity in Tanzania was first
introduced by a Roman Catholic Franciscans, which established a mission at the
coastal city of Kilwa. Since governmental independence came about within this
nation, even more Christian denominations have operated under the aegis of an
umbrella organization, the Christian Council of Tanzania, founded in 1934. Just
like Christianity, Islam first appeared along the Coastline, however this was
done by Arab traders in the Zanzibar area, which eventually got spread to more
of the countries interior. Although Muslims didn’t establish missionary
societies quiet like it did in Christianity, they did come to supervising two
different organizations, The National Muslim Council, which was founded in
1969, and the Supreme Muslim Council, which formed in 1991[2].
 |
| Maasai Tribal Women in their custom outfits of Red, Blue and Purple. |
In Tanzania, just as any other part of
Africa, myths makeup a great deal of their religious teachings. The myths that
makeup Tanzanian tradition mainly include, the myth of the Elephant that is
usually described as being too kind and noble and is gravely deceived. The ancestors of Tanzania passed down the
fable that the elephant was once a human being who cheated out off of his limbs
except for his right arm, which now acts as the trunk of the animal. This was
his payment for nobility[3].
Brain,
James L.. “Kingalu: A Myth of Origin from Eastern Tanzania”. Anthropos
66.5/6 (1971): 817–838. Web.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/40459424.
"Tribes
and Religion of Tanzania - Tanzania - Destinations | Safari Specialist Shadows
Of Africa." Shadows Of Africa. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.shadowsofafrica.com/destinations/tanzania/tribes-and-religion-of-tanzania>.
"East
Africa Living Encyclopedia." East Africa Living Encyclopedia. Web.
13 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.africa.upenn.edu/NEH/treligion.htm>.
"African
Mythology - Myths and Beliefs from Africa." African Mythology - Myths
and Beliefs from Africa. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.a-gallery.de/docs/mythology.htm>.
“Religion
- My Destination Tanzania." MyDestination.com Tanzania Travel. Web.
13 Nov. 2015. http://www.mydestination.com/tanzania/usefulinfo/6175407/religion..
"Religions
- Tanzania." MECOMeter. Web. 13 Nov. 2015. <http://mecometer.com/whats/tanzania/religions/>.
[1] "Tribes and Religion
of Tanzania - Tanzania - Destinations | Safari Specialist Shadows Of
Africa." Shadows Of Africa. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.shadowsofafrica.com/destinations/tanzania/tribes-and-religion-of-tanzania>.
[2] Brain, James L.. “Kingalu:
A Myth of Origin from Eastern Tanzania”. Anthropos 66.5/6 (1971):
817–838. Web.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/40459424.
[3] "African Mythology - Myths
and Beliefs from Africa." African Mythology - Myths and Beliefs from
Africa. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.a-gallery.de/docs/mythology.htm>.
