Yibir sticks and north East African staff traditions

[Riftvalley]

From Chatgtp

Culture/Group	Staff Significance	Ritual & Symbolic Roles
Ancient Egypt	Authority, divine rule, magic, afterlife journey	Coronation, funerals, temple rites, daily symbolism
Nubia	Adaptation of Egyptian regalia for kingship	Authority in coronation, divine legitimacy
Cushitic (e.g., Somali, Afar)	Eldership, mediation, protection	Dispute resolution, healing rituals
Rendille	Spiritual identity, warrior initiation	Ceremonial dance, coming-of-age rites, blessings

The usage of the special Yibir stick in their prayer when they collect gifts from families with newborns, for me, cements the idea that they’re an ancient relic of old Somali religion/north East African stick and staff traditions. Their stick was also made from a special tree; another relic of ancient north East African traditions.

Having said that, similar traditions existed in the Middle East. I think the Yibir tradition is not a direct burrowing from the Middle East though.

ChatGPT on Middle East:

1. Mesopotamia (Sumer, Akkad, Assyria, Babylon)


Kingship & Divine Authority

• Kings and gods are often depicted holding a rod-and-ring symbol — the rod representing a measuring stick for justice, the ring symbolizing law/order.
• Deities like Shamash (god of justice) are shown handing a staff to kings, signifying that the king’s authority came from divine mandate.

Priestly and Magical Use

• In Akkadian magic, staffs or wands could be inscribed with protective spells or symbols and used in purification rituals.
• Ritual specialists (āšipu) sometimes used wooden rods to draw protective boundary lines during exorcisms.

2. Ancient Israel & Biblical Tradition


Religious and Prophetic Role

• Moses’s staff (mateh) is a central object in the Torah — it performs miracles (parting the Red Sea, bringing water from rock, turning into a serpent).
• The staff of Aaron buds miraculously in Numbers 17 as proof of his priestly authority.
• Shepherd’s staffs symbolized leadership and divine care (Psalm 23: “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me”).

Royal & Ceremonial

• Kings held ornate scepters in formal appearances, sometimes topped with symbolic designs like budding flowers or animal heads.

3. Arabia (Pre-Islamic & Early Islamic)



Pre-Islamic Practices

• Tribal leaders and poets sometimes carried decorated staffs in gatherings — a badge of authority and eloquence.
• Ritual specialists (kahins) may have used rods in divination or oath-making.

Early Islam

• Prophet Muhammad is recorded in hadith to have used a stick or staff (ʿasa) while delivering sermons, leaning on it as he spoke.
• Some caliphs and qadis (judges) used a staff in court as a sign of office — this is why in Arabic, ʿasa can still mean both “staff” and “authority.”

 

[Riftvalley]

“ulee (Oromo) : a long, forked stick, carried by pilgrims to the tomb of S̲h̲ayk̲h̲ Ḥusayn, having a practical use but being above all a sign of their status as pilgrims. S̲h̲ayk̲h̲ Ḥusayn”.