The Forgotten Kingdom of Nubia: What is the Message of the Nubian?

HIND MALIK | STAFF WRITER 

When I first stumbled upon the Nubian Message publication a few years back its name left me with quite a few question. Why did founders of the paper choose “Nubian Message” to call their paper? What is the significance of the symbol on the left of the papers name? Finally, what is the “message” of the “Nubian”?

Nubia is the name of one of Africa’s greatest civilizations. It derived its name from the Egyptian word “nub” meaning gold. At times it was known as Ta-Seti and it appeared as Kush or Cush in the Old Testament. The Forgotten Kingdom of Africa, as it is sometimes referred to, lay along the Nile River in what is now Northern Sudan. Archaeological sites in the area reveal the splendor of the Nubian civilization in its architecture, tools, writings, and sculptures. The great Empire of Nubia has long been overshadowed by the lower Nile civilizations in Egypt and by modern European historians who have distorted the history of Nubia molding a historical image of a “barbaric waste land” that fed the slave and mineral trade in Egypt. Some of the famous archaeologists that excavated the ruins of Nubia claimed that such advanced architectures, technology, science, and art could not have been the product of black Africans. Some went as far as to claim that there was a relationship between ancient Nubians and Caucasians while others sufficed by minimizing the influence and the role the kingdom played in the ancient world. All are obvious attempts to reinforce European notions of superiority and inferiority.

Regardless of attempts to stain the history of Nubia, the remains in Northern Sudan falsify these claims. Nubia was wealthy not only in gold, ivory, incense, iron ore, and fertile land but also rich with culture, architecture, religion, art, and warriors and kings who for some time ruled over Egypt. Even today a greater number of pyramids than those in Egypt hold ground in Northern Sudan, preserving through the harsh desert environment. These pyramids and cities buried under the desert sand house the history of the great Nubian civilization that was intentionally kept a secret from the world.

The logo of the publication is the Gye Nyame symbol. It is one of the Adrinka symbols which are ancient Akan visual symbols used in Ghana and Cote de ’Ivory in West Africa. Gyne Nyame is one of the Akan highest spiritual symbols. It literarily means “except for God” and it signifies the supremacy of God; the omnipotence, the omnipresent, and the immortal. It also means that one should fear no one except God. In other versions it said to simply mean “I am not afraid of you.”

So what is the Message of the Nubian? Equipped with the basic information above, I believe each and every one of us can reach a different conclusion. To me, the title and logo speaks of continuous strength, courage, and confidence derived from a bloodline of brave warriors and intelligent inventors. It says that in each of us is a fearless Nubian warrior or warrioress with a message to deliver.