Fascinating Conversation with Laouali Yahaya

Alice C. Linsley

The following is the email conversation with Laouali Yahaya, an administrator from Niger with whom I have been communicating about the Hausa-Egyptian connection. It was in this conversation that I learned about the recent discovery of twin pyramids and a sphinx in Niger. I found the announcement and translated the information from French sources. My news report on this discovery is the first in English.  I have Mr. Yahaya to thank for calling this amazing discovery to my attention.

Dear Madam,

As the question of the discovery of a pyramid in Zinder/Niger arose, I came across one of your discussions with Digare Ahmed, a Fulani in northern Nigeria, in January, 2010. This question became controversial in the sense that many don't believe this can be right. Please, if you have other knowledge or a document that attests the Egyptian origin of Hausa, I will be very grateful that you send me it by my Email address.

Yours faithfully.

Laouali Yahaya

Dear Sir,

I have no recollection of writing about a pyramid in Niger. Nor have I written that Hausa originated in Egypt.  I have pointed out that there are linguistic connections between Hausa and other Afro-Asiatic languages, especially Arabic. Ancient Egyptian is in the Afro-Asiatic language family.

I have written some on the Ijebu, the Igbo and the Ashanti.  I've also had numerous communications with Nigerians about Yoruba customs and words.

My research focuses on the Nilotic origins of peoples related by blood and marriage to Abraham of the Bible.  I am a Biblical Anthropologist.

You will find most of my research at Just Genesis and at Biblical Anthropology. There is an INDEX at both sites and the articles are organized alphabetically by topic. Perhaps you will find something helpful.  If not, I would be glad to communicate with you again to answer any questions that you might have.

Best wishes to you!

Alice C. Linsley

Dear Madam,

Many names of ancient Egyptian civilization exist in Hausa. This includes place names such as the towns Qasr El Fara-Farah, Dandereh, El Amarna, Qarah, Dakhla, Kharga, and kom ombo. Also the names of temples such as Esna, Queen of Azna in Niger, associated with Karnak, and areas or regions such as wadi Es Sebouah: Es Saboua, meaning “the new valley."  Even the name of priesthood, which was Harwa in Ancient Egyptian and is Arwa in Hausa. Arwa predicts the future, like a prophet.  Kora is Aaron, because he is shaved. In Hausa, Kora means lack of hair nowadays.

The names of pharaohs correspond to Hausa words also.

Toutankhamon: Touta in Hausa means representation or image of something (Toutan Niger: the flag of Niger Republic);

Chabaka means endowed with arc and arrows.

Torrocco/Toroko refers to a pit fall or a cart.

Napata (who everybody wishes to resemble): pata means also skin. The Gobir king’s name during Ousman Dan Fodio Islamic Jihad was Bunu Napata.

Asha: In Katsena there was a king whose name was Mani Asha. There is still a village now which name is Kaura Asha, meaning "the departure of Asha."

Tanout, where the twin pyramids were found, is probably Ta Nout. This means "belongs to Nout." Nojut is the Egyptian for sky.

Taseti, Nubia: Ta Seti means "belongs to Seth", etc.

Yours faithfully,

Laouali Yahaya

Dear Sir,

Thank you for this valuable information! I have no doubt that there are strong connections between Hausa and Ancient Egyptian. Mr. Garba, who announced the discovery of the Niger pyramids, believes that the Egyptians derived their words from Hausa. I don't agree with this. Instead, it appears that Nilotic peoples spread westward into Nigeria, Chad and Niger. This happened when the Sahara was much wetter.

They also went east into Mesopotamia, Iraq, India, Nepal, Cambodia, and as far as Japan.  There are Harwa priests in Nepal, and many place names can be correlated between Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Nepal, India and Cambodia. These Nilotic peoples spread their religion where they went, and many of the oldest words in the languages of these countries are traceable to the ancient Nilotic religion.  This is why I maintain that African religion is older than Hinduism.

The Proto-Dravidian caru refers to the number six. This correlates to koro in Proto-Saharan, a directional element (the cardinal poles were associated with numbers); to karkia in some Chadic Languages; and to korci in Meidob (a language of eastern Sudan). The most striking similarity is between the Kanembu (another language of Sudan) araku and the Dravido-Tamil aarru. All these refer to the number six or to six coordinates. The number of center points on the early compass was probably six, since a circle of eight segments has six center points. Compass in Arabic is al-konbas, a compound of kon (universe) and bas (home), which was the point on the horizon where the first rays of the Sun were visible.

Horite priests shaved their heads and bodies before they served in the temple. Kora is the name of Moses' older half-brother, not Aaron. Moses was the younger son which explains why Korah challenged his leadership in the wilderness. According to Numbers 26, Korah's claim to be the ruler-priest was supported by the Hanochites. They were the descendants of Hanock, the firstborn son of Jacob's firstborn son Reuben.

The name “Korah” means shaved head in Hebrew. This was the custom for priests in Egypt. (See Biblical Archaeology Review, July/August 2007, p.37.) Do the words Kora and Arwa have the same meaning in Hausa?  Do both relate to shaved priests who tell the future?

Korah and Aaron were Horite priests. They belonged to the caste of ruler-priests who were devotees of Horus, called "son of God." Horus' mother was Hathor, the Virgin Queen, who gave birth in a manger.  This was a foreshadowing of the birth of Jesus Christ. The expectation of the Righteous Ruler who would defeat death and restore paradise can be traced to the Proto-Saharan and Nilotic peoples.  It is much older than the Jewish religion, just as Arabic is much older than Hebrew. 

I look forward to hearing from you again.

Best wishes,

Alice C. Linsley

Dear Madam,

I also forgot to tell you that for a long time I have been searching for the meaning of the name "Ango" which name qualified a newly-married man on the first days of ceremony in Hausa. As some said "Amaria", his new wife, is said to be "Amon Ré Iya" which means wife or mother of Amon RE. Iya in Hausa refers generally to mother or wife. Example: Sa a bull, feminine gives Saniya etc.

You answered my question in one of your publications: Ankh Hor in ancient Egypt, Anghor in Cambodia and now we have a third "Ango" in Hausa. All of these mean "long live Horus." Kat koré!, used for a man who performs a viril act, may signify Hat Hor! Because we don’t have the meaning nowadays.

In Arewa Dogo'n-Doutchi/Niger Republic, where the Saraounia of ancient Daura settled, Lougou people called the mistress of marriage ceremony "Ouwar Rana." This may be "mother of Sun” or “mother of the day."  People of this part of Hausa used the ancient terms, even the Egyptian terms: Ren, Ba, Dan.

Ren Sarki (soul of the King); Ren used with something in ancient Egyptian gives life to that thing. It is the same in Hausa.

Bâ Sarki (The King is no longer: he is dead); the Bâ in ancient Egyptian came up after the death in the form of birds or some thing else: the two terms are related to death.

One of their ancient kings, Kabrin-Kabra, had the same history as Nimrud and, as some people used to say, the Daurawa are descendants of Nimrud.

What surprised me is some names used in ancient Babylon like Samaria (youth in Hausa), Warka which became Irak nowadays (warka is recovery from illness and also a proper name Warka Dillaalia), Mitanni or Moutané in Hausa: people, and the term used to qualify the Niphilims Announaki is certainly Hausa.  The term is transformed nowadays into "Anné” instead of Anou and the plural is Announaki (terrible, capable of all bad deeds, outlawer).

And so also the term Akkadian or Summerian corresponding to past period or epoch: DA. They said DA 1, Da 2, etc. The Hausa said also "Da" to refer to events in ancient time.

In the past there were people in this Hausa part which were called "Yan Kassa" sons of the land/earth, it was said that there were God's cousins.

See you soon...

Laouali Yahaya

Dear Sir,

I've been certain that the Horite religion spread into Nigeria, Niger, Chad and possibly Benin.  There is much evidence that it spread into Mesopotamia and India. I've termed this the Afro-Asiatic Dominion. Linguistics is very useful in reconstructing a picture of the past, but we need archaeological findings also. Do you know of any ancient artifacts that constitute evidence of Horus being venerated in Niger?

I believe the Agadez Cross, made by the Inadan of Niger, is a Horite artifact. It seems to represent God's presence at the sacred center of the universe.

This email communication is fascinating and deserves a wider reading. Would you be willing for me to publish our conversation at Just Genesis?  I did this recently with an email conversation that I had with a friend on the subject of Genesis and Darwin.  I think we could put together a good conversation that would enlighten many readers.

I send you my best wishes.

Alice C. Linsley

Dear Madam,

When the Saraounia of Azna (queen of Azna- Azna means black people) moved from Daura = bush of Ra, she was with the Baura = the servant of Ra (the priest, who is said to be capable to invade farms of enemies with birds and insects.)

People said: "Baura, the owner of birds and insects."  Baura built his grave before his death. He was always accompanied by his sacred snake, a python. It was said that on the road to this place, they found Toungouma, a stone from DauRa which is used to make justice: The stone is held by two persons and after some recitations the stone drags the two persons toward the culprit.

The Kona (wherever they settled Kona is chief, people said: "Kona ouwar Sarki" which means "Kona mother of sarki", there were again the Sarkin Rouafi and Sarkin Toudou (the sarki of valley/low altitude and the one of high altitude).

There is also the sarkin Noma, master of crops who is under the authority of the Kona. Saraounia Mangou, one of these queens made a great resistance to the penetration of white people. She was defeated, but not captured. It was said that she used magic against Voulet and Chanoine army, and some kilometers from her bastion in Lougou,Voulet and Chanoine were killed by their soldiers. Because of this defeat, Saraounia refused to come out of her hut in day light.

Even those elected nowadays come out of their palaces only after sunset.  Perhaps they fear to dishonor Rana (my RA), the Sun, symbol of Re.

All these chieftains exist nowadays in Arewa, a region in Niger, but their power is lessened by colons.

I am busy these days. We shall do this discussion on the suited moment. Thank you!

Do you understand French? Our official language is French.

With all my greetings,

Laouali Yahaya

Greetings again!

I speak only English and Spanish. I can read French. However, you communicate very well in English.  : )

It is interesting that you mention Niger. The Inadan metalworkers of Niger make Agadez crosses. This design appears to be a Horite artifact as it symbolizes the ancient Egyptian cosmology and religious beliefs about Ra and the Sun.

Further, the Inadan metalworking chiefs of Niger maintain two wives in separate households on a north-south axis. This was a custom among the Horite rulers who are listed in the first book of the Bible.  It is interesting that these chiefs of Arewa preserve the older tradition.  The Inadan have their own secret language called TNT.

The Inadan metal workers are subservient to the Taureg in Sudan and Niger. Inadan men are protective about their metalworking practices. They claim to be kin to King David. (See National Geographic, Aug. 1979, p. 389) They are probably related to the Beja of Sudan. BJA is likely the root of the Hausa name Bayajidda. He too is associated with metalworkers. They made the knife which he used to cut off the head of the serpent Sarki at a well in Daura in Katsina State. I didn't know that Dau-ra means "the Bush of Ra."  That is very interesting!

I'm also interested to learn more about the high-elevation and low-elevation sarki. Doesn't sarkin maharba mean "lead hunter" in Hausa?

When you have time, we can discuss these matters further.

Best wishes to you.

Alice C. Linsley

Ok Madam,

I want to make a correction about the name "Azna" Queen of Azna. I asked some old people because I am not certain of the definition. Now Azna appears to be people who are like Harwa, they do “Arwa” - they predict good and bad harvest. After organizing a hunting campaign an animal is caught alive and slaughtered. It is said that in the inside of the animal they extract the cereals which will abound on that year.  It may be that Arwa is Aaron.

They also heal sorcery: people accused of sorcery are brought there and soon after they are given a beverage, they start telling all the people they killed.  After this beverage, they will not kill any person again.

Laouali Yahaya

Dear Sir,

That is helpful information. Thank you very much.

In Arabic, Aaron is spelled Haroun and means light-bringer. Haroun seems closer to Harwa than Aaron. It may be that Aaron is related to Arwa.

Still, it is clear that Arwa and Harwa refer to priest-diviners; men who discover what is hidden and bring it to light.  That is what the Horite priests did, in addition to offering sacrifice. The high priest kept the divination tools in his breast plate. Abraham consulted such a person at the sacred oak where the moreh met with people (Gen. 12:6). Jesus is a direct descendant of the Horite priests by his mother Mary, a daughter of the ruler-priest lines.

Best wishes,

Alice C. Linsley

Related reading: Was the Giza Sphinx a Recumbent Lion?; The Nile-Japan Ainu Connection; A Kindling of Ancient Memory; Abraham's Ainu Ancestors; The Afro-Asiatic Dominion