Ancestors and African Religions
Ancestors and African Religions
Ancestors and African Religions
TRADITIONAL RELIGION
IGE, SIMEON ABIODUN
Introduction:
Conceptualization:
Generally speaking, the ancestors are the deceased who were once members
of the social group of a clan. As J.S. Mbiti rightly suggested, there are two
categories of the dead: those who are still within memory or the departed of
up to five generations called the living dead2, and those who can hardly be
remembered again by the living.
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the Igbo call them ndicie, meaning those of old, the Urhobo call them Eriuwi
meaning the dead fathers and mothers.
In the African belief system, the family is made up of both the living
members and the ancestors. The ancestors are still present, watching over
the household and the property of the family. They are the powerful part of
the clan, maintaining a close link between the world of men and the spirit
world. They are believed to be interested in the welfare of their living
descendant. They even exercise protection and discipline any erring member
of the living belonging to their clan. Thus they are guidance of family affairs,
traditions, customs, ethics& morality, health and fertility. They punish
cases like incest, stealing, adultery, bearing false witness and other moral
vices are regarded as elders of the family and they are reincarnated into the
family.3
Africans ascertain from time to time the will of the ancestors through
the oracle. They secure their help and appease them when they are
provoked to anger. It is essential that the living be in good terms with the
ancestors and even gives them more regard then they deserve while the
living in physical form. This is why Africans usually do not go to sleep with
their pots empty. In fact, food is always left outside at night for any visiting
ancestor. Water is not poured away at night without first announcing it so
that any ancestor around may not be injured. When people drink wine or
hot drinks, they pour a little on the ground for the ancestors. All this is to
acknowledge and strength then the interpersonal relationship between the
living and the dead. Despite this closeness, ordinary people cannot see the
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ancestor. It is only those who possess special power or medicine that can
notice their presence.
among the Ashanti, the sacred golden stool which is the ancestral
symbol is regarded as the shrine and symbol of the national soul .
Which means that in it, the whole nation is united as of one soul.4
There are no separate annual festivals for the ancestors except where
they have been deified.5 such communal ceremonies are done in honour of
the ancestor and to remind the people of the great deeds of their ancestors.
Some of these festivals include Oro, Egungun (Yoruba), Mmuo (Igbo), Adae
(Ghana) among others.
The ancestors have shrines where sacrifices and prayers are offered to
them. Among the Yoruba it is called Igbo Igbale. There are priest and
priestesses attached to the shrines. The priests and priestesses are usually
the most elderly men and women in the family. It is however not a woman
married into the family. Prayers offered are ultimately directed to absolute
honour done goes to God alone.
In many communities the same words are used for both the worship
of God and the ancestors. For instance Bo is a general word for worship
among the Yoruba. During the festival for the ancestors, a mask figure is
designed specifically to give impression that the deceased is making a
temporal reappearance on earth. In West African, ancestors are even
addressed the same way as the living.
The word veneration means great respect6. It then means reverence and
great respect, admiration and awe. Thus it is an act of worship. However, it
is done or given to the saints in contradiction of worship given to god alone.
In the strict theological usage of the word veneration; absolute honour goes
to God in worship.
The Roman Catholic Church have situation very analogous to the African
attitude towards their ancestors. The Virgin Mary is highly honoured. She
has a corner (more or less a shrine) dedicated to her in the church where
candles are burnt and prayers are said. What is done is commonly described
as relative honour, which is reserved to God the creator of all things. It is
believed that she got her uniqueness form God and so could be prayed to.
The common Roman Catholic prayer: hail Mary mother of god pray for us in
earth now unto the hour of our death. Amen confirms this view. The
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honour and prayers said to the saints does not end with tem but goes to
God. This is also the African view in venerating their ancestors.
The word worship on the other hand is defined as the act of showing
great reverence, honour, respect, etc, especially to God or a god.7 Worship in
its strict theological usage suggest the acknowledgement of Gods unique
excellence and His total dominion over all nations express by adoration,
reverence, and submission to Him. It thus includes acts prompted by
veneration.
Person who die in war are honored as ancestors for their death are
described as honorable death. Death through leprosy, dropsy, sleeping
sickness, child birth, epilepsy, suicide or motor accident are believed to
might have been caused by a hidden crime and are there not considered as
natural death. Even if a man died of age and does not have a child or
children to perpetrate his memory he is not considered an adult. Therefore
he is not honored as an ancestor.
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The celebration of a second burial by the children of the deceased is
also very important. It is this that enables the deceased to enter into a place
of rest where he enjoys the company of other ancestors. If the second burial
is not done some believed that the deceased soul shall remain in a dirty
place and shall not be properly cared for in his new world. Failure to accord
a deceased ancestor a second burial could make him torture the living
relatives.
1. Mbiti J.S. African religion and philosophy, (New York: double day
company, Inc.( 1969).p.97.
2. Ibid. P.107
3. Amponsah, k. Topics on West African traditional religion volume
1(Accra: Mc Graw-Hill FEP, 1974), p. 85. see also Awolalu and
Dopamu West African traditional religion (Ibadan :Onibonje press,
1979),pp.272-273.
4. Awolalu and Dopamu, West African traditional religion. Ibid .
pp..226-277. see Amponsah.k. op. cit. pp.86 87.
5. E.Bdaji Idowu Olodumare God in Yoruba belief, (London : long man,
1970) p.110.
6. Morris, G.Watkins et al All Nations English Dictionary , Sri Lanka:
New life Lit. Ltd. 1992 p. 763
7. Ibid p. 796
8. Amponsah, k. op. cit. p.90.
9. Amponsah, .k. op. cit .p 90.
10. Ibid.
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LIKELY EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
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