Posted by Chester Morton / Tuesday 18 April 2023 / No comments
What are the major characteristics of West African Traditional Religion?
Definition
West African Traditional Religion (WATR) in the simplest
definition refers to the indigenous religious practices of the people of West
Africa before the advent of Islam, Christianity and any other form of religion.
It is practiced in the West African countries like Ghana,
Benin, Sierra Leone, Togo, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Mali, etc. It was not
a religion that was introduced into the Sub-region by missionaries. It was
practiced by the local people.
Currently, only a tiny fraction of the people of West Africa
have remained adherents of the indigenous practice. In Ghana, according to the
2021 census figures, 3.2% of the Ghanaian population practice traditional
religion. According to the Association of Religious Data Archives in 2020, in
Nigeria, traditional region followers were 7.2% of the total population of
Nigeria.
There are some peculiar features that are used to identify
what exactly is referred to as West African Traditional Religion, for example,
it does not have a founder, it is based on oral traditions and handed down by
word of mouth, it does not make use of missionaries to propagate, etc. These
and many more are discussed in the paragraphs below.
The characteristics of West African Traditional Religion
The
religion has no founder
One
of the major features of West African Traditional Religion (WATR) is that there
is no single individual or groups of individuals who can be pointed out as the
founder or founders of the religion like we find in the case of Christianity
which is believed to be founded by Jesus and Mohammed (Peace be upon Him) for
Islam. Christianity and Islam are monotheistic religions and have just one
founder. WATR recognizes many deities. Their beliefs and practices had to
evolve over several centuries. While evolving, the beliefs and practices were
handed down through generations.
It
is based on oral literature
In
ancient West Africa, the art of writing had not been discovered early enough
until the coming of European missionaries. Those who practiced West African
Traditional Religion could, therefore, not codify their religion as was done in
the case of Islam and Christianity. In short, the religion does not have
written documents like the bible for the Christians and the Quran for the
Muslims.
In
order to preserve the knowledge of the religion, the people had to resort to
other forms of documentation. They preserved the history, beliefs and practices
about the religion in their songs and chants, folklore, tales and fables. The
literature surrounding the religion is in the oral form and therefore handed
down from generation to generation by word of mouth.
There
are no missionaries
A
typical adherent of WATR does not believe that religion must be imposed on
anybody. Rather, it has to be experienced by the person. It is the person’s
personal relationship with the spirit entities or deities involved.
The
main focus is not to convert other people to their form of worship. To the
practitioner of West African Traditional Religion, people have to experience
the spiritual world as individuals and not as a collective. It is those who
believe in the deity that must carry and practice it. There are, therefore, no
missionaries in West African Traditional Religion. Evangelism, as is seen in
both Islam and Christianity, is absent in West African Traditional Religion.
Rituals,
sacrifices and divination
A
major part of the religion is characterized by rituals. When a child is born, a
ritual is performed. When a child attains puberty age, there are rituals to
usher them into puberty. There are rituals for marriage, when death occurs,
depending on the cause of death. Rituals are performed to honour the deities
which may involve the offering of food, and drinks
Alongside
rituals, we also have sacrifices. In fact, sacrifices are a major aspect of
rituals. There are different types of sacrifices. People sacrifice animals,
some sacrifice plants and some also sacrifice food. In ancient times, the
practice of human sacrifice was believed to have taken place. Such sacrifices
were used to honour the gods. Some sacrifices were specifically demanded by the
deities but some are offered by the people of their own volition as a form of
honour or to request some favours from them.
The
quest to know the future is a desire that is shared by many people. In West
African Traditional Religion, the practice of knowing the unknown called
divination. There are trained or gifted people in the society that have the
capacity to reveal the unknown. Some items are used to perform this task though
the process may vary from place to place. Items like cowrie shells, sticks,
bones etc. Divination may be used to communicate with the departed souls of
ancestors.
Religion
permeates every aspect of life
In
West Africa, religion is everything and everything is religion. In other words,
every aspect of life among the traditional West African is seen through the
glass of religion. This is because religion provides a way by which they identify
themselves. The religion allows them to feel a sense of community, and gives
them purpose for the life they live. West African Traditional Religion is
deeply rooted in their culture, values, and beliefs. Through it, they are able
to connect to the past, present, and future. In times of need, the religion
provides a high level of comfort. The morals of the people are shaped by the
religion. Their form of social justice is derived from the principles embedded
in the religion.
Question to ponder over:
1. State and explain the characteristics of West African Traditional Religion.
2. In what ways are the characteristics of WATR different from those of Christianity or Islam?
Also Read Why it is important for people to study West African Traditional Religion
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