AFRICAN BELIEF SYSTEM IN THE SUPREME BEING
CONTENT
1.0
INTRODUCTION
2.0
DIVINITIES
IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL
2.1
The
Origin of the Supreme Being and of Belief in Him
2.2
Names
of the Supreme Being
2.3
ATTRIBUTES
OF GOD IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION
2.4
WORSHIP
OF THE SUPREME BEING
3.0
CONCLUSION
4.0
BIBLIOGRAPHY
AFRICAN BELIEF SYSTEM IN
THE SUPREME BEING
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In this paper shown, it
is intended that to some extent, the above mentioned topic will be dealt
with. On earth, across the veritable
continents, there is an affirmation, or rather, a strong belief that the
Supreme Being is greater than the human being.
It is also common that in the world, One Being regarded as Supreme is
above every other being on earth. As a
matter of fact, Africa which is a very religious continent can never and will
never be left out in her belief in the Supreme Being. In fact many scholars in religious studies owe
a thousand and one credits to Africa for her strong perspectives in the set of
beliefs in the Supreme Being.
Furthermore, the belief in the
Supreme Being is a doctrine in Africa.
It could be probably the first and the strongest of all the belief
systems in African Traditional Religions (ATR).
For every other belief in African Traditional Religions to stand firm,
there must be a belief in the Supreme Being.
And so to speak, those beliefs in order to succeed must be directed to
the belief of the Supreme Being which is the highest point of African peoples’
belief.
This paper aims to portray some of
the attributes given to the Supreme Being.
It also reveals some of the views held by some African ethnic groups
concerning the Supreme Being.
2.0 AFRICAN VIEWS ABOUT THE SUPREME BEING
One significant thing concerning
religion is that across Africa, every religion is centered towards the Supreme
Being whom they consider as the Creator of everything. This Theo-centric views about God the Supreme
Being is so great, so much so that it seems to be concluded that the Africans
have a particular mentality about Him. In other words, their brains are
commonly directed to Him. This might be
the reason the German psychologist, Sigmund Freud opined that “Religion is the
opium of the brain.” (i.e. Neurosis). It
seems the human brain is one of the underlying substances that attract Africans
to hold this firm belief in the Supreme Being.
Following what was earlier said
about the Theo-centric nature of African belief systems, John S. Mbiti pointed
out that “All African peoples believe in God … It is at the centre of African
Religion and dominates all its other beliefs.”[1] This therefore implies that the belief in the
Supreme Being is the core in African Traditional Religion. This runs in concordance with the argument of
the great philosopher, Immanuel Kant, that “Man is a creative of Being,
therefore he must worship something.”
For Africans to believe in this
Supreme Being Whom they cannot see means that there is a force that pushes
them; a force that compels them to have all their credo channeled toward an
Almighty Being. In fact the instrumental
cause of all these doctrines on the Supreme Being is faith. For this reason, Dr. Femi Olaoba related
that, “There is something greater than gravitational force on earth. That is faith.”[2]
Still talking about the African
Belief System in the Supreme Being, it should be noted that various African
ethnic groups have their ways of expressing
their strong faith in Him. A good
example was related by W. Romaine, a C.M.S missionary who wrote in 1869 about
the Igbo people of Southern Nigeria reporting that, “This you always find among
the Ibos; they never speak of futurity without admitting … if it pleases God.”[3]
In Africa a religious continent,
there are different ethnic groups. Just as they are different, so are their
different views about the Supreme Being.
A country like Nigeria has up to two hundred and fifty ethnic groups, of
which Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba are the major.
In Ghana, the Akan and the Mendes are very popular. Their languages of these ethnic groups are not
the same, their cultures are different but their beliefs in the Supreme unite
them all. Several views about the Supreme
Being such as His origin, His Names, etc. are all held by the various ethnic
groups of Africa. The Supreme Being, as
the Africans believe, is greater than them and is separated from them. Their credo therefore is not limited to His
origin, but include the qualities He possesses.
Here we shall first discuss the
African view on the origin of the Supreme Being. Then we shall go on to examine His Names, and
attributes.
2.1 The Origin of the Supreme Being and of
Belief in Him
It seems to be an easy
talk to accept that there is in existence a Supreme Being, but how can His
origin be traced? An ignorant person is
likely to be compelled to ask questions such as: Who is the Supreme Being? Where did He come from? How did He come to be? Was He born?
Etc. Another person may try to
provide answers to the above questions but only in so far as he is not
ignorant. As said earlier that faith is
greater than the gravitational force on earth, this means that the various
views about the Supreme Being is difficult for man to understand. But by faith above all his reasons he
believes. The origin of the Supreme
Being according to Dr. Femi Olaoba, cannot be identified.It is unknown and
cannot be known, given the fact that it lies beyond the realm of human
perception. This is also true about the
origin of the belief in Him. No one can
trace the genesis of African people’s belief that the Supreme exists. But there are attempts made by people to
suggest certain ideas. The scholar of
ATR, J.S. Mbiti maintains that, “We only know that it is a very ancient belief
in African religious life.”[4] He
went further to suggest three possible explanations on its origin.
(i) “People came to believe in God through
reflecting on the universe”[5]
African
peoples came to conclude that the universe was created. They did this after several reflections. If the universe was created, then there is
someone who created it. This creator
they call God.Seeing also the enormity and continuity of the earth, they came to
conclude that there must be someone looking after it, sustaining it. They also held that the Creator must be the
sustainer, for without Him there could have been no universe, just as without
Him, the universe would have fallen apart.[6]
(ii) “People realized their own limitations”[7]
Here, Mbiti argues that:
The
cause for the origin of the belief in God was perhaps by people’s understanding
of their own limitations. Man having
seen that he cannot control phenomena of nature like death, calamity, earthquakes,
thunderstorms etc, might have come to
conclude that there is someone greater, that his power, is above all these
phenomena. This one he considered to
have greater power, he called God.[8]
(iii) People observed the forces of nature”[9]
Natural
phenomena like powers of the weather, storms, thunder, lightning, day and night
together with the expanse of the sky with its sun, moon and stars, drew
people’s attention form time immemorial.They could not reach the sky, but only
depended on what it is capable of giving, what happened there and probably
beyond it. It is likely to uphold that
someone is in charge of those phenomena; that He provides things from there for
them. That person in charge they came to
believe to be God.[10]
2.2 Names of the Supreme Being
Given the fact that there are different ethnic groups
in Africa, given another fact that various languages are been spoken in Africa
and finally due to the fact that there is a common acclamation by the African
ethnic groups concerning the Supreme Being.
It follows that among them, there are various Names given to the Supreme
Being. On this issue, J.S. Mbiti argues that, “Every African people has a word for
God and often other names which describe Him.”[11]
By this he meant that to explain
that some names simply are various vocabulary equivalent for the English word “God,” Also, it points out clearly that
some names given to him are attributions.
To crown Mbiti’s opinion, another scholar in Religious studies,
BolajiIdowu listed some names that are attributive to God, such as:
|
Name
|
Meaning
|
|
“Oghenedjakpokohwo
|
God directs the person
(Urhobo)
|
|
EbereChukwu
|
God’s Mercy (Igbo)
|
|
Olutooke
|
The Lord deserves to be
glorified (Yoruba)
|
|
Gatkwoth
|
Son of God (Nuer)
|
|
Mawunyo
|
God is just or God is
kind (Ewe)”[12]
|
Apart from the above mentioned names attributed to
God, there are a thousand and one others across various places in Africa. As said earlier, there are various names that
are just direct translation of the word, “God.” For Mbiti, personal names for
God are very ancient, and in many cases their meanings are no longer known or
easily traceable through language analysis.[13] Some of those names are:
|
Country
|
Some
African names for God
|
|
Angola
|
Kalunga, Nzambi, Suku
|
|
Burundi
|
Imana
|
|
Cameroon
|
Njinyi, Nyooiy
|
|
Ghana
|
Bore-Bore, Dzemawon,
Mawu, Na’angmin, Nyame, Onyankofon
|
|
Botswana
|
Modimo, Urezhwa
|
|
Ethiopia
|
Arumgimis, Igziabher,
Magano, Tel, Tsuessa, Waqa, Yere, YereSiezi
|
|
Ivory Coast
|
Nyame, Onyankopon
|
|
Kenya
|
Akuji, Asis, Mulungu,
Mungu, Ngai, Nyasaye, Tororut, Wele (Were)
|
|
Lesotho
|
Malimo (Modimo)
|
|
Liberia
|
Yala
|
|
Madagascar
|
Andriamanitra, Zanahary
|
|
Malawi
|
Cauta, Chiuta, Leza,
Mulungu, Unkurukuru, Uitxo
|
|
Mozambique
|
Mulungu
|
|
Nigeria
|
Ondo, Chuku, (Chukwu),
Hinegba, Olodumare, Olorun, Osanobua, Osowo, Owo, Soko
|
|
Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)
|
Unkulunkulu, Mwali
(Nwari), Nyadenga
|
|
Rwanda
|
Imana
|
|
Sierra Leone
|
Leve, Meketa, Ngewo,
Yatta
|
|
South Africa
|
Inkosi, Khuzwane,
Modimo, Mwari, Raluvhimba, Unkulunkulu, Utixo
|
|
South West Africa
(Namibia)
|
Kalunga, Mukuru,
Ndjambi, Karunga, Pamba
|
|
Sudan
|
Ajok, Bel, Dyong, Elo,
Jok (Juok, Juong), Kalo, Kwoth, Mbori (Mboli), Nhialic, Nguleso,
NgunTamukujen
|
|
Swaziland
|
Mkulumncandi,
Umkhulumncandi
|
|
Tanzania
|
Enkai, Ishwanga, Kyala,
Kyumbi, Mulungu (Murungu), Mungo, Ruara
|
|
Uganda
|
Akuj, Jok (Juok),
Katonda, Kibumba, Ori, Rugeba, Ruhanga, Weri
|
|
Zaire
|
Akongo, Arebati,
Djakomba, Katshonde, Kmvoum, Leza, Nzembi
|
|
Zambia
|
Chilenga, Chiuta, Lesa
(Leza), Mulungu, Nyambe, Nzambia, Tilo.”[14]
|
Aside the above mentioned names for God, there are
many others across Africa. This makes it
known that in Africa there is a high regard for God as Mbiti relates, “These
names show us clearly that African peoples are very familiar with the belief in
God …”[15]
Moreover, in the African belief
system in the Supreme Being, it should be noted that the fact that many names
are attributed to the Supreme Being by so many African ethnic groups does not
mean that there are many gods. In their
belief, there is only one God the Almighty (their idea is simply understood to
be one times one times infinity equals one).
Also African belief system is quite
different from that of Westerners.
African Traditional Religion is not traceable except one becomes an
oracle.[16]
DIVINITIES IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION
The African
religions partly recognize a group of being popularly known as divinities. These beings have been given various names by
various writers such as ‘gods’, ‘demigods’, ‘nature spirits’, divinities, and
the like. Mbiti explains that the term
“covers personification of God’s activities and manifestations, the so-called
‘nature spirits’, deified heroes, and mythological figures”.[17] This belief in divinities is a common
phenomenon especially in West Africa, while in other parts of Africa; the
concept is not succinctly expressed.
This is w hat Francis O. C. Njoku means when he said, “The phenomenon of
belief in divinities is not everywhere prominent in Africa”.
In West Africa where the concept is clearly
expressed, there are so many of such divinities. In Yoruba pantheon, for example, Idowu
explains that there are as much as 201, 401, 600, or 1700 divinities. In Edo of
Nigeria, there are as many divinities as there are human needs, activities and
experiences, and the cults of these divinities are recognized as such. In his words “One [divinity] is connected
with wealth, human fertility, and supply of children (Oluku); another is iron
(Ogu), another of medicine (Osu), and another of death (Ogiuwu)” .
Divinities have been grouped into two major
groups namely: the Principal Divinities and Minor divinities. Principal divinities are regarded as part of
the original order of things. These
being co-eval with the coming into being
of the cosmos. They include such divinities as,
Sango or Amadioha– thunder divinities for
Yoruba and Igbo;
Ani or Ala –
earth divinity among the Igbo, Aje in Idoma land and other solar divinities.
The
Dinka people of Sudan recognize Deng divinity associated with rain, fertility
and others, Abak with mother role, Garang– perfect picture of father/son
relationship. They also recognize
Macardt– a divinity associated with death. Nature of Divinities: There are two
major schools of thought as regards the origin of divinities in African
religious ontology. The first school of
thought is led by John S. Mbiti. He
argues that divinities were created by the Supreme Being. He explains that divinities “have been
created by God in the ontological category of the spirits. They are associated with Him, and often
stand for His activities or manifestation either as personifications or as the
spiritual beings in charge of these major objects or phenomena of
nature”.[18] By this view of Mbiti and his group,
divinities are under the Supreme Being in the order of things. They can also be seen as manifestations of
the characteristics or attributes
2.3 ATTRIBUTES OF GOD IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL
RELIGION
It is to be emphasized
that Africans have never seen the Supreme Being nor heard His voice without any
doubt they believe that He exists somewhere.
How did this idea come about?
Perhaps by revelation, for BolajiIdowu writes that “… There is no place,
age, or generation, which did not receive at some point in its history some
form of revelation.”[19]
In Africa, Martin Luther’s idea of “Deus absconditus et revelatus” (ie.
Hidden and revealed God)[20]
is applicable. That is to say, they
believe that God is hidden and separated but the same God revealed Himself
through the things in nature. In order
to express their belief, the Africans use expressions to explain the Supreme
some of those expressions are anthropomorphic; some them are:
(i)
God is everywhere
(ii)
God gives life
(iii)
He Has His divinities as
His ministers (who have various functions)
(iv)
He is maker of the earth
(v)
He does not sleep
(vi)
He commands
John Mbiti also wrote on this view. He held that Africans believe that God does
various things in the world: He sustains His creation, He rules the universe,
He is a friend, He is a Father, He is merciful, good, holy, knows everything,
is all-powerful, is limitless, is self-existent, is spirit, never changes, is
unknowable.[21]
The Africans also have various proverbs used in
expressing their faith in God. The Igbo
people of Nigeria for instance, have many of them. They use human attributes to explain God. Examples related by EmefieIkenga – Metuh are:
(i)
Chukwujimma,
jideji, onyeowanyere, yaerie(God
has both the knife and the yam; only those to whom He gives may eat).
(ii)
Chukwu
new nduonyenzefuofia (God owns a person lost
in the woods (only God can save him).
2.4 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
DIVINITIES AND SUPREME BEING
They are created “beings”. As created beings,
they are subordinate to the Supreme Being.
They are
given functions to perform: Divinities do not perform duties against the will
of the Supreme Being rather they are obedient to the command of the Supreme
Being. Various communities of Africa who
believe in divinities have their local names for each divinity depending on the
function the divinity performs. In
Yoruba Jakuta, the divinity responsible for Wrath-one who hurls or fights with
stones”, is known in Nupe as Sokogba– God’s axe. Among the Igbo Ala or Ani– Earth, is the
arch-divinity responsible for the fertility of the soil.
Another important relationship between the
divinities and Supreme Being in Africa is that the divinities serve as
“functionaries in the theocratic government of the universe”.[23] This means that the various divinities have
been apportioned various duties to perform in accordance with the will of the
Supreme Being. This is clearly shown by Idowu in his book Olodumare… where he
explained that in Dahomey, Mawu-Lisa is regarded as an arch-divinity who
apportioned the kingdoms of the sky, the sea, and the earth to six of his
off-springs. He made his seventh child Legba, the divine messenger and
inspector-general in African pantheon (80). This also means that the divinities
are ministers with different definite portfolios in the monarchial government
of the Supreme Being. They therefore serve as administrative heads of various
departments (Idowu, African Traditional Religion, 170).
Divinities are Intermediaries between man
and the Supreme Being. They have therefore become channels through which
sacrifices, prayers and offerings are presented to the Supreme Being. In
Africa, there are no images of the Supreme Being but the divinities are
represented with images temples or shrines. Idowu explains that the divinities
do not prevent Africans from knowing or worshiping the Supreme Being directly
as some erroneously claim.
SPIRIT IN
AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION
In African traditional religion, the concept
of spirits is well defined. This is
because Africans believe, recognize and accept the fact of the existence of
spirits, who may use material objects as temporary residences and
manifestations of their presence and actions through natural objects and
phenomena This does not mean that traditional religion in Africa was an
alienation in which “man felt himself unable to dominate his environment, in
the grip of ghosts and demons, under the spell of the awe-inspiring phenomena
of nature, a prey to imaginary magical forces or cruel and capricious spirits”
What we are stressing here is the fact that Africans, though they believe in
the existence of spirits, are not being taken captive by this belief so that
they do not consider other materialistic elements in the universe. When we
refer to spirits in African religious ontology, we are not referring to
divinities or to ancestors, but to “those apparitional entities which form
separate category of beings from those described as divinities”. They are considered as “powers which are
almost abstract, as shades or vapors which take on human shape; they are
immaterial and incorporeal beings”.As immaterial and incorporeal, it is
possible for them to assume various dimensions whenever they wish to be seen.
These spirits are created by God but differ from God and man.
Man has in various occasions addressed these
spirits anthropomorphically by attributing human characteristics such as
thinking, speaking, intelligence and the possession of power which they use
whenever they wish. Spirits that we are looking at in this part of the work are
the “’common’ spiritual beings beneath the status of divinities, and above the
status of men. They are the ‘common
populace’ of spiritual beings.[24]
An ethnic group in Africa
dancing during one of their festivals through worship
In
some ceremonies of worship, movement from one place to another are
performed. Singing and dancing combined
with music enable people to participate emotionally and physically. In some
cases after all the above mentioned acts, people feet spiritually satisfied,
though they may be tired in body.[25] In Igbo land for instance, there several
songs for various occasions.
Group of an
African people expressing their method of worship through singing and dancing
(iv)
Intermediaries
between God and Man
Among African ethnic groups, people
have a common feeling of been very small
in God’s sight. Therefore they
approach him through the help of someone.
The latter may be called intermediaries.
Some are human beings while some are spiritual beings. The human beings
include priests, kings, medicine men, seers, oracles, rain-makers, diviners and
ritual elders. Among the spiritual
beings are divinities, some spirits, especially those of former national
leaders and heroes.
People believe that the intermediaries
stand in between them and God. That they
have easier access to God than ordinary people.
They do not worship the intermediaries while performing acts of worship.[26]
A chief priest offering
prayers on behalf of the people
The above explanations are a little
picture of what African belief system in the Supreme Being looks like. To Africans it is not likely to be a problem,
given the fact that it is their culture and tradition. But what do we say of the Europeans? This question has a twofold answers, first,
some Europeans like Placid Temples, Geoffrey Parrinder, Immanuel Kant and
others agreed with Africans. Kant a
great philosopher maintained that man is a creative of being, therefore he must
worship something.
Secondly some Europeans considered
Africans as sub humans, untutored, savages, primitives etc. Some expressed that Africans are not destined
for salvation, are inferior to the whites and do not have souls. A figure like the German biographer, Emil Ludwig
said, “How can the untutored African conceive God?... “How can this be? … Deity is a philosophical
though which savages are incapable of framing.”[27] Another figure, Leo Frobenius said that he had
read from a Berlin Journal that:
Before the introduction of a genuine faith
and a higher standard of culture by the Arabs, the natives had no political
organization, nor strictly speaking, any religion …Therefore, in examining the
pre-Muhammadan condition of the negro races, we must confine ourselves to their
description of their crude fetishism, their brutal and cannibalistic customs,
their vulgar and repulsive idols.[28]
Some other people like Sir A.B.
Ellis, J.J. Williams among others were against the African Belief System in the
Supreme Being.[29]
3.0 CONCLUSION
In this paper that had
been shown, the Belief System of African in the Supreme Being had been
discussed to some extent, together with the positions of the whites. One thing to recall always is that the belief
in the Supreme Being is the core of all other beliefs in ATR. Without the idea of the Supreme Being, there
will be no complete religion. Reason is
because the Supreme Being is above every other creature, being or thing in
African Traditional Religion.
Scholars have tried to call to mind
every practice the African peoples perform in relationship with the Supreme
Being. It is at this juncture that every
opinion in opposition to African doctrine on the Supreme Being should be
corrected. Here also every doctrine on
the ATR should be centred on.
Finally it is now obvious that
Africans worship not many gods but one God- the Supreme Being. Giving the fact that ignorance is blindness,
it follows that every mind that is still occupied with misconceptions regarding the African Belief System in the Supreme
Being should come out of false opinion.
Those minds, especially the whites who do not understand Africans,
should study more on ATR to be properly instructed.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Awolalu,
J. Omosade, “Traditional Religion in Nigeria: A Liturgico-Cultural Viewpoint”In Nigeria since Independent: The First
25 years (vol. ix), edited by J.A. Atandaet
al. Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Books (Nigeria) Ltd., 1989, pp. 25-26.
Idowu,
BolajiE.African Traditional Religion: A
Definition.
Mbiti,
John S. African Religions and Philosophy.New
York: Anchor Books Doubleday & Company, Inc. 1970.
-----------------------Introduction to African Religion. London: Heinemann, 1975.
Metuh,
Emefie-IkengaAfrican Religions in Western
Conceptual Schemes: The Problem of Interpretation. Jos: IMICO Press, 1991.
AFRICAN BELIEF SYSTEM IN THE SUPREME BEING
BY
NWANEKWU
SAMUEL OGECHI
MATRIC
NO: DI/631
Being a Term Paper
submitted to the Department of Philosophy of the Dominican Institute in partial
fulfillment for the requirement of the
Course Title: AFRICAN
TRADITIONAL RELIGION
Course Code: RES
113
Lecturer:
DR. FEMI OLAOBA
IBADAN
APRIL
2015
[1]John S. Mbiti, Introduction to African Religion. (London:
Heinemann, 1975), p.40.
[2] Dr. Femi Olaoba
explained the greatness of faith in religion, during his lecture on ATR on
Wednesday, 10th April, 2013, at the Dominican Institute, on the year one
classroom.
[3] C.M.S. Archives,
CA3/034, Romaine, W.-------Niger Mission CA3/034, Journal of a visit to
Ossomore, S 1869, quoted in EmefieIkenga-Metuh, African Religions in Western Conceptual Schemes: The Problem of
Interpretation (Jos: IMICO Press, 1991), p.48.
[4]John S. Mbiti, op. cit.
[5] Ibid.
[6]Cf. Ibid.
[7]Ibid.
[8] Cf. Ibid.
[9]Ibid.
[10] Cf. Ibid.
[12] E. BolajiIdowu, African Traditional Religion: A Definition(Incomplete
biographical Information) p. 150.
[13] John S. Mbiti, op. cit.
[14] Ibid., pp. 42-43
[15]Ibid., p. 43.
[16]This statement was made
by Dr. Femi Olaoba in one of his weekly class lectures in the Dominican
Institute with year one students.
[19]E. BolajiIdowu, op. cit., p. 140.
[20]“Deus
absconditus et revelatus”
is Martin Luther’s expression. It was
used by BolajiIdowu in the immediate cited above book above, was borrowed to
write this work.
[21] Cf. John S. Mbiti, op., cit., pp.44-53.
[22]EmefieIkenga – Metuh,
op.cit., p.25
[26]Ibid., pp. 62-64.
[27]E. Smith, African Ideas
of God (London: Edinburgh House Press, 1950), p.1 “quoted in J. OmosadeAwolalu,
“Traditional Religion in Nigeria: A Liturgico-Cultural View point” In Nigeria since Independence. The First 25 years, edited by J.A.
AtandaGarbaAshiwaju, YayaAbubakar Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Books (Nigeria)
Ltd., 1989), p.26.
[28] L. Frobenius, The voice
of Africa, vol. I, London, OUP., 1a p. xiiif. Quoted in J. OmodadeAwolalu,
“Traditional Religion in Nigeria. A Liturgico-Cultural Viewpoint” In Nigeria
since Independence The First 25 years,
(vol. ix)edited by J.A. Atandaet al
(Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Books (Nigeria) Ltd., 1989), pp.25-26.
[29] Cf. EmefieIkenga-Metuh,
op. cit., p.37.
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