African Folklore: An Encyclopedia - Marshalls University

African folklore 4
of political authority is also vested in the ancestors. In most West African communities
those who hold political authority do so in proxy for the ancestors. They are responsible
to the latter and regularly function in priestly roles, communicating and maintaining
communion with the ancestors on behalf of themselves and those whom they lead.
The ultimate role of the ancestors is to serve as symbols of an ideal after-life, and of
the possibility of salvation for those still living (Dovlo 1993). Most West African peoples
hold that after death one must cross a river between the world of the living and the world
of the ancestors, so as to be integrated into ancestral spiritual segments of their families.
This is the ideal after-life scenario, in which one finds peace in being reunited with the
family. It reaffirms the sense of community that forms the basis for the entire cult of the
ancestors. Those who do not cross this river become “wandering ghosts.” They remain
restless in the world of the living and are considered hostile to the living.
The roles that ancestors play generate a mixture of respect, filial love, fear, and
reliance in their descendents. The latter perform various rituals of communication,
communion, appreciation, remembrance, and consultation so as to be in harmonious
relationship with the ancestors. The rituals involve libation prayers, offerings, animal
sacrifices and festivals, as illustrated by, for example, the Adae Festival of the Akan of
Ghana.
The rituals performed for the ancestors have led to a debate as to whether they are
simply venerated, or actually worshipped. Peter Sarpong (1970) and Fashole-Luke (1980)
argue that they are only venerated and not worshiped. Others (Sawyer 1966, Pobee 1979,
66) argue that though pietistic adoration may not be strong in rituals directed at the
ancestors, many of the elements of ancestral rites are not different from those accorded to
the gods or God. Bolaji Idowu (1973, 180) has also argued that the notions of veneration
and worship are psychologically too close for a distinction to be made in the case of the
ancestors. Moreover, some ancestors are apotheosized into gods, as is particularly the
case among the Yoruba of Nigeria. Among the Mende of Sierra Leone, the Supreme
Being is regarded as the great ancestor. It is therefore difficult to rule out the fact that the
ancestors enjoy a level of worship and rituals pertaining to them that go beyond
veneration.
It seems that insistence that the ancestors are venerated and not worshipped involves a
level of apologetics that seeks to make them comparable to saints, so as to make them
acceptable in a Christian context. This, however, involves imposing a Christian and
Western template which insists that “only God deserves worship.” The position of West
African traditional religions would be that “only God deserves ultimate worship.” In that
case, the ancestors may be accurately seen as receiving veneration and a degree of
worship in traditional West African religion.
References
Dovlo, Elom. 1993. Ancestors and Soteriology in African and Japanese Religions. Studies in
Interreligious Dialogue 3, no. 1:48–57.
Dzobo, N. Values in a Changing Society: Man, Ancestors, and God. In Person and Community,
eds. Kwasi Wiredu and Kwame Gyekye. Washington, D.C.: The Council for Research into
Values and Philosophy.