Traditional African Religion is the indigenous and an ancient religion of the African communities before the introduction of other forms of exotic religions on the continent. It refers to the ancient belief system, norms, and practices which existed before the introduction of alien religions such as Christianity and Islam which millions of Africans identified with and adhered overtly. It is referred to as traditional because it used a technique of cultural transmission that was purely oral, no scriptural formation, such as stories, fables, myths, captions and proverbs to be passed from one generation to another. Beliefs, on the other hand, are passed on to posterity and descendants through songs, place of worship, folktales, and fete. Beliefs and traditions are therefore found in the social, political, and economic, which has largely influenced and shaped the character, society, and culture of Africans throughout centuries. Although other exotic religions have adversely changed ancient African religion over time, it still forms a foundation and anchor in times of crisis. Traditional African Religion provided an encompassing to its subjects and served as a rationale for their activities and therefore served as a way of life allowing society to place roles and responsibilities upon it.
There were various types of religious leaders, upon them where priests who were imbued with supernatural power and their skilled varied and addressed varying needs of a community. They were mainly responsible for the health and communal well being, most of them were medicine men or witch doctors (Falola, pg 15: 2000). African Traditional Religion, ATR guided nearly all activities of ancient African life where social or political. In the political dimension, ATR had traditional rulers who were assisted by family heads and council of elders was mandated to hold power and authority and ascended power through inheritance while the source of their power was believed to emanate from gods, spirits, and ancestors and whatever they did portray the divine will of their gods (Agbiji, & Swart, 2015). The rulers were mandated to assist in decision making and regulating activities through the intervention of one or more system of divination which accessed information not available ordinarily. Religious leaders were the ones who consulted gods to address calamities befallen to the community. Disastrous calamities such as the outbreak of pestiferous and epidemic diseases, floods and drought were highly dreaded and believed to be a form of punishment from gods. It was the role of religious leaders consults oracles for advice and endowment of fortunes after which they administered sacrifices at shrines to rid community off from the harm and damage. They also consulted gods and ancestors in an event of war to foretell the outcome and bestow blessings upon the warriors. Special ceremonies such as thanksgiving for success or good harvest were also conducted by such leaders and the ruler of the kingdom. Upon the demise of a ruler, the conferment of power, which was purely inherited, was the work of these religious leaders under the dictates and oaths of the ancestors. They were also mandated to exorcise evil spirits in a time of their manifestation. Rituals and rites such as initiation and birth ceremonies were highly valued since children belonged to the community and thus such ceremonies were done by the community, not an individual. Through divination individual or the entire society found solution and guidance for the future (Diawuo, & Issifu, 2015). Traditional religious leaders were mediums of communication between the living, the living death, ancestors, and the gods. They believed that gods could communicate to them at a trance or by use of special tools to make interpretations such as the use of special shells, stones or animals. It was their mandated to carry out a social function in the society which included rituals and rites of passages such as birth, naming initiation, marriage, and death. The ceremonies which were being undertaken was binding and formed religious values and ethics which governed the family, society and the community. The most important role of religious leaders during the ancient time was education. They were the channels through which the culture was taught to a generation through special ceremonies which the community participated. These oral traditions were to be passed from generation to generation to avoid erosion of the culture. Oral tradition or rather oral lore was a form of communication where knowledge, art, artifacts, and ideas were preserved and passed through speech or song, chants, among other modes depending on a community
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During the colonial and post-colonial period, African religion took a different dimension. African culture was eroded and new religions were brought in. It is evident that African religion, compared to the new religion had so many differences. The African nation deemed a clueless or dark continent and indeed was clueless in many development issues. Their belief on linkages between living and ancestors, strong belief in evil, witchcraft, combats on the evil, augury, and ancient sacrificial brainwashed Africans. Ancient culture was savage and lacked any formation which could bring different communities together. Every community lived on its own, with its own culture and formation and viewed the rest as enemies. With the lack of education and knowledge in almost everything in development, it was hard for the continent to become civilized.
The ancient culture had barbaric and time-worn practices which not only harmed its subjects but also imprisoned. Practices such as forced early marriages and female genital mutilation were torturous and agonizing to a female child. Inherited leadership meant a dictator would rule forever and no chance is giving to other able leaders if they came from a different lineage. Children owned by community gave parenting a challenge and ruined ambitions of young people. With the lack of education and civilization, nearly all communal activities were marred with inefficiency. An example they could not bury the death, outbreak of epidemic diseases was seen as a punishment and the affected people could be evicted from the community instead of being treated. No social or health amenities, no advanced treatment equipment or medicine. They lacked equipment for agriculture and had no sophisticated knowledge on farming or preservation. Means of communication were wanting and no access roads and infrastructure meaning movement of goods and services was a nightmare. Communities had rivalry meaning they could not interact or trade together. Despite all these, not even one community knew or had a clue that their system had a problem or knew any alternative way of getting things done better. African set up was therefore clueless and dark. Colonization brought in civilization which was a form of enlightenment to African communities which lived in the dark
References
Agbiji, O. M., & Swart, I. (2015). Religion and social transformation in Africa: A critical and appreciative perspective. Scriptura , 114 , 1-20.
Diawuo, F., & Issifu, A. K. (2015). Exploring the African traditional belief systems in natural resource conservation and management in Ghana. The Journal of Pan African Studies , 8 (9), 115-131.
Falola, T. (Ed.). (2000). African cultures and societies before 1885 (Vol. 2). Carolina Academic Press.
