African Traditional Beliefs, Practices and Ideas

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This paper endorses the perspective that philosophical ideas emerge from and are intimately intertwined with cultural practices. Things and feelings that shape peoples and communities over time (Morgan 2012) by forming a foundation and lens through which people interpret the world. Using the tangible illustrations of the Dipo ceremony, a typical Ghanaian funeral, the Homowo festival and the film “I told you so”, I uncover and bring to light some African ideas present in these practices, things and feelings in greater appreciation of African Philosophy.

The Dipo ceremony is celebrated in the month of April by the people of Manya and Yilo Krobo in Odumase and Somanya, in the Eastern Region of Ghana. It is an initiation ceremony that marks the passage of girls into womanhood and during this event the African Traditional beliefs in Spirits and divinities become very apparent. Spirits are believed to be powers which are immaterial and incorporeal beings (The Structure of African Traditional Religion, 1973). These beings are believed to have the ability to inhabit anything including rocks, mountains, forests, water bodies and generally natural objects. Before the puberty rights commence, there is an announcement by the divinity Nana Kloweki, the Earth goddess for girls of puberty age to participate in the rites. During the rites, there is a sacred and holy stone that the initiates are required to sit on three times in their shrine. The stone is believed to have a detective spirit which would glue a pregnant girl to it as she sits as proof of her pregnancy. In addition, the initiates’ spirits are contacted to explain the type of initiation rites they would want to have with certain specifications before any rite is undertaken and this...

... middle of paper ...

...rom http://munin.uit.no/bitstream/handle/10037/2673/thesis.pdf?sequence=2

Egbert Adjeso, K. Y. (Director). (1970). I told you so [Motion Picture].

Gyekye, K. (1996). Ancestorship and Tradition. In K. Gyekye, African Cultural Values: An introduction (pp. 161-167). Sankofa Publishing Company.

Gyekye, K. (1996). Communal and Individualistic Values. In K. Gyekye, African Cultural Values: An introduction (pp. 35-51). Sankofa Publishing Company.

Gyekye, K. (1996). The Family. In K. Gyekye, African Cultural Values: An Introduction. Sankofa Publishing Comapny.

Quartey-Papafio., A. (2014, March 10). Homowo Festival. Retrieved from GhanaWeb: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/tribes/homowo_festival.php

The Structure of African Traditional Religion. (1973). In E. B. Idowu, The Strucure Of African Traditional Religion: A definition (pp. 137-178). Africa: Orbis Books.

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