Who Are The Ancestors?
A Critical Reflection on the nature and character of Ancestors
from the standpoint of Igbo philosophy
Being a Paper presented by Nwanyanwu Christopher C. on the
occasion of the meeting of the 2008/2009 set of St. Mary’s Propadeutic Seminary
Azumini, (Umuchukwu) held at the residence of Nwankwo Stephen on Tuesday 3rd
September, 2013.
The Host,
And all invited guest Present.
I greet you most sincerely!
Permit me to start by thanking my Primus Ugwubueze Boniface for giving
me this opportunity to present this paper on behalf of the Bodija Campus on
this occasion of our meeting. I just beg you to lend me your attention as we go
through this paper together.
INTRODUCTION
The concept of “Ancestors” as understood by the Igbo as “Ndi Nnanna” is
very common in the life of the Igbo who uses it to refer to the “living dead”
who exist in the spiritual world and still bear influence on the material
world. However, the Igbo understanding of the ancestors poses some challenges.
First, the description of the ancestors as “Ndi Nnanna” poses the challenge of
understanding the real gender status of the ancestors (if actually there is). Secondly,
there is the challenge of the real identity/character of the ancestors. Furthermore,
a derivative of this second challenge is the question of the moral status of
the life of ancestors. To initiate, launch and briefly discuss these challenges become the task of this work.
THE USE OF
“NDI NNANNA” AS ANCESTORS
The Igbo refers to their ancestors as “Ndi Nnanna” which have for a very
long time formed part of their language. However, the syntax of that expression
poses a challenge of the gender status of the ancestors in Igbo metaphysics. A syntactic
study of this expression will help us better.
“Nnanna” is a combination of double “nna”
“Nna” means “father” which mostly means the male
progenitor of a child or thing“NnaNna” means “Grandfather” which means the penultimate person in progenitorial trajectory
“Ndi Nnanna” means those people in progenitorial trajectory down to its terminus
(forefathers).[1]
The use of this concept “Ndi
Nnanna” for ancestors is perhaps drawn from the fact that these forefathers
have qualified to be ancestors by the moral status of their lives while on
earth.
However, the use of forefathers “Ndi
Nnanna” as ancestors literally excludes the presence of mothers in the
ancestral cycle, for mothers in the Igbo language is “Ndi nne”. If we undergo a syntactic study of “Ndi nne” in the same manner above, we shall have “Ndi nnenne” as possessing similar
characteristics with “Ndi Nnanna” but
lacking admittance into the ancestral cycle due to the Igbo single and simple description
of ancestors as “Ndi Nnanna”.
Hence, the questions that make up this first challenge are:
1. Are the ancestors only males/forefathers?
2. Are women excluded in the ancestral cycle from the Igbo understanding?
3. If the answer to the second question is in the affirmative, what then is
the reason/idea behind it?
4. If the answer to the second question is in the negative, why the use of
a discriminating/exclusive terminology for the ancestors in Igbo language?
Furthermore, a derivative from the above understanding of the ancestors
as forefathers is the question of the actual character of the ancestors. The
driving question here is: what really makes up an ancestor?
In addition to the above is the question of the moral status of activities
of the ancestors in the spiritual world and the physical world. This is
consequent upon the fact that these ancestors are invoked upon to fight for
their families/people even against other families whose ancestors will equally
fight for them.
These challenges which focus on the nature and character of the
ancestors shall occupy our further discussion. Perhaps an understanding of the
meaning of ancestors shall help us in this philosophical discussion.
ANCESTORS: MEANING, NATURE AND CHARACTER.
Ancestors
are the living dead. The life of the ancestor is the continuation of life after
death and it succinctly explains the African belief in the idea of immortality.
The ancestors live in the land of the spirits or the ancestral world. From there
they care for their families still living here on earth. And from here too they
reincarnate.[2] The idea
of an eternal transcendent space is co-joined with the idea of corporeality to
arrive at an idea of the living dead, land of the spirits or the ancestors.[3]
Ancestral spirits exist in big numbers and play important roles of protecting
and caring for their kith and kin. Not all forebears can have the same influence on the fate of the living.
A significant ancestor is the one who enjoyed a high social status during his
life, so he was the chief of a lineage or a clan, a renowned specialist or a
ruler.
The cult of ancestors is therefore rooted in the relations and
institutions of household community, kinship and descent.[4] The
respect and value given to the ancestors gave rise to ancestral worship.[5]
Ancestor Worship is the reverence
granted to deceased relatives who are believed to have become powerful
spiritual beings or, less frequently, to have attained the status of communion
with the gods. It is based on the belief that ancestors are active members of
society and are still interested in the affairs of their living relatives.[6]
Hence, the Igbo man pours wine of oblation to the ancestral spirits every
morning; in thanksgiving for favours received and in petition for more favours.
The
cult of ancestors is common among Africans. Ancestors are believed to wield
great authority, having special powers to influence the course of events or to
control the well-being of their living relatives.[7]
Protection of the family is one of their main concerns. They are considered
intermediaries between the supreme god, or the gods, and the people, and can
communicate with the living through dreams and by possession.[8]
The attitude towards them is one of mixed fear and reverence. If neglected, the
ancestors may cause disease and other misfortunes. Propitiation, supplication,
prayer, and sacrifice are various ways in which the living can communicate with
their ancestors. Ancestor worship is a strong indication of the value placed on
the household and of the strong ties that exist between the past and the
present.
With this value of the Ancestors, the
African is specially trilled to become an ancestor. Hence, every normal Igbo
longs to join the ancestral world after his life to commune with his forebears
in a happy continued existence.[9]
Some
people hold the view that one becomes an ancestor immediately after death if
and only if he lived a very good life on earth; for while the evil men will
reincarnate into lower animals at death as a punishment, one becomes an
ancestor as a reward of the goodness of his life on earth.[10]
Having
given a concise understanding of the ancestors perhaps from a universal point
of view which may not be dissimilar to that of the Igbo, it therefore sets a
background to critically reflect on those challenges that confront it in Igbo
Philosophy.
The three controversial issues here are:
1. What
is the gender status of the ancestors?
2. What are
the characteristics of an ancestor?
3. What
is the moral status of the life and activities of the ancestors?
As we noted in the preceding discussions, the question of the gender status of the ancestors is couched in the following questions namely?
1. Are the ancestors only males/forefathers?
2. Are women excluded in the ancestral cycle from the Igbo understanding?
3. If the answer to the second question is in the affirmative, what then is
the reason/idea behind it?
4. If the answer to the second question is in the negative, why the use of
a discriminating/exclusive terminology for the ancestors in Igbo language?
The
Igbo term for ancestors “Ndi Nnanna” as we discussed above excludes the female folk from
the ancestral cycle. This is because that term strictly refers to
“forefathers”. Both English and Igbo meanings of the ancestors do not give any
information concerning the belongingness of the foremothers to the ancestral
cycle. Hence we ask: are the ancestors only the forefathers?
Many cultural traditions even biblical tradition hold the men in high
esteem. Not only do these traditions give possession of wisdom primarily to the
fathers, they also refer to them as the stronger sex. In addition, biology has
in one way or the other portrayed males as stronger than females and
traditional cultures have always believed this fact based on what experiences
have shown.[11] Also, because males have always participated
in most strenuous human activities like wars (as soldiers/warriors) coupled
with the different expectations of the society from the male world in all its
ramifications, it is believed that they will possess the same character and
more of it in the world beyond. This could be a reason why the forefathers are
taken to be the ancestors. At least, they will always fight for and protect
their people living in the physical world especially when they are called upon.[12]
However,
if we are to conclude from the above with the reasons of wisdom, might and
natural prowess that women are excluded from the folk of ancestors, are we
saying that these are genuine reasons why the women are excluded from the
ancestral cycle?[13] Were
they to be genuine, are we saying that there were no women who possessed such
qualities of wisdom, might, prowess on earth in such a way that they can still
be beckoned to after their death? Or do we say that because such women are so
few compared to the men, they are excluded from the ancestral cycle? If we hold
to these points, we may face a controversy on the criterion for determining
possession of wisdom, might and prowess. Secondly, the issue of number/quantity
may cause another controversy.
In
addition, we may say that perhaps women are excluded because they may not be
powerful after death as much as to intervene with the affairs of the living.[14]
Or better still, we may say that the women are not really significant in the
cult of ancestors; for a significant ancestor is the one who enjoyed a high social
status during his life, as he was the chief of a lineage or a clan, a renowned
specialist or a ruler.[15]
From the
foregoing however, we may conclude that it is not the case that women are not
part of the ancestral cult neither were they unrecognised. It is just that the
men who participated the more in social life were more significant on earth and
in the ancestral cult. Besides too, ancestors are the dead relatives; and
relatives here comprise of the men and women. Among the Konkomba only elderly people (both men and
women) – because of their age, social status and offspring – can reach the
status of ancestors after death.[16]
With
these and other reasons, we may come to a brief halt to say that women are part
of the ancestral cult. This interim conclusion settles the first three
questions about the gender status of the ancestors.
On
the issue of the fourth question which is consequent upon the above interim
conclusion, why do we use the term “Ndi Nnanna” to refer to the ancestors, where as this term excludes
the women folk as our analysis above have shown? Do we say that it was because
the men were more significant than the women? Or was it because of the nature
of the Igbo language then? Or do we say that the term best couches the meaning
of ancestors in Igbo language? What then do we present as the possible reason
for the choice and continuous use of such a term for ancestors in Igbo land? Of
course we cannot say that the term includes the women folk.
An attempt to agree with the first proposition may bring up the question
of the paradigm of significance of life and also the problem of gender
inequality in the traditional society. Who knows what this attempt will generate
if stretched further?
If we say that it was due to the nature of the Igbo language then, we
may be close to the end of the tunnel. For it will imply that the Igbo language
will be revised and revisited towards its improvement. Perhaps, this will
denote an improvement of the present term for ancestors in Igbo land.
To choose the third suggestion which says that the term best couches the
meaning of ancestors may raise the eyebrows of young feminist African (Igbo)
Philosophers. The debate on this is better imagined than allowed the being of reality.
Richard
Rorty says that philosophy should keep the conversation going. I cannot say
that I have exhausted all there is about the gender status of the ancestors
from the Igbo perspective. But permit me to say that I shall briefly rest my case on the question of
the gender status of the ancestors upon the three last propositions.[17]
I am very subject to criticisms in all my ideas as I want to grow and know more
about the ancestors especially from the Igbo perspective.
WHAT ARE THE
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ANCESTOR?
The
ancestors are the dead relatives who have influence on the lives of their
living relatives as they intervene in their lives especially towards their
good. The ancestors are the living dead as described by Mbiti. By this
description and by the virtue of their being spiritual beings, it presupposes
that ancestors must have passed through death. Hence, death is the first
characteristic of an ancestor.
In
addition to death, another quality of the ancestors is the accordance of full
burial rites.[18] The
belief is that not only will the supposed ancestor be unhappy with his living
relations if full burial rites were not accorded; he/she may equally refuse
their supplication and may inflict harm on them. This is traceable to the fact
that in some Igbo communities before a girl is married out whose late
father/parent was not buried accordingly as the custom of the land demands, the
prospective husband must first of all enhance and organise the accordance of
the full burial rites of the dead father of the prospective wife before going
ahead with the marriage.[19]
Consequently,
death which is the passage from this life is one of the characteristics of the
ancestors. But does it mean that anyone who dies becomes an ancestor? This
question is very pertinent given the case that every calibre of people die:
foetus, babies, children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. And so the
question remains vital since there ought to be an adequate clarification on
which level of death is required for the beingness of an ancestor and it is not
the case that death itself is a sufficient condition for “ancestorship”.
It is
an undeniable fact that death is a requirement for one to become an ancestor
but not just any stage/level of death but death
at an old age. Death at old age is what makes an ancestor as the Igbo
believe. This is the case because only the elderly who die can be full of
wisdom to guide and direct the living from the land of the spirits. In support
of this Igbo belief, Henryk Zimon has this to say:
Death itself is not a sufficient condition to reach
the status of an ancestor. Among many African communities it is necessary to
start a family and have children. Among the Konkomba only elderly people (both
men and women) – because of their age, social status and offspring – can reach
the status of ancestors after death.[20]
Stressing the fact that it is only the elderly who die becomes an ancestor, Menkiti avers “…through the
years of adulthood, there will be other acknowledgements, through ceremony, of
other important transitions such as marriage, the producing of children, the
taking of titles, etc. Finally, there will arrive old age and elderhood, and,
after elderhood, ancestorhood.”[21]
In support of the position that only the elderly or the aged who die
becomes ancestors, Festus Agbara has this to say:
Ancestors
are only those who die after an old age on earth. It is not the case that
anybody who dies becomes an ancestor but only those who have attained an old
age before they die. Also, significant ancestors are only those who were
significant while on earth and who are remembered on such basis by his living
descendants and peoples.[22]
From the above response, we have a sort of added information about the
character of the ancestors, which is the quality of being remembered by the
living. This is because only the ancestors who are remembered are often called
upon by name during supplication, whereas those who have been forgotten are
commonly addressed.[23]
This is equally expressed in the poem Songs of Sorrow when the poet said “Dzogbere Lisa has treated me
thus… and Kpeti’s great household is no more… Agosu if you go tell them, tell
Nyidevu, Kpeti, and Kove, that they have done us evil…”[24]
With
the foregoing we can say that death,
full burial rites and elderhood are conditions for being an ancestor.[25]
But are these conditions sufficient? We question the sufficiency of these
conditions given the case that we are at crossroads as to whether both the good
and evil charactered dead elders belong to the ancestral cult. Do we say that
all the dead elders who were either of good or evil life while on earth belong
to the cult of the ancestors?
This
question becomes a provisional terminus for the second part of our task on the character
of the ancestors. At this same time, it becomes a prelude to the third part of
this work which has to do with the moral status of the life and activities of
the ancestors.
THE MORAL
STATUS OF THE LIFE AND ACTIVITIES OF THE ANCESTORS
The
ancestors are the dead relatives who influence the life of their loved ones
still living in the material/physical world. As former human beings (in the
sense of those who lived on earth in the past), they still carry on with their
quality of life while on earth in the land of the dead. As such, they are both
good and bad depending on the life of each person. This is the case because we
have those ancestors whose lives on earth as testified to by the living were
good and those of them whose lives were of the reverse. The Igbo believe that
death does not change the life of anyone. So what one is/was on earth, he/she
continues in the land of the dead.
Moreover,
the lives of the ancestors are often used as references in relation to the
lives of the living relatives. This is the case when one is either encouraged
or condemned in his way of life in reference to the life of the ancestors.
Commenting on this issue, Festus Agbara said “when one is misbehaving in the
society, sometimes it is traced to the ancestors and vice versa. This is
because we believe that some quality of life of an ancestor is reflected
through the genes in the life of the living descendant.”[26]
Furthermore,
in some cases, the way one lives is similar to the way the ancestor lived. This
is perhaps one of the reasons in the belief in reincarnation. Reincarnation
involves a return, after death, of a human person to continue his or her
earthly existence. The belief is that this reincarnated person is coming back
to complete the mission he or she was assigned to by the Supreme Being. In most
cases, the reincarnated person shows concrete signs of his or her former
person. This is significant in the bodily marks, discernable character and
personality traits and the ability even to remember events in previous life.
More
still, the ancestors are invoked upon by their relatives for what they are
known for; the good are called for the good and the evil are equally beckoned
for what they know best. However, those ancestors who are communally called
upon are only those who have lived a good life on earth while those ancestors
invoked for evil are beckoned secretly/privately.
Consequent
upon the foregoing stand on the moral status of the ancestors, we can say that
the quality of life is not a condition for being recognised as an ancestor.
IGBO ANCESTORS
AND THE SAINTS IN CATHOLIC TRADITION
The
Christian/Catholic understanding of the saints is entirely different from that
of the understanding of the ancestors from the Igbo perspective. However,
similarities between them abound.
The
saints in the Catholic tradition are those who lead an exceptional good life
here on earth and have been rewarded with heavenly abode and are capable of
interceding for those who call upon them. These saints come from every stage of
life, children, teenagers, adults, old/aged. This is one striking difference between the ancestors and the saints; for
while death at old age is a condition for being an ancestor, anyone whose life
was exceptional while on earth regardless of age can be saint (of course in
line with the church’s tradition).
Another
difference between the ancestors and the saints is that while exceptional
moral/good life while on earth is a condition for being a saint, it is not the
case with ancestors, as we have both the good and evil ancestors.
However,
the Igbo understanding of the ancestors and the understanding of the saints in
Catholic tradition share some similarities. The ancestors and saints are
capable of interceding for those who call upon them. Due to their good lives
while on earth, they serve as role models and are used to teach and instruct the
living. Of course, they have all departed from this life and are enjoying
perfect peace in the life beyond. Hence, the ancestors and the saints are
venerated by the living.
To these
similarities, Blessed Pope John Paul II said:
It
is precisely this love for life that leads them to give such great importance
to the veneration of their ancestors. They believe intuitively that the dead
continue to live and remain in communion with them. Is this not in some way a preparation for belief in the Communion of
the Saints?[27]
CONCLUSION
At the terminus of this discussion, it is pertinent to highlight our
concerns. The first concern is the question of the gender status of the
ancestors. Secondly, we have the concern of the characteristics of the
ancestors. Lastly, we have the question of the moral status of the life of the
ancestors.
Based on our earlier discussion, the ancestors are forefathers and
foremothers. But those who were significant while on earth are mostly
recognised. However, the Igbo description of the ancestors as “Ndi Nnanna” is standing by for
revision through Igbo Philosophy of Language. This becomes perhaps a better
option than the other options.
The characteristics of an ancestor include death/death at old age,
accordance of full burial rites, and significant social life.
On the issue of the moral status of the life of the ancestors, we
conclude that morality is not a condition for becoming an ancestor. Based on
this, the Igbo understanding of ancestors remains different from the
understanding of saints in the Christian/Catholic tradition. However, they both
share some similarities.
Knowledge can never be absolute as not to have room for improvement.
What I have done here is an addition to what we know about ancestors especially
from the Igbo understanding. It remains very open to further discussion in
terms of review and appraisal. Asouzu, Innocent. The Method and Principles of Complementary Reflection in and beyond African Philosophy. Calabar: University of Calabar Press, 2004.
Guiley, Rosemary. The Encyclopedia
of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca. Third Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008.
Ibitola, A.O. Essential Literature-in-English for Senior
Secondary Schools. Lagos: Tonad Publishers
Limited, 2005.
Iroegbu,
Pantaleon. Metaphysics: The Kpim of
Philosophy. Owerri: International Universities Press LTD, 1995.
Killam, Douglas. and Kerfoot, Alicia. Student Encyclopedia of African Literature. London: Greenwood Press, 2008.
Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.
Pope
John Paul II, Ecclesia in Africa, 14th
September, 1995.
Shutte,
Augustine. Philosophy for Africa. Cape
Town: University of Cape Town Press, 1993.
Wiredu, Kwasi. A Companion to African Philosophy.USA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2004.
Zimon, Henryk.
African spiritual and religious
values as the basis for interreligious dialogue.
PDF material.
[1]Sometimes, the Igbo term for ancestors is “Ndi Nnanna nna anyi ha”. This is noticed when it is used in the
flow of discussion about the ancestors. This new term adds new meaning to what
we have here as it conditions the ancestral cycle to start from the 3rd
or 4th generation of a people. (Response from Rev. Fr. Dr. William
Onwundi during my discussion with him on the nature of the ancestors on 26th
July, 2013)
[2]
Pantaleon Iroegbu, Metaphysics: The Kpim
of Philosophy, (Owerri: International Universities Press LTD, 1995), p.341
[3] Innocent I. Asouzu, The Method and Principles of Complementary
Reflection in and beyond African Philosophy. (Calabar:
University of Calabar Press, 2004),
p.168.
[4] Cf.Henryk Zimon, African spiritual and religious values as
the basis for interreligious dialogue. Pdf material.
[5] By worship we mean reverence;
for Wiredu has argued that ancestors are not worshipped as if they are gods but
are only reverenced. Cf. Ifeanyi A.
Menkiti, “On the Normative Conception of A Person” in Kwasi Wiredu, A Companion to African Philosophy, (USA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2004), p.327.
[6]Saliba, John A. "Ancestor Worship." Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond,
WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.
[7]Cf. Rosemary Ellen Guiley, The
Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and wicca. Third Edition, (New York:
Facts On File, Inc., 2008), p.4.
[8] Cf. Augustine
Shutte, Philosophy for Africa, (Cape
Town: University of Cape Town Press, 1993), p.26.
[9] Pantaleon
Iroegbu, Op. Cit., p.341.
[10] This idea remains very
contestable given the fact that many Igbo communities hold that morality is not
a quality for becoming an ancestor rather death at an old age. It is good to
add here that this idea of morality is brought up by the influence of the
Christian/Catholic idea of sainthood, as if the ancestors are synonymous with
the saints in Christian Tradition. However, this is not the case. Further and
brief discussion on this forms a latter part of this work.
[11] Although this is the predominant
thought, this belief is gradually eroding away as women and recent experiences
have come to contradict this belief.
[12] Cf. Douglas Killam
and Alicia L. Kerfoot, Student
Encyclopedia of African Literature,(London: Greenwood Press, 2008), p.150
[13] The women referred to here are
the foremothers.
[14] Although, we may take this
point, it is still subject to serious questioning and controversy.
[15] To hold unto this point
tenaciously is to infer that there were no women and there will be no woman who
can share from such attributes. I said “there will be no woman” because the
cult of ancestors will continue to grow as much as people who die were of an
old age on earth.
[17] I intend to come back to it at
the end of my complete discussion about the ancestors.
[18] http://unilorin.edu.ng/publications/Alamu, A.G/ The Place of the African
Ancestors in the Age of Modernity.
[19]
This was exactly the case
with the marriage ceremony of my cousin Bernadette Onyeizu in 2006.
[22] Response given by Mr. Festus
Agbara of St Peter Claver Parish Umueleghe during a brief discussion with him
about the ancestors from the Igbo understanding on Friday 16th
August, 2013.
[23]
Ibid.
[24]
Kofi Awoonor, “Song of
Sorrow I&II”, in Ibitola A.O, Essential Literature-in-English for Senior
Secondary Schools, (Lagos: Tonad Publishers Limited, 2005), pp. 197-198.
[25]
It is worthy of note to add
here that these conditions are natural as against acquired attributes.
[26]
Festus Agbara, Op. Cit.
[27]
Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia in Africa. No. 43.
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