1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of Study
Dopamu (1985), argues that ever before the Europeans found themselves in Africa, Africans had their ways of life regarding their cultures, religious beliefs and practices, medical systems and other areas of life… He equally submit that even till today when the whole of Africa has equally been infiltrated by western culture and systems, the fact remains that African age old systems still persist enduringly (Dopamu 1985). In similar but different dimension Olupona (1990), opines that the nature of sacrifice cum ritual and its place in any belief system has always been a central theme of discussion among many scholars especially historians of religion. Mary Douglas, a British anthropologist, describes ritual as a viable means of communication (Douglas 1970). While another anthropologist Victor Turner described sacrifice as formal behavior prescribed for occasions not given over to technological routine that have reference to belief in mystical beings or power (Turner 1967).
According to Anyanwu (1999), the African, just like any other person easily perceives his imperfection, having seen the mysteries embedded in the world, the world order, and perhaps its hostile nature in human. Consequently, the idea of a supreme being who is responsible for the wonders of creation and the world order as a whole was concerned. Phenomena like; birth, life, death, day and right, natural disasters, rain and sunshine, are all enigmative to the human mind, since he cannot provide anysacrifice explanation to them. This is the origin of African traditional religion, which professes the existence of this Supreme Being, whom man tries to reach through the intermediaries of lesser deities and ancestors.
For Metu (1988), African Traditional religion is strictly linked with rituals, which are expressed in sacrifice, since it is only in sacrifice that the Supreme Being is reached and the gods and lesser divinities, appeased for man’s peaceful existence in the world. Ritual sacrifices, therefore are performed for purification, oath taking, prayer, medicine, cure or healing, increased fertility, defeat of enemies, changing of peoples destinies, warding off evil, revealing the future and so on sacrifices are also offered during festivals, and consecration of the living. Awolalu and Dopamu (1979), identify seven categories of sacrifice to include; meal and drink offering, thanksgiving or gift offering, votive offering, propitiation or expiation offering, substitutionary sacrifices or offering, preventive and foundation sacrifice.
Sacrifice is important to any religion and Igbo traditional religion in particular. In every community, sacrifice is used as a means for the individual or society to commune with spiritual beings. In the Igbo traditional society, we believe these beings have power to sustain and destroy, a good reciprocal relationship with them is beneficial to man making sacrifice important to the religious and social life of the Igbos. Sacrifice is also used to counteract the powers of destruction and evil spirit. To understand the significance of sacrifice, one has to put into consideration the Igbo cosmology, sacrificial types, rites, essence, purpose of sacrifice in Igbo traditional society compared to other living religions and its future in the modern Igbo society.
1.2 Statement of Problems
Today there are many misceptions about the concept of sacrifice in Igbo society even among the Igbos. An average Igbo youth especially people who live outside the Igbo traditional community develop their idea of sacrifice as evil, diabolic and human acts that should be done away with and practiced by evil people. The Igbos are often associated with the evil act of blood money, cannibalism, human sacrifice and osu discrimination. The problem is to know the real native of sacrifice in Igbo society and its contribution in sustaining the Igbo traditional society. In other to correct the misconception and portray sacrifice not only as an important religious liturgical act but also significant in the individual and the society in almost all spheres of life.
1.3 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to investigate the concepts of sacrifice in the Igbo land traditional religion, Nigeria. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To examine the factors militating Sacrifice in the Igbo Land Traditional Religion
- To find out how Sacrifice is been carried out in the Igbo Land Traditional Religion
1.4 Significance of Study
The following are the relevance of the research work which are stated as follows:
- To provide a detailed Igbo traditional concept of sacrifice.
- To know the role of sacrifice in the society, giving recommendations and unbiased analysis
- To distinguish the positive and negative aspect of sacrifice in the society and the individuals.
- Also to know the roles of sacrifice to the contemporatly traditional Igbo society.
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.5 Scope of Study
This study concerns about the concepts of sacrifice in the Igbo land traditional religion, Nigeria.
1.6 Limitations of the Study
There is no study undertaken by a researcher that is perfect. The imperfection of any research is always due to some factors negatively affecting a researcher in the course of carrying out research. Therefore, time constraint has shown no mercy to the research. The limited time has to be shared among many alternative uses, which includes reading, attending lectures and writing of this research, also distance and its attendant costs of travelling to obtain information which may enhance the writing of this study was a major limitation.
1.7 Research Methodology
In this study, the researcher will make use of personal (individual) interview as well as questionnaire in the collection of data. Literary works, field studies oral literature and also the dictionary and encyclopaedia used for definition and clarification of terms. Newspapers observations would be used to know the social and public opinions. Also primary instruments like library materials and other documents would be used as research tools.
1.8 Clarification of Terms
The followings concept shall be clarified for proper understanding of this work. Though all researchers agree on the centrality and importance of sacrifice in the religious life and practices of African traditional peoples. Authors differs when it comes to the definition of sacrifice, though they do not necessarily always conflict each necessarily always conflict each other there we shall consider the different views on the definition of sacrifice. The encyclopaedia of religion and ethics defines sacrifice as “a rite in the forfeited or destroyed, its object being to establish relations between a source of spiritual strength and one in need of such spiritual strength for the benefit of the latter. Its also seen as a means of establishing and maintaining good relationship between two worlds, the worlds of spiritual strength and spiritual weakness.James has tried to defined sacrifice in terms of its purpose according to him as quoted by Awolalu, sacrifice involve the destruction of a victim for the purpose of maintaining or restoring a right relationship of man to the sacred order. For Ted Nelson Adjakpey, writing about the Ghanian-Ewe, sacrifice is the act of offering something to deity as an expression and manifestation of one’s total dependence an that deity (James 1933) regards sacrifice as a means of giving life to have life. E.B. Taylor says sacrifice serves as a means of bribing the gods or paying homage to them the same way men pay homage to overlords. Westermack sees sacrifice as a means of providing food for the gods to encourage them to be kind to men to bestow blessing and avert danger. This work will view sacrifice from the religious perspective to mean the giving of animate or inanimate object and internal devotion to spiritual being beloved to exist for a particular purpose, essence and forms of expression petition considering the Igbo world view in particular which we sacrifice as a form of reciprocal relations with the divine.
SACRIFICE AND RECONCILATION
The centrality of sacrifice and reconciliation is not only peculiar to African traditional religion alone but is observed in other religions. Before we now move to the understanding of reconciliation in African traditional religion, let me quickly note here that sacrifice is closely tied to reconciliation, in fact the two are bed fellows. Reconciliation can therefore be described as a situation in which a person accepts or realise his guilt for an offence against a deity and then undertakes to perform the prescribed rites of propitiating the offended deity as atonement for the sin. In practical terms reconciliation is viewed in cultural traditions as peace and the return to a share of harmony, manifested in a person’s interior and exterior state of being and devoid of harsh or rough conditions living. In Igbo tradition, sacrifices and reconciliation rites are directed towards the deities and in an indirect way, towards God.
SACRIFICES AND OFFERING
The two terms have been used interchangeably; authors have opined that sacrifice is a form of ritual and offerings. Mbiti is of the opinion that sacrifice involves destruction of life to present the victim in part or whole to the spirit offering, on the other hands do not involve killing or destruction rather a form of presentation of valued objects as a token of love and devotion. In this work, sacrifice offering and reconciliation will be used interchangeably to avoid confusion.
