Divinities are gods who emanated from Supreme Deity. They have attributes of the Supreme Being and are in essence His offspring. These divinities render service to the theocratic government of the world.

Divinities in African Traditional Religion

Categories of the Divinities

They can be divided into three categories based on their positions, functions and influence.

1. The Primordial Divinities

These are believed to be the divinities of heaven. They are believed to be in existence with the Supreme Being before the creation of the universe. They usually thought of as parking in the work of creation.

2. Deified Ancestors

These are human beings who are deified because of the extraordinary live they have lived.

3. Personification of Nature and Phenomena

These groups of divinities are spirits associated with hills, mountains, rivers, lakes or thick forest. Whatever is considered the abode of spirits becomes a sacred place.

Positions and Duties of the Divinities

The divinities have responsibilities. They are ministers with portfolios in the theocratic government of God. The belief is that God has delegated authority to them. They are intermediaries. People worship God through them. They are worshipped daily through sacrifices. They have temples, shrines, priests, priestesses and devotees. They are also semi-autonomous agents. Each of them is the executive head of his department. Their adherents see them as a means to an end and not an end in themselves.

Worship of divinities

Worship is an expression of man’s attitude towards God and other spiritual beings. It is an act of communication and communion between man and the supernatural world. It is a means of strengthening the cord of relationship between God and man and a mean so restoring broken communion as a result of sin.

Worship can be regular or occasional. There are also daily worships to adore God for his protection. The adoration is offered along new requests. It is not always flamboyant when compared with the communal one.

People can worship under special arrangements. Preparations are made in line with the need of the occasion. The nature of such worship depends on the prescription of the oracle. The annual festival observed in honour of each divinity is very elaborate and in characterized with merriment.

Objects of worship

Each divinity has his or her specific sacred objects which can either be symbols or emblems. The symbols are usually the anthropomorphic images of the divinity while the emblems can be sacred objects set aside as visual representations. The emblems are however kept out of profane gaze and must not be touched by ordinary persons. They are mostly kept in the temple or shrines where the priest and priestesses take care of them daily.

centreforelites

Recent Posts

Format for Literature Review Article for Publication

Introduction The literature review is a crucial component of scholarly research, serving not only to… Read More

4 days ago

Teachers’ Level of Understanding of Inclusive Education on Their Efficacy in the Inclusive Early Childhood Education Delivery

Teachers’ Level of Understanding of Inclusive Education on Their Efficacy in the Inclusive Early Childhood… Read More

2 weeks ago

The Concept of Staffing: An In-Depth Exploration

Staffing is a fundamental aspect of organizational management that plays a critical role in determining… Read More

2 weeks ago

Distinction between Curriculum and Other Related Terminologies

Curriculum and Syllabus Most often people tend to equate the word “syllabus” with Curriculum”. This… Read More

2 weeks ago

Growing Up: What Does Religion Say?

This blog post aims to explore the perspectives of various religious traditions on the experience… Read More

2 weeks ago

Exploring the Types of Curricula Applied In Education

There are so many types of curricula. Understanding the different types of curricula is important… Read More

3 weeks ago