Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
pleasure or displeasure (eg in the form of bad weather, a bad harvest, or when a living
member of the family becomes sick). There are almost as many variations on the theme as
there are distinct cultural groups in West Africa. The Baoulé people of Côte d'Ivoire, for
example, believe in a parallel world to our own where parallel relatives can have an im-
portant influence over the 'real' world. Many traditional religions also hold that the an-
cestors are the real owners of the land and, while it can be enjoyed and used during the
lifetime of their descendants, it cannot be sold and must be cared for.
Communication with ancestors or deities may take the form of prayer, offerings (pos-
sibly with the assistance of a holy man, or occasionally a holy woman) or sacrifice.
Requests may include good health, bountiful harvests and numerous children. Many vil-
lage celebrations are held to ask for help from, or in honour of, ancestors and deities. The
Dogon people in Mali, for instance, have celebrations before planting (to ensure good
crops) and after harvest (to give thanks).
Muslims form a majority in The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Senegal and Sierra
Leone, and comprise 50% of the inhabitants of Burkina Faso and Nigeria. Only Cape Verde and Ghana
have Christian majorities.
A Central Deity?
Several traditional religions accept the existence of a supreme being or creator, alongside
spirits and deities. This being usually figures in creation myths and is considered too exal-
ted to be concerned with humans - see, for example, the Bobo people of Burkina Faso and
Mali. In many cultures, communication with the creator is possible only through lesser
deities or through the intercession of ancestors.
