Togo History (Part 1)
<—Go to Pre-Independence
History
Togolese practices, customs and beliefs.
The case of the Ewes. |
| Sedinawo Awusavodu |
| February 4th, 2004 |
| Togo has a multiplicity of ethnic groups. At least 40 ethnic
groups are clearly identifiable. Some of the Togolese customs,
traditions and beliefs have a common denominators among all the
ethnic groups, but differences among them out weight the
similarities, since each ethnic group has its own history, artistic
traditions, way of life and language. This article attempts to
describe some of the important practices, beliefs and customs among
the Ewes, the largest ethnic group in Togo. We will discuss such
themes as: gerontocracy, ancestral respect, the ancestral stool or
“Togbui Zikpui”, who an ancestor is, the sacredness of the earth,
taboos and superstitions. |
1. Gerontocracy |
Respect for age is a rule of thumb among the Ewes. The aged are
respected because they have the wisdom, for wisdom comes with age,
hence the adage: “Ametsitsi si nya le”: the aged is the reservoir of
wisdom. It is the aged that has traveled the long winding road of
life, full of obstacles and mixture of joy and sorrow. He is the
custodian of the culture of the society, who is, as it were, between
the world of the living and that of the departed, trying to meet the
claims of the living, while reconciling them with the expectations of
the departed ancestors, and relating both to the welfare of his clan
or lineage. He is the “book” or the “library” that our ancestors have
left with us. He, therefore, deserves respect, and members of his
clan always pray for him to live longer, so as to continue to
instruct, help, protect and heal them. This is why it is a sacrilege
to question the wisdom of the aged.
The aged or sages form the ruling class of the village. They keep
surveillance on the respect for taboos, offer sacrifices in times of
misfortune, perform rituals for the good of the community, get
together to plan projects for the progress and development of the
community or the clan. They are the accredited arbitrators in all
family problems, especially marital ones, disputes between siblings,
and land cases. They advice the youth whose behaviors are
questionable. It is only when problems are beyond their jurisdiction
that they are taken to the village chief. They are the councilors of
the chief. When an individual fails to respect the hierarchy by
bypassing them and taking the case directly to the village chief, the
sages of the clan can have the case referred back to them for
handling.
Among the sages, there are custodians of certain rituals and customs,
who are elected to these offices for life. When any of these sages or
custodians feels that he is nearing his end, he selects his
successor, who, with the approval of the clan, undergoes gradual
initiation for this privileged and responsible position. The passing
away of a sage or an aged, is, in most cases, like the burning of a
whole library, for more often than not, some of these sages, who
possess certain secrets are unwilling to pass them on to the younger
generation. The reason for this “intellectual egoism” stems usually
from the fact that the sages fear that the youth will not use the
secrets properly. If, therefore, the sage does not find a trustworthy
son or kin to confide the secrets to, he dies with them.
The secrets of the sages or aged lie mostly in their knowledge of
mystical powers of herbs or “amawo”. Herbs are endowed with mystical
powers which can be used to good or bad ends. Every herb has its
unique occult virtues. It has a common and a secret name.
The secret name “aheme nko” which is known only to the initiate,
holds the key to the mystical manifestation of the herb. The use of
the “aheme nko” sets certain vibrations into action which cause the
herb to produce the intended effects of the user: healing,
protection, destruction, prevention or warding off of ill-luck or
harm. A herb which can, for example, cure insanity, can as well cause
the same illness in people, depending on the intentions of the user.
A herb, which when placed on the roof of someone’s house will cause
the person to die as soon as the herb withers, can, with the proper
rituals, resuscitate a dead person. This is one of the reasons why
Africans in general pay special respects to theirs elders, for, when
they die, they enter the next world of the group of ancestors who
continue to exercise control over the living.
Respect for age transcends all aspects of the life of the Ewes. Even
among siblings, the younger sibling has no right on any occasion to
talk first on an issue in the presence of his/her elder brother or
sister unless the latter expressly gives him/her the permission to do
so. When anything is divided between or among siblings, the elder or
eldest must always be the first to pick his/her share. |
2. Ancestral Respect |
“The dead are not dead”; They continue to live in other forms.
Ewes believe strongly in the continuation of life after what is
commonly called death. Although Ewes have a word for death (“Ku”),
strictly speaking, the Ewe person thinks of death or dying as a form
of transition. He believes that the “living are constantly passing
into the ranks of the so-called dead and the so-called dead are
constantly returning to the ranks of the living by reincarnation”.
This leads him to believe that, when a family or a clan head dies, he
continues to live in “the other world” and continues to exercise his
role as a family or clan head over the living members of the clan or
family. He lives in the spirit world, and therefore, becomes a
guardian angel or spiritual protector of the whole family, clan or
lineage. This spirit world, according to the Ewes, is on this earth,
but it is quite a different world from that of the living. The
departed clan head’s dual role as protector and mediator, earns him a
very high and respected status.
The respect paid to ancestors leads many non Africans to think and
believe that Africans worship the departed ones. The expression
“ancestor worship” came to be associated with Africans as a result of
this ignorant belief. Africans do not worship their ancestors. They
pay tribute them. This tribute or respect or obeisance is paid to the
ancestors in accordance with traditional customs. The tradition of
pouring libation to ancestor before important events is one of the
symbols of the position of control and authority that ancestors
retain over the living. The pouring of libation is an invitation
extended to the ancestors to share in the activities to be
undertaken, since they are part and parcel of the living community.
The Ewes live with the spirits of their dead. They believe that the
souls of their dead are still near to them; hence the pouring of
libation on every important occasions. Libation is usually poured by
the head of the clan, family head, a priest or a priestess. Before
drinks are served on any occasion, it is customary that the “head” of
the drink (“ahata”) be given to ancestors. Libation takes the form of
a prayer which usually contains petitions. The one pouring the
libation pours the “ahata” on the ground in small quantities as
he/she calls upon the deities or ancestors. He/she pours down
everything that is left at the end of the prayer and uses cold water,
almost in the same way, since cold water is that which quenches or
cools whatever is hot. That means peace must reign throughout
whatever is to be done.
During most ceremonies, especially funeral rites, spirits of the
departed have the opportunity to communicate with the living on
certain issues.
This happens usually when the departed senses some danger, harm, loss
or any form of misfortune approaching his/her family. He or she
usually possesses a woman or a girl and speaks through her. The
possessed woman or girl sees the “noli” (ghost) at the time she is
possessed, but forgets everything of it, as soon as the possession is
over. She talks and behaves exactly like the departed one. She may
ask for the most cherished cloth that the departed wore often in
his/her lifetime, or his hat, his/her pipe, walking stick, etc.
Through her behavior, the elders around quickly identify the departed
one who wishes to communicate with them. The “noli” is welcome with a
libation and the elders begin to ask the possessed several questions.
If she remains mute and uses only gestures, it means the problem does
not concern the public, or there is somebody around that the deceased
does not want him/her to hear about the problem. The possessed is
then taken away from the public and made to talk. After the “noli”
has made known his/her concerns, the possessed is given cold water to
wash her face with. As soon as she does that and the rest of the cold
water is poured on her feet, the “noli” leaves her and the possession
is over. This and the other cases go to reinforce the belief of the
Ewes that “the dead are not dead”; hence they call upon them in times
of trouble and disaster. They ask for their guidance and make
offerings of drinks, eggs, chicken and sheep to them. They sometimes
have a special shrines for them. In some cases special stools are
made and kept in memory of chiefs or very valiant clan of family
heads. Their spirits are said to live in these special stools kept in
a dark room called a stool house – a sacred house or dwelling place
of the spirits of all the grandsires of the clan or village.
|
3. The ancestral stool or Togbui Zikpui |
Togbui Zikpui literally means “ancestor stool”: Togbui –
ancestor; Zikpui – stool/chair. In a town or village, there is
usually one ancestral stool in the royal family which is believed to
contain the spirits of the living and the dead of the whole town or
village. Then clans or families may have their stool houses, housing
the stools containing the spirits of their ancestors. The ancestral
stool of a clan is that which represents the tap root of the
genealogical tree. This is the tree that has produced several
ancestors whose descendants form the clan. These ancestors may also
have had their stools made by their descendants, hence, in a clan
stool house, there may be several stools. Members of the clan are
directly linked with their ancestors through these stools. Annual
offerings are made to the stools usually during the celebration of
yam festivals. Before new yam is ever eaten each year in a village or
town a special festival known as yam festival is celebrated. A yam
festival is a harvest festival during which the farmer presents his
first yields to the gods and spirits who help him in their
production.
The annual offering ceremony is called “Dzawuwu”. The stool attendant
begins the ceremony by pouring libation informing the spirits of what
is to happen. Ritual food of mashed yam is then taken into the stool
room and sprinkled on the stools, beginning with the first stool of
the genealogical tree and ending with the most recent one. The chief
stool attendant does this with his cloth tucked around the waist and
with his sandals off. This is a sign of respect to the “lords”. While
sprinkling the food on the stools the attendant says:
“Spirit of our ancestors come and receive this food “(He recites the
names of the ancestors as he moves from stool to stool)
“Bring us prosperity, good health and strength. Make our women
fruitful, let the barren bear children,
Grant health to the clan, grant health to the town,
Let evil return to him who wishes us evil,
Let peace come our way throughout the year,
Grant us the correct proportion of sunshine and rain.”
At the end of each line of the prayer, the horn blower blows his horn
in praise of the ancestors or some one says: “tututu (very true)”. A
sheep is then slaughtered and some of its blood is used to mark the
stools. Fowls (chickens) are also killed and their blood used in the
same way. The meat of the slaughtered animals is cooked without salt,
for it is believed that spirits do not eat salt; they prefer their
food without salt. Pieces of the salt less meat is placed before the
stools. The stool attendant then announces that the spirits are
eating. After a while, the rest of the meat which is now salted is
served with “fufu”. The chicken is usually cooked with cornflower and
palm oil (dzenkum? or dzenkpl?). Eating, drinking and rejoicing
continue for the rest of the day. The offerings remain on the stools
till in the evening.
The ancestral stool of a clan commands an unbelievable respect. It is
the protector of the clan in every respect. If a member of a clan
wants any form of help, he/she goes to the stool house and makes
promises to the ancestors that if he/she gets satisfaction, he/she
will bring offerings to them. The offerings usually consist of a
sheep, fowls, alcoholic drinks, palm wine. A sheep is usually
promised when the case to be handled by the spirits is a very
important one, but if the petitioner has no visible means of income
his promises are limited to what he/she can afford. If one makes such
promises and fails to honor them, he/she experiences very grievous
consequences. Petitions are usually made for help for success in
commerce or business, success in getting employment or job, getting a
promotion, protection from evil forces, etc… Even if a woman is in
labor, her husband or relatives petition to Togbui Zikpui for safe
delivery. Barren women go to Togbui Zikpui to ask for children.
Anybody in the clan or family who has a long journey or voyage to
make, goes to the ancestral stool to ask for a safe journey. Even,
parents go to Togbui Zikpui when they learn that their children
living in foreign lands are not having prosperous lives. Petitions
take very many forms. The most important thing to remember, however,
is that promises must always be fulfilled, lest severe punishments
would follow. |
4. Who becomes ancestor? |
An ancestor is analogous to a saint in the Christian sense, with
the only difference that the ancestor is more or less a local saint.
Three conditions are necessary for a departed to be canonized or
declared an ancestor:
1. He must have been an adult who has married during his lifetime,
for among the Ewes, a centenarian, who throughout his life remained a
bachelor is regarded as a child with childish tendencies. He is
buried like a child when he dies. The exception to this rule is that
if the person was a political or a war leader or has shown an
exceptional bravery (kal?), then even though he died a bachelor, he
could be considered an ancestor.
2. He must have died of natural death. Death through an “unclean”
disease such as leprosy, epilepsy, or accidental death would be
interpreted as the result of a karmic punishment or as being the
result of a crime committed by the deceased. If it is known that the
deceased has been a witch, he will never taste the honor of being
called an ancestor. The exception here is a person who dies in a war,
not running away from the enemy, for such a person has demonstrated
the highest form of bravery. This is regarded as a noble or most
honorable death.
3. He must have lived the “good life”. This means that he had lived a
clean, unblemished life. The Ewes have their own standard of judging
what “the good life” is. Crimes such as murder, stealing, adultery,
betrayal or treason are capital sins. Drunkards and cowards (during
war) are not tolerated by the society. If such people die, even if
they are as old as the word “old” they never earn the title of
ancestor. But, will always be remembered, those leaders, during whose
reign there was prosperity, no untimely death, women were fecund, no
epidemics or pestilences. Their names will be invoked in prayers or
libations. They certainly will be known as ancestors.
The ancestor is therefore a man whose life everybody wants to
emulate, he is the good person whose deeds the whole community
appreciates and wants to keep alive and fresh in memory. The respect
for or the esteem given to the ancestor is in direct proportion to
the honor in which he was held by the community during his lifetime.
The ancestor remains a relative; only he has changed his mode of
existence. He has only “traveled” (eyi nugbe), for the dead are not
dead, they’ve only undergone transition. The Ewes call them “ame
yinugbeawo”. Since the ancestor remains a relatives, he takes a
keener interest in matters affecting the living relatives than he
even was when alive. Not only can he now decide what he wants to be
done, but he also has the power to have what he wants to be done
imperatively done. Besides, he also has the power to reward or punish
the living relatives accordingly, though he is not divine. Prayers
may be said to him (just as Christians pray to their saints directly
asking for favors such as long life, children, wealth, fame,
prosperity, success in undertakings, peace, etc..)
Among the Ewes, those who commit capital sins (stealing, killing,
coveting the neighbor’s wife or committing adultery, betrayal or
treason etc...) do never go unpunished by the ancestors. On the other
hand, those who respect the laws of the community are rewarded
abundantly, because the ancestors are the authors of these laws.
Because of the interest that the ancestors have in the living, they
do “visit” the latter with a certain degree of frequency. They are
usually not visible, but their presence is felt. That is why Ewes do
not do certain things in their houses at certain times, because the
ancestors are supposed to be present in the house at those times and
doing those things will offend them (for example sweeping at night).
Ancestors may even choose to have an abode in the house since their
relics are kept in special places in the house. This special place is
their shrine, where their stools are kept in a small building. This
sacred place is not visited by just anybody who is not pure, anybody
who has committed a crime of any kind, or anybody who has anything
against his neighbor. It is here that due respect is paid to them
publicly. This public honor is given usually to only royal ancestors,
those who, when on earth, held positions of leadership until their
death.
As pointed out , there is a very close liaison between the ancestral
world and the world of the living. This sense of close liaison
influences the life of the African and particularly that of the Ewes
to such an extent that it influences his religion or beliefs and
practices also. There is the firm belief that one is at all time so
united with one’s dead relatives that the gap between his world and
that of his dead relative is infinitesimal. Therefore religion is not
different from actual life. It is what gives meaning to life. It
molds and directs the behavior of the Ewe man as well as his attitude
towards other people. The fact that the Ewe believes that the
ancestor has a vigilant eye which is thought to be always very close
to him, obligates him to adopt an exemplary and accepted behavior at
all times, even if alone.
Religion, to the African, is a way of life and not a garment to put
on Sundays. The African is not only guided by religion in all he
does, but from the cradle to the grave he is subjected to ritual
ceremonies, in which the ancestors are invoked for assistance: naming
ceremonies, rites de passage, funerals, etc. Libation is always
poured during these ceremonies. Apart from uniting people, the
obeisance given to ancestors also brings peace to the community.
There is true communion of the living and the dead in that, it is
believed that the ancestor may leave where he resides and come and
live among his living relations, often unnoticed, for any length of
time he chooses. He may even decide to come back to “Kodzogbe” (the
world of the living) through reincarnation, so that he may fulfill a
desire which he could not realize before his death. One big
characteristic of the Ewes is that they are very hospitable, because
they hold the belief that an ancestor can transform himself into a
stranger and visit. If one neglects him, the punishment will not
delay in coming.
The home of the ancestors is a place which knows no pain and bodily
deformity, neither does it know disappointments, frustrations and
uncertainties. The ancestor however grieves very much if their laws
are not obeyed by the living. The ancestral home, according to the
Ewes, is supposed to be somewhere in the underworld. Even though it
is known that we all will eventually go. Because the place is
supposed to be very close to the living, the thrill of going there is
almost inexistent. By the same token or reasons, death is thought of
as only a transition, hence it is not dreaded.
There is also the belief that, disasters and calamities befall the
living, as the outcome of God’s or spirits’ displeasure with man or
the community. Therefore, if anybody notices that another person is
acting in a way that will not please the spirits and may bring
calamities, he/she has the duty to correct or reprimand the evildoer.
Had the early missionaries to Africa known these facts about our
traditional religion when they came with Christianity, they would
have realized that, preaching the existence of God , the existence
and immortality of the soul to the Africans was just “taking coal to
Newcastle”: they were not making any startling revelations. They were
only confirming what the Africans knew before they came. If they had
taken the time to study the African religion, their work would have
been a lot simpler.
The next discussion will be “Taboos and superstitions”. Watch out.
Next-->
|
 Elegant Web Design LLC
|
