The Living-Dead/Ancestors as Guardians of Morality in African Traditional Religious Thought

Itumeleng Mekoa

doi:10.19080/gjaa.2019.10.555799

Abstract

The Living-Dead/Ancestors as Guardians of Morality in African Traditional Religious Thought

Highlights

For many years western scholars have defined ancestors as a dead forbear in African traditional religion who has living descendants of a designated genealogical class representing his continued structural relevance
The term “living dead” is the creation of an African scholar Mbiti [1], who prefers it to the common term “ancestor”
Mbiti presents the living dead as bilingual, that is, “they speak the language of men with whom they lived until recently; and they speak the language of the spirits and the God to who they are drawing nearer ontologically

Summary

Introduction

For many years western scholars have defined ancestors as a dead forbear in African traditional religion who has living descendants of a designated genealogical class representing his continued structural relevance. This definition is not clear and does assist in understanding African traditional thought attached to it. Mbiti presents the living dead as bilingual, that is, “they speak the language of men with whom they lived until recently; and they speak the language of the spirits and the God to who they are drawing nearer ontologically. Mbiti states: Attention is paid to the living-dead of up to four or five generations, by which time only a few, if any, immediate members of their families would still be alive. When the last person who knew a living-dead dies, in affect the process of death is complete as far as that particular living-dead is concerned [1]

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Conclusion