Book

Tiv religion

Ibadan University Press • [Ibadan, Nigeria] • Published In 1971 • Pages:

By: Downes, Rupert Major.

Abstract

Major Downes, a colonial officer in 1930s Nigeria, presents a first hand account of Tiv religion as practiced in that period. For the Tiv, the natural, social and supernatural world are inextricably linked. For example, the TAR is a concept that refers to the lineage, the land it occupies and the souls of all the ancestors. Every natural object has a counterpart in a supernatural energy or force. Only elders initiated into specific rites can affect these forces for good or ill. Elders are the cause of all the good and evil in Tiv society, their good intentions augment fertility and productivity, but their bad intentions bring sickness and death. Elders carry out the AKOMBO rites which counteract evil and right wrongs. Also, in secret rituals at night, the souls of elders meet and consume the souls of agnates in a sacrificial act that benefits the TAR. Witches 'eat flesh' for selfish ends, and sometimes cause a person to unwittingly eat the soul of kinsman creating a flesh debt between groups which must be reciprocated, yet can never be annulled.

HRAF PubDate

1998

Region

Africa

Sub Region

Western Africa

Document Type

Book

Evaluation

Creator Type

Government Official

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Ian Skoggard ; 1996

Field Date

1930s

Coverage Date

1930s

Coverage Place

Benue State, Nigeria

Notes

by R. M. Downes ; with a foreword by James W. Robertson

Includes bibliographical references

LCCN

72191270

LCSH

Tiv (African people)