THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BLOOD IN SACRIFICES

When African Traditional Religion is mentioned to most people who have no knowledge of it, the first thing most ask is if sacrifices are done within the practice. Once they hear yes, they will run or scream “the blood of Jesus!” (lol). A mind is a terrible thing to waste, and people just do not take the time to try and understand certain things. Blood is life. Every human being comes thorough blood when being born, it is what sustains all living things.

Below is part one of an article written by a Babalawo whose name is placed at the end of the post. The article is very lengthy, and even though I could not stop reading when I received it (it is that good) to make for easier reading for you all, I will post it in two parts. I applaud his work here within this article, as it will make clear to many the importance of blood in sacrifice (Ebo in Yoruba), or as the article is titled, The significance of blood in an Ebo.

I will post part two by tomorrow.

Obara Meji

Spiritual ebo or offering is a very important element of worship in many African Traditional Religions (ATR). The purpose and usage of blood in spiritual offerings is an aspect of ATR that has been largely unexplored scientifically. One reason for this may lie in our limited understanding of spiritual sacrifice as it relates to the physical functions of blood within the circulatory system of complex organisms. The purpose of this post is three fold: First, we will provide some general background and a perspective on what ritual/blood offering is in the Yoruba/Ifa context.

Then we will provide some scientific background and explanation of the physical functions of blood. Lastly, we will lay out a possible explanation for the purpose and function of blood in rituals based on a hypothesis that addresses the scientific significance of blood in ebo in the body. Ebo/ritual is about exchanging with the spirit world. Let us first consider one perspective on the utility and function of sacrificial offering of animals, by understanding it within the context of Ifa (as an example).

There are many ways of perceiving,understanding and contextualizing ebo – Here, we will only consider one such interpretation. From my perspective, The notion of ebo is predicated on the idea that there are two aspects to the world – namely the physical and the spiritual. These two

realities are often thought of as simultaneously existing realms/dimensions/realities/planes of existence. One of the fundamental cornerstones of African spirituality is that there is a certain amount of coupling and linkage between these two worlds.

This is evidenced very easily through the observation of the birth and growth of human beings and animals. Take a deer for example – the a deer becomes pregnant,consumes food, and within a certain time gives birth to a second deer. This second deer appears as a result of the physical processes and actions of the mother deer (i.e. mating and eating to provide energy to the growth process), yet the second deer is considered to have its own spirit – which is exemplified through its ability to make its own decisions and carry out its own actions. The process of birth serves as a very clear example of the coupling and connection between the spirit world and physical world.

The idea of ebo is predicated on the manipulation of this coupling between the two realms. In an ebo,similar to the birthing process, a person uses physical measures/acts to cause something to take place spiritually. This process is sometimes viewed as the physical act of stimulating a shift or change of “energy” in the spirit world, or it is sometimes viewed as the process of appeasing a particular spirit/divinity. Whatever view is chosen, it is usually thought that the physical act itself has caused a change in the spiritual world.

This change or shift in the spiritual world then leads to a corresponding change or response in the physical world, which is usually the objective of the ebo in the first place. The idea of ebo is that a person can use a physical act to cause something spiritual to happen. The

spiritual occurrence then has an a secondary effect on the physical reality, which satisfies the person’s objective.