Priesthood in African Society

 The priest is the mediator between man and the gods
(God). These are ministers in the temples, shrines, sacred groves and other
religious centres. He may be set apart from birth or called to the service of
the god. Both men and women are eligible. There are two types of priests among
the people; the lay priest and professional priest. The lay priest is the
family head. He officiates at the domestic ancestral shrine. They consult the
ancestors on behalf of the family or clan. Hence they link the living and the
dead together. Priesthood in this category passes on to the most senior person
in the family.

The professional priest is concerned with the cult of
divinities. He succeeds the older priest at death or if the divinity chooses him
as the next priest. This period of tutelage may last for several years. While
in training, he undertakes series of training in cult knowledge and performance
of public rituals. He is also subjected to strict taboos. He needs to be caste,
ascetic and abstain from certain foods and clothes. He is usually clothed in
white. Where priesthood is non-hereditary, the priest-elect is singled out with
signs which indicate that the divinity has elected him as a potential priest.
This may involve his disappearance for seven days without being able to give a
coherent explanation for it.

After this, a diviner would be consulted for
confirmation after which he would be installed. There is also the concept of
the divine ruler. The king is considered a divine ruler; hence, he is
considered the deputy of the gods on earth. As a result, the king is usually given
his staff of office as of that status. It is with the staff that he performs
his priestly duty. He leads in rituals and ceremonies that involve the whole
community. He is the priest of the community.

Functions of a Priest

a)      Intercession

The priest intercedes with the divinity on behalf of
the people. The evils in the community may indicate the ineffectiveness of the
priest to be in constant consultation with God.

b)      Sacrifices

The priest offer sacrifices and say prayers at the
shrine. He leads worship during the yearly festival of the divinity. As the
custodian of the religion and keeper of religious treasures and knowledge, he
ensures that the emblem and symbols of the divinity are suitable and reverently
preserved.

c)      Custom

He ensures that customs and practices related to the
divinity are upheld. He knows the taboos surrounding the cult and transmits
them correctly.

d)      Divination

He divines for the whole community. He is also an
herbalist or medicine man.

e)      Kingship
Issues

The priest installs the king. He also performs the
necessary rites of burial for the dead king.

f)       Counsellor

Since he is an important figure in the community, he
is a member of the council of the community. He advises people. He settles
quarrels and enforces morality. In summary, the priest is essential in the
day-to-day running of the community’s affairs. He presides over meetings and
communities and serves as judge in most cases and act as director with regard
to the general wellbeing of the community.

 Distinction between the Medicine Men and the Priest

These personalities are important to the African
society. The people believe that without them, the community would be in
disarray. Despite the similarities of these people, they are still different in
several ways.

       
i.           
There is difference on
point of ecstasy. The priestly function powers are fixed while it breaks out in
the medicine-man.

     
ii.           
The priest is more
functional in social gathering than the medicine-man.

   
iii.           
The priest fixes times,
places and actions of worship while the medicine-man is controlled by the
spirit.

   
iv.           
The medicine-man has the
spiritual and physical power and knowledge but has no institution like a
priest. The priest has an established shrine but the medicine-man has none.

     
v.           
The medicine-man operates
in practical elements; materials and words (incantation) but the priest
operates with strict rules.

   
vi.           
Both the priest and the
medicine-man use herbs and charms for the benefits of man.

Diviners

As their names implies, they are primarily concerned
with acts of divination. Divination is the practice of foretelling the future,
reveal the unknown or find out the wish of a divinity or spirit. In most cases,
the diviner combines the roles of a medicine-man and diviner (though there are
some medicine men who are not diviners). Divination is the means by which
individuals and communities find solution to their problems. The desire to know
the will of the deity on the future of people’s lives makes the role of the
diviners very important. They are also consulted sometimes during incurable
disease; the crises of life, when a barren woman desires children, or, mysterious
death or plague.

The choice and training of diviners is sometimes
hereditary or from the personal decision of prospective diviners. It has no age
or sex barrier. The diviner acts as intermediary between man and the supernatural
world for the sake of the community. They find out hidden secret and pass them
to the people. They are also custodians of the interest and lives of the
people. They interpret the mysteries of life, convey the messages of the gods
to the devotees and settle disputes. As seers, they unravel the mystery of the
universe.