The African Traditional Belief : True or False

Civilization has taught us most of our African traditional beliefs were based on ignorance and false assumptions. Before the coming of the Whiteman, this believes worked efficiently. For the purpose of this article, we shall take reincarnation as a case study.

In the days of our forefathers' reincarnation was one belief present in every tribe and culture. It was believed that wicked children would die and re-enter their mothers' wombs to be born again, and they will repeat their circle of death and rebirth. They mostly died before they reached teenage age and most times they were believed to prevent their mothers from having children that will stay, as some of them would be the only child of their mothers. Such children were usually mutilated after cycles of death and rebirth to prevent them from coming back, but some stubborn ones would come back bearing the mark of their mutilation. This belief is common among the Yorubas and Igbos.

In the Yoruba land, they were called abiku while the Igbos called them obanje. In the Igbo tradition an obanje would be given facial marks while alive to make them unattractive to the spirit world and when they grew to an age when they could communicate effectively a native doctor, who specialized in dealing with reincarnated children would be called and the children would be forced to reveal where they buried a stone(usually white) which served as a link between them and the spirit world. The stone made it possible for them to die and be reborn. The native doctor would dig up this stone by himself and destroy it. By doing this the child would not be able to return to the spirit world. However some obanje children always died before they reach an age when they could talk, and their stones would never be retrieved and destroyed.

Yorubas offered sacrifice of yams and palm oil and also sprinkled ashes to the spirits for them to unbound with the children.

Reincarnation was not limited to evil children, as in some occasions parents or grandparents were believed to come back to be born through one of their children or grandchildren. It was evident when a child born would carry similar physical features either scars, birthmarks, very close facial resemblance, body structure, or similar behavioral patterns. This gave reasons for children to be named Babatunde, Iyabo, Babajide, etc amongst the Yorubas,  nnenna, nnamdi, etc amongst Igbos and ekaette amongst the Efiks and Ibibios. 

Wicked or maltreated slaves sometimes reincarnated to their masters' households to seek revenge on their masters.

These beliefs were back up by occurrences that are still evident in people today. Are these believes really false? Did the white man's coming reduce the efficiency of our traditions? Or are we just blinded by an adopted form of ignorance.