Ancestors: No Friend No Foe

Ancestors: No Friend No Foe

No Friend No Foe (NFNF) is a brave-faced fraternal claim someone hears just before they receive a punishment. It implies no matter how good you have been to the punisher or the group, punishing you now is clear justice. The tone of the claim is meaner when the punisher knows he is not serving justice but satisfying an ego, his or someone else’s. It is hard to find groups where NFNF really works according to the book.

NFNF was born in the days of the pirates as a cautionary slogan. Sailing to strange lands meeting strange people had risks big enough to ensure you never returned home. Therefore, you could neither be too friendly or too aggressive with the hosts you encounter in foreign lands. It makes sense.

Another set of practitioners of NFNF is African ancestors. Ancestors are in African history and religion the mediators between men and the Creator. It is a mistake to say Africans worshipped their ancestors for they never did. They honoured their ancestors the way other religions do. Honour thy mother and thy father is biblical. The Kaddish is a Jewish prayer for ancestors. And in Islam one is encouraged to offer Durood, blessings through Muhammad PBUH to their ancestors. However, religious competition succeeded in defeating most aspects of African life even when identical or like things Arabs and Europeans were doing.

The question is why was ancestor honouring so easy to demolish among a people who had lived with it for millennia? The answer is more obvious than people think.

There was a process to becoming an ancestor which I will not cover in this piece. All I would say is many would not qualify because of their sins in this life.

Ancestors enforce rules for the living—rules believed to come from the Creator. Thou Shall Do This an Thou Shall Not Do That are the rules. No different from the rules of Moses, Muhammad or Jesus. The difference lies in the idea of grace—of forgiveness, whether public or private.  Most world religions assure you that once you ask for forgiveness and repent of your sins you will be forgiven. Such thinking is interesting; it forced Nietzsche to declare God is Dead. Forgiveness is cowardice according to him, not me.

My ancestors believe God Is Alive, but they believe forgiveness without confession, atonement and restitution is cowardice like Nietzsche did. Many would agree a lot of evil is the result of cowardice. It is no surprise African cultures discourage cowardice. To be honest, courage as a standard is hard to live up to. So is paying bills and obeying the law.

The situation was created where honouring ancestors gave them more power over the living. The rules were simple to follow but easier to break. Thou shall not steal thy parent’s money. Or thou shall not sleep with thy brother’s wife. Thou shall not poo on another’s crops. Those who violate them get punished by the ancestors.

Ancestor punishments, though swift and proportionate, became feared for their severity—death, paralysis, strokes. These weren’t metaphors. They struck with precision. Those who are fortunate enough have a chance to confess, atone and offer restitution.

As greed and ambition grew, rule-breaking soared. The ancestors—watchful, silent—became busier than ever. They are the reason I believe that Old Testament is not mere folklore.

The Great Religious dilemma of African peoples was born. How do we survive in a world where moves that would make us better off would invoke the wrath of the ancestors? Those who earned wealth and fame through honest means never asked this question.

The surprise answer was Christianity. Do whatever you like, but when God calls, just repent—and your sins will be washed away. The rest is history.

My people have enjoyed the freedom to sin Christianity has given them so much that the mere mention of the ancestors can spoil their day or make them hate you till Judgement Day. Why? The ancestors are still active and occasionally strike. The strikes are efficient in that one is enough to strike fear in the hearts of thousands. Sinning bad against people and awaiting divine judgement is losing its shine.

Forgivers are learning that those you forgive offend repeatedly even if it is not against you. The demand for justice in Africa is higher than ever.

Traditional religions are rising again. Miracles and motivational speaking are losing their day among Africans. People want justice and the majority are continuously wronged.

If you cannot await divine justice the way you have been thought for over a century

If you tired of waiting for scripted justice the way you have been taught for over a century there is hope. Honour your ancestors and keep their rules properly. You will have justice – that’s their job.

When I speak of Africa, I speak of Urhoboland.

Hey Stanley!