African Traditional Religion and Contemporary Functionalism: Medicine

Abstract

African Religion is the indigenous religion of the African people. The Religion owes its origin and development to the forebears of the Africans. The Religion is neither revealed nor has it documented sources, but it is rather written on the minds of the Africans. It can also be seen in works of arts, songs, proverbs, and other sources. African Religion is blended or woven into the cultures of the African people and thus inseparable from it. This implies that for the African, life is Religion and Religion is life. Medicine is an indispensable part of African Religion. Medicine functions basically to prevent or cure diseases and restore the individual to health. African Traditional Medicine (ATM) is wholistic and is obtainable from shrubs, roots, bark of trees, insects, and other animal substances. The efficacy of ATM is hinged on the correct observance of taboos and appropriate rituals. The chapter is motivated by the need to investigate observable changes brought to bear on ATM by internal and external influences. The methodology employed in the chapter is the comparative and descriptive methods. The primary and secondary sources will be used in collecting data. This involves the use of oral interview, observation, and documented sources from books and journal articles. It is discovered that ATM is still efficacious and functional in contemporary times. This proves the functionalist theory correct that anything which is no longer useful to a group of people is discarded by them and hence ATM is still serving the health needs of Africans in contemporary times proves its relevance. ATM provides healthcare to over 70% of Nigerians living in the rural areas where orthodox medicine and healthcare is not easily sourced. However, despite its functionalism in contemporary times, ATM has been susceptible to change. Change has been brought to bear on the practice of the medicine occasioned by internal and external factors notably from Christianity, modernization, globalization, and western education. Despite the threat of change, ATM has a bright prospect because of the renewed interest in African Traditional Medicine from local and international organizations, the government, and by Africans who patronize traditional healthcare products for solutions to their health problems. In view of the renewed interest in ATM and its products, the writer calls on the practitioners of ATM such as herbalists and medicine men/women to improve on the preparation of ATM to further enhance its efficacy and endear it to the generality of the people. Concerted efforts should be made towards the documentation of recipes for teh preparation of ATM to forestall losing the recipes with the death of practitioners.