To Be African or Not to Be:    

The final component is simply the “Honam” (the body), which is made up of Ntoro and Mogya. (1987) While the Okra and the Sunsum come from Onyame (God), the Ntoro and the Mogya are derived from other humans; i.e., one’s parents. In their conception of the nature of the person, the Akan believe that the Ntoro is derived from the father’s sperm and the Mogya is derived from the mother’s blood. The Okra and the Sunsum constitute a spiritual unity. Hence, the person is made up of two principal components, the immaterial/spiritual (Okra & Sunsum) and the material/physical (Honam). In terms of the relation between the soul and the body, Akan thinkers contend that not only does the body influence the soul, the soul also influences the body. The Akan believe that the relation between the soul (Okra and Sunsum ) and the body (Honam ) is so close that they comprise an indissoluble and indivisible unity. Hence, the person is a homogeneous entity or value.

Similarly, The Yoruba believe that the person is made up of a spirit and a body (Opoku, 1978 92). The body or “Ara” is formed by the divinity, Orisha-nla. It is through the “Ara” that man responds to his environment. It is the part of the person which can be touched and felt. It can be damaged and disintegrates after death. The spirit component of the person is the “Emi” (spirit). The “Emi” gives life to the person. The “Emi” is the divine element of the person and links the person directly to God. Upon the death of the person, the “Emi” returns to “Elemi” (the owner of the spirit, God) and continues to live. As a person, one also possesses an inner head or “Ori Inu”. The “Ori Inu” is given directly by Oludumare. It is the person’s personal spirit. The “Ori Inu” is the guardian of the self and the carrier of one’s destiny. It also influences the personality of the person. In addition to the “Emi” and the “Ori Inu”, the person has an “Okan (1978 93)”. The word “Okan” means heart, but as a constituent component of the person, it represents the immaterial element that is the seat of intelligence, thought and action. Hence, it is sometimes referred to as the “heart-soul” of the person. The “Okan” is believed to exist even before the person’s birth. It is the “Okan” of the ancestors which is reincarnated in the newborn child. To be a person, the Yoruba also believe that one must have “Ori.” and “Eje” The “Ori” rules, controls and guides the person’s life and actually activates the person. The “Ori” is the bearer of one’s destiny and helps the person to fulfill what they came to earth to do. The “Ori” is simultaneously the “essence of the person” and the person’s “guardian and protector” (1978 93). The “Ori” is closely associated with the “Emi.” The “Eje” is the blood. It is the physical expression of an electro-chemical/magnetic energy that is the force which binds and animates life. The Yoruba, also believe that the “Iye” is a component of the person. The “Iye” is the immaterial element that is sometimes referred to as the mind (1978 93). The person also has “Ojiji” (shadow). The “Ojiji” is a constant companion throughout one’s life and ceases to exist when the “Ara” (body) dies.    next page