Role of diviners in African Traditional Society
Diviners:
These are people who reveal secret information from the past or the future.
- They get their power through inheritance or divine calling.
- They use divination objects, common sense, and insight.
- Unveil mysteries by interpreting the information received from the spirits.
- Help the society to solve issues that are difficult for them to understand.
- They do the work of counselors, judges, advisers, comforters, and assurers during crises.
- They also play the role of priests, seers, and fortune tellers.
- Diviners are still consulted in Kenya today, particularly during moments of crisis.
They, however, face many challenges:
- Divination is condemned in the Bible (Deuteronomy 18:10 – 11)
- Science and technology have further diminished their importance since many mysteries can be explained through science and technology.\
List five duties of diviners in traditional African communities
- They predict the future
- They warn people about calamities
- The pre-intercede for the community/ individual during calamities
- They heal the sick
- They interpret messages from the spiritual world
- They act as judges in society
- They mediate between God/ Spirits and people
- They comfort the sick in society
- They counsel people with problems
- They use various objects to reveal secrets in society/ expose the wrongdoers