Africa is such a large continent with many different cultures, and attempt to disclose all of African culture will be too cumbersome to be written under a single content. Being a Nigerian from the Yoruba ethnic group my written will be constructed on the Yoruba experience.
Beleive is concerned with the total ideas which a group or society accept to be true or false.
CAUSE, EFFECT AND CHANCE
The concept of cause and effect can be well understood, by 'Cause' we mean the agency that brings about an occurence or situation. When an event occurs and one is seeking for it effects one is seeking for the chain of effect which brough about the effect.
Firstly the notion of generality is absent in African concept. Yoruba thought there is no contexual explanation for any event since certain law are absent when it comes to casual explanation. Yoruba world basically depends on personal factor.
Secondly casual factors to Yoruba's are recourse to gods, spirits, magic and divinities.
One example of concept of cause and chance in Yoruba tradition states : only yesterday the witch made her presence felt through her cries; this morning the child died. Who woll not have known that the witch cause the death of the child. From here the cause of the death of the child is the cry of the witch, while the child death is the effect.
For example if there is low level water in the river the Westerners would want to believe that maybe because of low rain fall or other possible factors, Yoruba on the other hand will believe it is the cause of evil or maybe the gods are angry.
THE CONCEPT OF PERSON
A person to the Yoruba believe is made up of three different elements which are
Yoruba on her part so much believe in gods and consulting of oracles in all situations or event
Olodumare (almighty)meaning The Creator is believed to be the supreme being by the Yorubas, however there is no certain prescribe way of worshipping him rather Yoruba's tends to worship some past heroes which are now seen as the smaller gods, others also see them to be a saviour thereby they in turn worship them.
Such gods include Yoruba legends pair of gods, Orishala (Obatala, Orisa-nla) and his wife Odudua, as supreme creating deities
him. History has it thatOlorun created the world and then leaving Obatala and Odudua to finish up the details; others include
Ogun - Orisha who presides over iron, fire, hunting, politics and war
Sango - Orisha of thunder and lightning
Kokou - a violent warrior Orisha
Yemoja - a mother goddess of water patron deity of women
Aje - Orisha of wealth