Africa is indisputably a land blessed with amazing features, amongst which are such rich cultural heritages and religious beliefs.
No doubt the mystery which encompasses the black continent still keeps her own inhabitants in awe.
One of such amazing astounding myths comes from the Yoruba tribe.
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Humans irrespective of skin colour, race, geographical boundaries, e.t.c have religious beliefs, this time we shall be looking at a west African myth/belief which is built on the basis of Reincarnation!
Àrínákó
Different questions occasionally find their ways into our busy mind as to human existence. One of these is the pertinent question of life after death. Although, there are different answers to life after death, those answers do not give vivid explanations as to man's fate when he breaths his last. This however has led to various imaginary speculations and ideas which have developed into myths and afterwards beliefs and have survived from generation to generation. One of such is the Yoruba tribe's myth, "Àrínákó" which means "to bump into".
The Yoruba tribe, is a tribe of people originally found in the western part of africa. They are found in countries like, benin republic, nigeria, togo and lately have been discovered to be in far south america, in countries like brazil, in the caribean islands too; cuba, trinidad e.t.c
When loved ones die, they are buried and with the belief that the deceased will reincarnate to settle down in another part of the world, or will continue wandering till a certain desire is met or that the contact will from then on be through dreams, this belief is essentially attributed to death of young people. However, most occurrences have attempted to validate the possibility of this belief, but latest exposé on how the spirit world works gives an insight of what àrínákó really is.
It is believed that the yoruba tribe or at least a part of it originated from saudi arabia, therefore, some cultural similarities and religious beliefs are however common.
It us said that humans are not the only beings created and living on earth. The jinns/geenie or "àlújánnú" as the yoruba call them also exist. Interaction between these two nations of beings however stands undeniable. As the white world have also acknowledged their existence by giving them equivalent names such as "gnomes, fairies, mermaids, orgres, banshee, the endless list of names"
[Link](What Are Demons and Are They Real? | Historic Mysteries)
THE TRUTH BEHIND IT
In the western world, it is believed that a human has an angel and a demon. In the arabian cum yoruba belief, it is equally believed that a human possesses angels who write his deeds and a jinn attributed to him till death. However, there are possibilities that the attributed jinn outlives the human, this article not dive into that.
There are types of jinns, but the ones within the scope of this write up are called "qareens" or "kórinúú" as the yoruba tribe calls them.
The entities are believed to be companions of a human from his birth till death, and their major duty is to basically mislead him or be a companion, as the case may be.
So what part does the qareen play in reincarnation?"
The entity is usually with the human irrespective of where the human goes, this however avails it all necessary knowledge it needs about its human companion, he would whisper suggestions most times and in times of intoxication and possible spiritual possessions, he'll give commands.
But jinns on an average live longer than humans by thousands of years, sometimes. Hence, a qareen is believed to outlive his human companion.
Qareen physical manifestation
When death occurs, but the cause is unknown or the deceased is suspected to have been murdered, the family if the deceased may contact native doctors who are equivalent to a combination of psychics or magicians. Sometimes, priests of divination are summoned to call back the dead or invoke his spirit. The "qareen" is what is however conjured, for he knows the movement of the deceased. But in cases where the priests of divination or native doctors are not contacted, the qareen possibly lingers or is believed to wander. If the qareen lingers, it plays an integral role in fumbling with the imagination of the bereaved till such person gets over the loss of the deceased. But if not, the qareen is believed to wander and by a means unexplained relives the live of the deceased and even usually going to extents of having a family, a condition or situation the yoruba term ákúdáàyá".