Bori

What it is

Bori, also known as Maguzanci or Hausa animism, is a traditional spiritual system of the Hausa people in West Africa. It involves interaction with spirits called bori, iska, or aljan. The practice includes rituals where spirits possess dancers to provide healing and guidance. While historically a state religion, it now exists alongside Islam. Adherents believe these spirits control aspects of daily life and health. The term Bòòríí refers to the spiritual force itself. This force resides in objects and people. The religion focuses on maintaining harmony with these unseen powers.

Where it comes from

The tradition predates Islam in Hausaland. It was once a state religion led by priestesses in precolonial kingdoms. When Islam arrived in the eleventh century, some practices went underground. The Sokoto Caliphate later suppressed open practice. However, Bori survived in refugee states and rural areas. It adapted by integrating Islamic elements. Modern practitioners often view Allah as distant, while spirits remain active intermediaries. The system has absorbed spirits from other cultures over time.

How it is done

Rituals involve ecstatic dance and music to invite spirit possession. Musicians play drums and wind instruments. Female choruses sing during ceremonies. Dancers prepare themselves to be ridden by spirits safely. Healers use specific plants and songs associated with particular spirits. Offerings and sacrifices are made to appease angry spirits. The goal is to heal illness or resolve personal crises. Attendants help the possessed individuals during the trance.

Tools and materials

Practitioners use drums, wind instruments, and vocal performances. Specific plants and soils are used for medical remedies. Blood sacrifices are offered to inherited family spirits. Songs and praise-epithets identify different spirits. Dancing costumes mark the status of the possessed. The mawaki leads vocals, while makadi drummers keep rhythm. These tools facilitate communication with the spirit world.

What it is for

The main purpose is healing physical and spiritual ailments. Spirits are believed to cause illness when offended. Rituals seek to restore balance and luck. Divination helps solve fertility issues or find treasure. The practice provides social support for women in Muslim communities. It offers a corporate identity through ritual societies. People consult spirits before major life events like marriage.

Who does it

Female priestesses, known as Inna, historically led the practice. Today, women dominate the possession-trance groups. They are called yan bori or dam bori. Male helpers, called masu kiwo, assist during ceremonies. Healers, or boka, prescribe specific remedies. Training involves learning spirit names and behaviors. Priestesses once held significant political advisory roles.

Peoples and places

The tradition belongs primarily to the Hausa people. It is found in Nigeria and Niger. Some practices exist among urban elites who converted to Islam. The Manguzawa are those who maintain pagan influences. Muslim Hausa may still respect local spirits. The practice varies between rural villages and cities. Urban Muslims often perform only the healing aspects.

What people believe

Believers hold that humans have multiple soul components. A bori spirit acts as an intermediary between humans and jinn. Angels record good and evil thoughts. Spirits live in heaven and earth, often near temples. They have families and social structures similar to humans. Some spirits are classified as white or black. Others are divided into town and bush categories. Allah is seen as the ultimate creator, but spirits manage daily affairs.

When it is done

Rituals occur during festivals like the girka initiation. They are performed at weddings and births. Crises such as illness trigger immediate ceremonies. Family rituals align with agricultural events. Public rituals have become less common. Individual sacrifices are made for personal needs. The timing depends on the specific spirit involved.

How scholars and sceptics see it

Scholars note the syncretism between Bori and Islam. Anthropologists study how women maintain influence through ritual. Historians trace the suppression of Bori under the Sokoto Caliphate. Researchers observe how the tradition adapts to modern life. The practice demonstrates resilience against religious change. It shows how indigenous beliefs persist within dominant religions.

Compare and confuse

Bori is distinct from mainstream Islam but shares terminology. It resembles other African spirit possession traditions. The concept of qarin-like spirits appears in other cultures. Jinn are recognized across the Islamic world. Unlike exorcism, Bori uses adorcism to control spirits peacefully. It differs from purely pagan systems due to Islamic integration.

Law and persecution

The Sokoto Caliphate historically suppressed open Bori practice. Colonial rule further marginalized female leadership roles. Today, the practice exists in legal gray areas. It is tolerated as folk healing in many regions. Open performance may face social stigma in conservative areas. No specific laws protect or ban the tradition explicitly.

Today

Bori survives as a syncretic practice in Muslim Hausaland. Women form ritual societies for healing and support. The tradition has absorbed new spirits from colonial times. It provides social cohesion for displaced communities. Commercialization of healing herbs occurs in markets. Appropriation by non-Hausa groups is limited. The core rituals remain private and community-focused.

Rites that involve Bori

Questions people ask about Bori

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle

• Hausa animism on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data