66 priestesses were interviewed. As many as sixty of the 132 respondents were interviewed in
Lower Axim alone, whereas the remaining were distributed among the other three communities, with Apewosika recording the least of 15 respondents See Table 1.
2.4 Data Collection Procedure Instruments
• Face-to-face in-depth interview recorded.
• Focus group discussions recorded.
• Non-participant observation.
2.5 Research Questions Themes
A. The Sea
• What constitutes the sea?
• Is the sea male or female? How did we come to know the sex of the sea?
• What are the key traditional beliefs relative to the sea?
• What are the key traditional beliefs relative to sea creatures?
• How important is the sea to the people?
• What are the traditional requirements for one to enter the sea as a fisherman?
• Do women go to sea? If no, why and what is the history behind?
• Do people often violate the taboos of the sea?
• What sanctions are there for violators of sea taboos and prohibitions?
• Which traditional institutions have the power to implement sanctions?
• What are the spiritual implications of violations?
• What happens if sanctions are defied by violators?
• Are sanctions graded according to the type and nature of the offence?
• Have the sanctions changed overtime? If yes, what changes affected the sanctions and
their implementation? •
B. Sea Creatures
• •
Mention as many sea creatures as you know. •
Are there sea creatures that are totems? •
With regard to traditional religious beliefs, which sea creatures come into focus? •
What beliefs are there regarding these sea creatures and diet, that is, which ones are not to be eaten and why?
• How do people express their beliefs regarding these creatures?
C. Sea godsgoddesses
• Which sea creatures are gods?
• How did they evolve to become gods?
• What role do they play in fishing?
• What are some of the taboos associated with sea godsgoddesses?
• What punitive measures are there for those who break the taboos related to the
godsgoddesses? •
What communication channels are there between humans and the sea godsgoddesses?
• How do the general activities of the sea godsgoddesses manifest in the lives of
fishermen and their communities?
67 •
Have there been any significant changes in the traditional beliefs about the functions and powers of the sea godsgoddesses?
• What factors may have accounted for these changes?
2.6 Data Analysis
