THE FUNCTIONS OF SACRIFICE
To punish a wrongdoer To gain power through sorcery
To dedicate some object or place to the jinas
Functions of sacrifice in Supyire society not found in Israel
Seeking Yahweh for future blessing, or for protection against evil, or for wisdom when confronted with a problem is part and parcel of Israelite religion, and
the subject matter of many recorded prayers. However it is not a function of sacrifice, for the concept of a supernatural being responding to a request because he
has benefited materially from the sacrifices offered to him is alien to Israelite religion see above, p.95.
The following practices found among the Supyire are specifically forbidden to the Israelites in the Pentateuch:
1 Divination Lev 19:26, Deut 18:10, for it is based on the conviction that
impersonal fate determines all that happens rather than Yahweh the sovereign God.
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2 Consulting the spirits of the dead Deut 18:11. This too militates against
acknowledging the sovereignty of Yahweh. 3
Magic or sorcery in which the magician tries to compel a divinity or occult forces to work for him Lev 19:26. This contrasts with the humble walk of the believer
with his God, characterised by prayer and submission. 4
Punishing wrongdoers, while not expressly prohibited, is seen as the prerogative of Yahweh who says, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay” Deut 32:35.
Functions of sacrifice in Israel not found in Supyire society
The Supyire do not perform sacrifices to purify themselves or their property from the effects of sin, as they do not share the Levitical concept of sin in terms of it
having a polluting effect.
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Hartley, Leviticus, p.320.
Functions common to Israelite and Supyire sacrifice
Homage, reconciliation, consecration, reparation and fulfilment of a vow are functions of sacrifice common to both societies.
1 Homage The Israelite year was punctuated by a number of festivals appointed by
Yahweh and outlined several times in the Pentateuch Exod 23:14-17; 34:18-26; Lev 23; Num 28-29; Deut 16:1-17. There are a number of similarities between these and
the Supyire village festival. They are both community celebrations, when typically no work is done. Sacrifices are offered as gifts in homage to Yahweh for having
intervened on behalf of the Israelite people in the past and for providing for their ongoing needs. Similarly, Supyire villages offer homage to the jinas who have
helped establish their village and who provide for continuing harvests. As we have seen, the
ymlv was a celebration in the presence of Yahweh and during the festival of shelters Israel was commanded to “rejoice before the
LORD for seven days” Lev 23:40. In Fassoumana, a village in the north of Supyire
territory, the annual festival is called P ›ri.
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Diarra writes, “It is a festival which seeks to honour the ancestors, invoke the jinas and the sacred forests, to offer
sacrifices, to repent: in short to seek the p ›r›mi from the jinas
… all activities except commerce come to a halt. It is a time for
‘sacred rest’ … joy, abundance, brotherhood, reunion and reconciliation.”
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Despite the similarities in the theme of celebration, there are differences of emphases that should be pointed out. For the Israelites the personality and attributes
of Yahweh are much more to the fore. It is Yahweh who is the centre of attention, and specific miraculous acts he has performed in the past are brought to mind. The
Supyire jinas and ancestors are much more shadowy characters. For a start, there are many of them; there is not one who is in focus for the whole festival week as is the
case in e.g. Lev 23:40. Instead, sacrifices will be made to different groups on different days of the festival. They are not named in the prayers, and their actions are
recalled, if at all, only in very general terms. The exploits of a living hero are more likely to be recited than those deeds now forgotten in the mists of time.
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Diarra states that P ›ri is derived from p›r›mi
, which means “happiness”: see Diarra, Le Pori, Une Fête Traditionelle en Milieu Senoufo, p.24.
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Diarra, Le Pori, Une Fête Traditionelle en Milieu Senoufo, p.24 my translation.
2 Reconciliation Both in Israel and in Supyire worldviews, an important function of sacrifice is
to restore broken relationships. The relationship between Yahweh and his people was broken by their sin; a holy God cannot dwell in the presence of sin
, and God’s wrath was averted by means of sacrifice. For the Supyire, ancestors who for some reason
have been offended will take out their anger against the living, and their anger can be appeased by sacrifice.
3 Dedication Tools, musical instruments or a market may be dedicated to a jina by way of
a sacrifice. Exod 29:35-36 shows that the tafj has a role to play in the dedication of
priests and of the altar in the service of Yahweh. 4 Reparation
When Yahweh’s name or property consecrated to him has been violated, there is the need for a reparation offering to restore it to its proper position. This has
some parallels with the need in Supyire society to repair the land when it has been spoilt, as the land is seen as something apart and having a special relationship with
kile. 5 Fulfilment of a vow
When a prayer has been executed, the Supyire will usually be quick to fulfil any vow that they have made in connection with the prayer, for fear of reprisals. The
Israelites, too, were expected to fulfil vows to Yahweh: “If you make a vow to the
LORD your God, do not be slow to pay for it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you, and you will be guilty of sin” Deut 23:21.