The Efik religion is based on the traditional beliefs of the Efik people of southern Nigeria. The traditional religious beliefs of the Efik are not systemised into a logical orthodoxy but consists of diverse conceptions such as worship of the supreme God, ancestral veneration, cleansing rituals and funeral rites.Simmons, p.346
Religion for the Efik consisted of showing respect for God by avoiding sins such as adultery, murder, theft, false witness, and work on the day sacred to God. In addition, it included respect for ancestors and supernatural powers. The Efik people believe in a supreme being known as Abasi or Abasi Ibom.Walker, p.122 Other variations of the name Abasi may also be found across the lower Cross River region such as Obase, Ovase and Obassi Nsi. Apart from the belief in a supreme being, the Efik also believe in water spirits or deities known as which are believed to mainly reside in the water.Hackett, p.28 The singular of Ndem is Idem but Ndem may be worshipped as a single deity or a host of deities.Aye, A Learner's Dictionary, p.28
Worship of Abasi The Efik people believe in one God known as Abasi who is believed to dwell in the sky and is the source of life and death.Hackett, p.32 Abasi is also known as Abasi Ibom where the appended word "Ibom" signifies greatness. Writers such as James Walker and Rev. Hugh Goldie attest that the word "Ibom" is only ever applied to two objects i.e. the Sea () and Abasi.Goldie, p.114 During the pre-Christian days of the Efik society, Worship of Abasi took place on Akwa Ederi which was one of the days of the week.Amaku, p.1 According to Simmons, "No washing of clothes, marketing, fishing, hunting, or drumming was permitted on Akwa ederi, the day of the eight-day week sacred to God, People remained inside the house and rested, or feasted and visited friends* Efik never commenced a war or fought a battle on "Calabar Sunday" as the day was known to early European traders."Simmons, p.347 Abasi was worshipped in front of which is described as, "a little mud hut has an altar in the middle of the yard in which plates, bones, etc, are placed."Aye, A Learner's Dictionary, p.58
Ndem worship
The Efik affirm a strong belief in Ndem which are believed to rule various territories in old Calabar. Ndem is believed to reside in various water bodies such as streams, creeks and rivers.Savage, p.273 The belief in water deities is mainly as a result of the geographical location of the Efik in subsaharan Africa. According to Aye, Prior to the advent of Christianity in Old Calabar in the nineteenth century the Efik people were polytheists by religion, that is to say, they worshipped several gods and goddesses to whom they offered periodic animal and human sacrifices. For instance, Creek Town had worshipped Akpa Uyɔk; Old Town, Anansa Ikọt Obutong; Cobham Town, Iboku Anwan; Henshaw Town, Esiet Ebom Nsidung or Suŋku Moŋko: but these were by no means all, and individual families and Houses had their patron gods and goddesses.Aye, Old Calabar, p.28 The college of deities were collectively known as Ndem Efik ()). Ndem Efik is believed to reward its adherents with wealth, children and good fortune.Akak, p.293 Children who were born as result of consultation with Ndem Efik are known as and are often given the name "Ndem". According to Akak, "Women who become spiritualits with deep knowledge in the mystery of spiritualism are also known as ","women of the deity. Men who fall within this category are known as and both male and female worshippers of the Deity are "," people of the Deity."Akak, p.293-294 The various Ndem often have priests and priestesses who sacrifice to them. Ndem Priests and Priestesses are known as . The chief priest or priestess is known as . Among the Efik of Iboku, Ndem worship is often associated with the Eyọ Ema clan which includes Otung in Creek Town and Cobham town.Savage, p.275
A place where prayer and offerings are made to Ndem is known as . Iso Ndem is believed to be an area where a deity is supposed to dwell. Such an area may exist on land, forest or water. Offerings or sacrifices to Ndem are usually made in a specially woven basket known as ().Simmons, p.350 Contents of the basket usually include oil palm fruit, an oil palm kernel, pieces of plantain, pieces of mashed yam, and a species of small croaker. The various Ndem have unique objects which complement offerings made to them. According to Savage, "For Anansa Ikot Obutong a pipe must be included in the sacrifice, for Afia añwan (fair lady) there must be a piece of white cloth."Savage, p.278 A sacrifice to Asari Anyando included a goat, chicken, eggs, wine and white, yellow and red chalk. Other sacrificial items included Eggs, white fowl, white goats, cows, tortoises. During the pre-colonial era, Human sacrifices were sometimes made to the Ndem but this practice gradually declined with the entry of the Christian missionaries.
Festivals and Ceremonies In the Efik traditional religion, it was believed that unless the land is purified, misfortune will descend on the people. Thus, the Efik employed several cleansing rituals to appease their Ancestors and bring blessings on the land. In some cases where a person feared misfortune surrounded his home or wished to bring God's blessings on his home, some symbolic acts would be carried out to purify his home and attract God's blessings on his family.
Ndọk
Ndọk was a biennial purgation festival which was held around December.Waddell, p.366 The purpose of the festival was to drive away evil spirits from the Efik country.Hutchinson, p.162 Prior to the day of the festival, rude images known as were set up before the doors of several houses. were created in the image of animals such as Cows, Elephants, Tigers, Alligators and other animals. These caricatures were constructed with sticks and grass-covered with cloth. Consul Hutchinson describes them stating, These figures are made of sticks and bamboo matting; being moulded into different shapes. Some of them have an attempt at body, with legs and arms, to resemble the human form. Imaginative artists sometimes furnish these specimens with an old straw hat, a pipe in the mouth, and a stick fastened to the end of the arm, as if they were prepared to undertake a journey. Many of the figures are supposed to resemble four-footed animals; some crocodiles; and other birds. The evil spirits are expected to inhabit the prior to the festival. On the Night of the festival, a lot of Noise is made. Cannons are fired, drums are beaten, bells are rung. The noise was expected to frighten the devil and evil spirits with the intention of chasing them out of town.Waddell, p.367 By morning, the were thrown away into the river. According to Hope Waddell, "There were sometimes real outbursts of grief on these occasions; on the remembrance of departed relatives, thus finally expelled heart-breaking passionate bewailings."Waddell, pp.367-368 The Ndọk festival later metamorphosed into a celebration of the New Year's Eve but the is not made for this celebration.Forde, p.26 effigies are made for (Judas play) which holds on Good Friday. On Good Friday, young people put these effigies on the streets and at noon, they begin to beat the effigies with sticks, shouting "Judas killed Christ".
Ankọ Ebekpa This was a cleansing ritual usually performed after War to avert catastrophe. This ritual was performed by the Ankọ society which was composed of men. The ritual was performed due to the amount of blood spilt and different war medicines () utilised such as , and . Witchcraft prevention charms were also employed such as , and .Goldie, p.252 War medicines were regarded as polluting the spiritual energy of the land. The cleansing exercise was therefore done to counteract their effects on the land. The dance was performed at mid-night. During the performance, non-members of the society were to remain indoors.
The ritual was also used to cleanse the town should death occur through . In a situation where a person dies from dropsy, tuberculosis or elephantiasis, the burial of the person is supervised by the Ankọ society and the corpse is rolled in a mat and buried at midnight.Forde, p.25 If a mother died during pregnancy or childbirth without the fetus removed, the society would equally supervise her burial. After the burial, the society would return to the community with its ceremonial items to the compound of the deceased where they would beat drums, sing and carry the cleansing instruments into all the rooms.Forde, pp.25-26 They would equally sprinkle protective medicine in all the rooms after cutting a hole in the roof of the house to serve as an exit for evil things. Any food or water in the home of a person during the ritual is disposed and thrown away. The Efik believe the ritual to be so powerful that should a non-initiate watch the ritual take place, they would sicken and die. As a result, a father initiates his young son into the society to prevent any danger.
Ekpa This is a private and mysterious dance performed only by elderly women before the Obong's coronation ceremony.Savage, p.94 The purpose of the dance was to cleanse the society of evil, diseases and ensure peace and fertility. It is performed in the nude at night away from prying eyes. The performance solely by older women stems from the old belief that elderly women who were past menopause were considered asexual in Efik traditional society.
Religious Practices Libation
Among the Efik, every social function of great moment anywhere on the territory of a particular people, calls for the offering to and supplication of the ancestors.Offiong, p.78 The function could be a wedding coming of age, naming ceremony, celebration of any sort of one's elevation, a welcome or send-off ceremony and so on. It could also be a function at the village, town, governmental, school, club, society or even Church level. It is the duty of the oldest man in the gathering and he must be dressed in the traditional attire of the Efik, which is a loincloth wrapped around the hips flowing to the ground, with a shirt on top. Were the said man to be dressed otherwise, he would have to indigenize that attire by sticking out a piece of cloth or handkerchief in front of the trousers. This would make up for the loincloth. The drink used in the past to pour libation was the Palm wine ().
Prayers Prayers are often made to God, Ancestors or Supernatural powers.Simmons, p.361 Richard Burton likened the method of prayer used by the Efik as being similar to that of the Pharisees.Burton, p.402 Although prayers may sometimes be addressed to magical powers such as and , the Efik normally cajole persuade or argue rather than pray to them. A person may pray by himself or as a speaker in a group. When a group prays, one person says the prayer while the others remain silent.Simmons, p.362 Prayers often go along with the pouring of libation or with the making of a sacrifice such as the killing of a goat or a chicken.
Sacrifices