GBORSI: THE CANONS OF DESTINY, AND DESTINY RENEGOTIATION IN OGONI TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY

Abstract

Whatever befalls a man is believed to be what he/she settled with his bari (guardian angel) and Kawaa-Bari (The Supreme Being). Hence, the experience of an invincible external pull and irresistible constraints and the feeling of powerlessness and void, are indeed the common fate human all share. In other words, how the principle of destiny balance against individual will and freedom of action calls for great concern among philosophers and theologians alike. However, our consideration here is with particular reference to the Ogoni, as little or no attention have been given to the concept of gborsi (destiny) from the Ogoni-African perspective. This study therefore gives a deep philosophical reflection on the concept of ‘Gborsi’ (destiny), and the role of one’s bari (personal god or guardian angel) in Ogoni ontology. The study further unveils the canons or principles believed to be responsible in the shaping of a person’s life, as well as the understanding of the factors or means of re-negotiating one’s destiny in the Ogoni religious experience. Through the description and philosophical method, the study argues that destiny is not fixed, static, and absolutely a predetermined reality, but rather as a framework in which the relationship between divine agency and human agency could be understood as compatiblism that admits personal efforts.