Honoring the Ancestors: The Heart of Yorùbá Spirituality

Alaje Fadesiye
Apr 11, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Aug 2

In Yorùbá culture, ancestral worship isn’t just about remembering the dead — it’s about maintaining a living relationship with those who shaped our lives, families, and destinies. Ancestors, known as Ègún, are not far away; they are with us, around us, and within us. They guide us, protect us, and hold us accountable. When we honor them, we honor ourselves.

Why We Honor the Ancestors

The Ancestors Are Not Gone — They’re Just on the Other Side

In Yorùbá belief, when someone passes on after living a meaningful, upright life, their spirit transitions into the realm of Ègún — the honored ancestors. These ancestors remain spiritually active, watching over their descendants and maintaining ties to the family.

They are not just spirits of memory — they are respected elders who still walk with us, offering support, warnings, and inspiration. We continue to speak their names, tell their stories, and call on them during life’s blessings and challenges.

The ancestors become a sacred source of wisdom and protection, serving as a bridge between the human world and the divine, including Olódùmarè (the Creator) and the Òrìṣà (divine forces).

How We Keep That Connection Alive

Simple Practices, Deep Power

You don’t need a grand altar to honor your ancestors. What you need is intention, respect, and presence. Here are ways many connect with their Ègún:

Libation (òmí tùtù): Pouring cool water onto the earth or altar while speaking your ancestors’ names and asking for peace, blessings, and guidance.
Offerings: Leaving food, drink, or symbolic items that your ancestors enjoyed. This could be a meal, fruit, coffee, or a cooked dish.
Prayer and Light: Light a white candle or say a simple prayer like, “I remember you. I honor you. Walk with me.”
Ancestral Space: Setting aside a shelf, bowl, or pot (ìkòkò Ègún) to mark their presence and invite their energy.

These small gestures refresh the relationship between the living and the ancestors. They bring spiritual clarity, calm, and support into your home.

Celebrating Together

The Power of Community and the Spirit of Ẹ̀gúngún

While many offerings are made privately, ancestral veneration is also communal. In Yorùbá tradition, the Ẹ̀gúngún festival is a major celebration of the ancestors.

During these festivals, dancers wear elaborate masks and costumes as Ẹ̀gúngún — visible manifestations of ancestral spirits. Accompanied by drums, chants, and dance, these spirits walk among the living, blessing the people, offering guidance, and reminding the community of ancestral values.

These ceremonies:

Reconnect generations
Cleanse the community spiritually
Reinforce moral accountability
Celebrate the lineage

When the Ẹ̀gúngún comes out, it’s not just a performance — it’s a sacred visitation.

Calling on the Ancestors for Support

When Life Gets Real, So Do the Ancestors

Many turn to their Ègún for guidance in difficult, confusing, or transitional. This might include:

Speaking directly to them at an altar or sacred space
Asking for signs, dreams, or inner messages
Seeking divination from spiritual elders and priests

Divination may be performed by:

Babaláwo or Ìyánífá through the sacred system of Ifá and Òpèlè
Babalórìṣà or Ìyálórìṣà using Òbí Àbàtà (four-lobed kòlà nut), Òbí àgbònbó (coconut), èrìndílógún (cowries), or ancestral insight
Trusted community elders or spiritually gifted individuals with ancestral alignment

In Yorùbá belief, the ancestors have already walked the paths of hardship, joy, and growth. When we consult them — whether through coconut, kola, cowries, or Ifá — we are receiving ancestral wisdom and guidance meant to keep us spiritually balanced and protected.

They often act as intercessors, helping carry our prayers to the Òrìṣà or clearing spiritual obstacles from our path.

Knowing Where You Come From

Identity Is Incomplete Without Ancestry

Ancestral worship is also about identity. In Yorùbá thought, your name, your ìdílé (lineage), and your spiritual inheritance are central to who you are.

When you honor your ancestors, you say: “I come from somewhere. I carry something. I belong to someone.”

Even those who don’t know their full family history — especially in the diaspora — can call on the known and unknown Ègún who walk with them. Spiritual connection transcends names. Your sincere invocation is enough to open that door.

By honoring the ancestors, we hold on to cultural memory, family strength, and spiritual direction — and we pass it to those who will come after us.

The Past Is Not Gone — It’s With Us

Becoming the Ancestors of Tomorrow

In Yorùbá spirituality, life is a circle — the ancestors shape us, we shape the world, and we, too, will become ancestors. Ancestral worship helps us ask:

How am I honoring those who came before me?
How do I live with dignity, integrity, and grace?
What will I leave behind for those who come after?

We do not honor ancestors only to get blessings. We honor them because we carry their name, their sacrifice, and their unfinished prayers. By doing so, we walk a path of alignment, gratitude, and purpose.