Ovimbundu Worldview

The Ovimbundu world-view is determined greatly by their religious beliefs and practices. The Ovimbundu overwhelmingly follow Christianity but some also mix these beliefs with indigenous African religions. The Ovimbundu acknowledge the existence of one high God. They believe that this one high God is the creator of all things, is all knowing, all-powerful, sustains creation, supports justice, and rules over the entire universe. However, the Ovimbundu also mix these beliefs with traditional African beliefs because they acknowledge different spirits and the impact they have on their lives.

            Traditional African religions acknowledge both ancestral spirits and nature spirits. Once an ancestor dies their spirit continues to be present in the lives of both their family and community. It is believed that these ancestral spirits communicate with God on behalf of those still living. However, these spirits must be honored with appropriate rituals and members of their family or community must not engage in inappropriate behavior if these spirits are expected to look favorably upon them. These spirits are looked up to for assistance during times of economic and social misfortune but if the spirits are displeased with their families or communities they will withdraw their protection and willingness to seek God’s blessing on them.

            Nature spirits are also a large part of traditional African religions. Nature spirits are those that live in nature such as the sky, river, lakes, rocks, trees, mountains, and oceans. The spirits that live in the skies control rain, which is extremely important because rain is essential in the raising of crops and animals. Other water spirits that may live in river, lakes, or oceans control the fish and wildlife that live in these bodies of water, which are a food source for the people. Both nature spirits and ancestral spirits are considered to be good because they help provide for and protect the people. The people honor these good spirits by practicing different ceremonies and rituals.

            Just like many other religions the Ovimbundu believe in good spirits and bad spirits. God and good spirits will bless the people because of good behavior but they will also cause suffering and misfortune if inappropriate behavior takes place in individuals or communities. It is believed that bad or evil spirits can cause suffering such as illness, famine, or drought. During these times individuals and communities are made aware of their bad behavior and they also look to good spirits to provide protection against these evil spirits.