What is "naparay"

Naparay in African anthropological study refers to a non-linear conception of human life held by some West African peoples such as the historic Yoruba. Similar to the idea of reincarnation, naparay holds that lives are cyclic and that attributes of previous lives may carry over to a new life. In cultures that hold this belief, ritual practices may be invoked to determine if a young child is in fact an "elder" - including rituals undertaken while the mother is pregnant with child. While all people are considered to have had previous lives, the extent to which they carry their past lives with them into the present is the question determined by these ritual practices. A newborn determined to have the capability or "life force" of an elder may be treated with the deference granted to an elder, for example being called "Baba" (father, elder) and being trained to lead ceremonies at a young age. Naparay is seen as the method by which ancient knowledge is passed on to present society. Rituals and prayer are performed during early pregnancy to guide the vital force of the recently deceased toward the new child.

Western anthropologists have considered naparay as part of a cultural practice that limits the accumulation of power among a small group within a community. Attributing wisdom and experience to the young allows new and competing leaders to emerge. Anthropologists also note that nothing in the mythology of naparay prevents females from being considered to possess a strong "life force" in equality with males, yet the culture almost always attributes strong naparay to males only.