To understand the lyric of the slave songs, it is important to understand religion in West African society. Worship of God in West Africa does not require a building because, as is said by the Yorubas, "God is everywhere, hence it is foolish to confine Him to a temple." A worshipper does not need a priest or priestess to intercede with the Deity, since every person has equal access to the Almighty. The Akan people of Ghana say that "If you want to speak to God, speak to the wind."
West African worship includes a role for ancestors, those people whose memories live on among the African peoples because of the exemplary lives they led} The ancestors are ever-present with African worshippers: After God, who is the Final Authority in all matters, the One who is preeminent in all things, the ancestors [come] next in importance." This ancestral belief underscores a strong sense of community and a faith in reincarnation. It also serves as a form of social control by which the conduct of individuals is regulated.
Another religious belief concerns the divinities created by God to fulfill specific functions. These' divinities are spirits with unlimited mobility. They are known as "lesser Gods''' with wide powers over human beings and fall into two categories. Divinities in the first category, referred to as "medicine') use physical objects or instruments found in the practice of magic. The second, more important, category comprises ancient tutelary divinities who are communally recognized and who have been worshipped for centuries. "They are believed to be the children of God, and their main function is to protect the community from harm."
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