JOURNALS

ABSTRACT

There are many different kinds and categories of free spirits among the Goemai people of Plateau State, Nigeria. However, many contemporary Goemai People seem to be ignorant of this fact possibly because of carelessness, the influences of modernization and civilization. The focus of this research is to find out the origin of Goemai people, to investigate the types and functions of free spirits among Goemai people. The data for this research were collected from books, journals, dictionaries and encyclopedias, among others which were sourced from the internet and libraries. The data were basically analyzed through the discussion, descriptive and historical methods, among others. The research found out that the different types of free spirits among the Goemai people include spirit of dead people who are rejected in the land of the ancestors for either living a bad life or indulging in certain evil activities while alive, the spirits of those who die in war, hunting expedition, through the activities of sorcery, in accident and those who have double self and the spirit of those on the path of the deities who are basically divided into white and black spirits. The free spirits basically perform the functions of blessings and curses. The research recommended that the elders in Goemai land should teach the younger generation about their religious heritage, especially in relation to free spirits and the younger generation should complement the efforts of their elders by availing themselves to learn this religious heritage, among others.