Egúngún: ancestralidad y educación

In this article we aim to explore the relationship between ancestry and education. We start reviewing some general aspects of ancestor worship in sub-Saharan African cultures. This provides a common ground for approaching Yoruba culture in particular and analyzing ancestor veneration through the Egúngún festival. Next, some key points are put forward to investigate the guidelines that the concept of egúngún provides to understand education in this tradition. Three aspects are highlighted: the role of oral tradition in the construction of “world-senses”; the formation of a person’s good character; and the commemoration of the past as a constitutive element of individual and collective identity. Finally, we propose to appreciate the Egúngún festival as an educational experience that could be classified within the scope of informal education.