This ritual of transferring one's sins unto a scapegoat has parallels in the study of psychology. It is often called Projection. This is when one has faults that one cannot admit to (even to oneself) and so to cope those very faults are projected unto another person and that other person is blamed for all the ills that one has. When that person is subsequently victimised, even killed, the act of victimising has a kind of purging effect. The person feels better about the fault since it has been punished on the head of another person.

This behaviour explains a lot of genocidal behaviours in human beings.

In Ifa in the Odu called Iwori wo'Osa we hear this story of the children of Yeye Aro and Orunmila. Yeye Aro had two children Oja and Ero. One day Ero unwittingly insulted Orunmila when Orunmila travelled to their town. Luckily for him, his sister Oja had made sacrifice on his behalf and when Orunmila passed by their home she invited him to come and take refreshments. When he got to Olofin's palace he made divination and the result was that in order to restore peace in town he would have to make sacrifices which would include his most senior minister who happened to be Ero.

Orunmila went away to return the next day by which time Ero had been caught and tied up ready to be sacrificed. When Orunmila returned the next day he took the other sacrificial victims, the rat and the fish, the goat and he decapitated them one by one. Each time he did so he would touch Ero's head with the head of the victims and sing this Ifa song:

Bi a ba ti se Ori Aro ma re o
Oja Orire dun sise o Oja

Meaning: This is what would have happened to Aro's Head o, But for Oja, Good Actions are sweet to do, Oja.

There are two Approaches to Religion.

Rituals

and

Ethics