Religious Hypocrisy

In The Lady with a Beard, Alobwed’Epie presents the Bakossi people as religiously hypocritical because they combine Christian beliefs with traditional beliefs in their daily lives. This is evident when the villagers react negatively to the priest’s sermon against the belief in witchcraft and other traditional superstitions.

The priest addresses the issue following Ntube’s confession after her fall into the Brook-of-the-Serpent. He warns the villagers against frightening children about the place and criticises their lack of faith, especially considering the length of time Christianity has existed in their community. However, instead of accepting his teaching, the villagers continue to hold firmly to their traditional beliefs. This is evident when they murmur inside the church in surprise:

“Our people have always maintained the tradition that if a person falls in the Brook-of-the-Serpent, whether seen or not seen, …”

The villagers’ reaction reveals the conflict between their Christian faith and their traditional beliefs. Although they attend church and profess Christianity, they continue to rely on traditional explanations and practices when confronted with situations they do not understand. This is seen as Emade finally performs the sacrifice to appease the serpent agains her daughter. Through this contradiction, the author exposes the religious hypocrisy of a community that has embraced Christianity outwardly but has not completely abandoned its traditional beliefs.