Ọdinani (), also ''Omenala'', ''Omenana'', ''Odinana'' or ''Ọmenani'', are the traditional
cultural
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human Society, societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, and habits of the ...
beliefs and practices of the
Igbo people
The Igbo people ( , ; also spelled Ibo" and formerly also ''Iboe'', ''Ebo'', ''Eboe'',
*
*
* ''Eboans'', ''Heebo'';
natively ) are an ethnic group in Nigeria. They are primarily found in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. A ...
of
south east
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
.
[Afulezy, Uj]
"On Odinani, the Igbo Religion"
, ''Niger Delta Congress'', Nigeria, April 03, 2010 These terms, as used here in the
Igbo language
Igbo ( , ; Igbo: ''Ásụ̀sụ́ Ìgbò'' ) is the principal native language cluster of the Igbo people, a meta-ethnicity from Southeastern Nigeria.
The number of Igboid languages depends on how one classifies a language versus a dialect, so ...
, are synonymous with the traditional Igbo "
religious system
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, tr ...
" which was not considered separate from the social norms of ancient or traditional Igbo societies. Theocratic in nature, spirituality played a huge role in their everyday lives. Although it has largely been supplanted by
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
, the indigenous belief system remains in strong effect among the
rural
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...
and
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
populations of the Igbo, where it has at times influenced the colonial religions. Odinani is a
pantheistic
Pantheism is the belief that reality, the universe and the cosmos are identical with divinity and a supreme supernatural being or entity, pointing to the universe as being an immanent creator deity still expanding and creating, which has ex ...
and
polytheistic
Polytheism is the belief in multiple deities, which are usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own religious sects and rituals. Polytheism is a type of theism. Within theism, it contrasts with monotheism, the ...
faith, having a strong
central deity at its head.
[Mbaegbu, Chukwuemeka (4 March 2015). "A Philosophical Investigation of the Nature of God in Igbo Ontology". ''Department of Philosophy, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria''.] All things spring from this deity. Although a
pantheon
Pantheon may refer to:
* Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building
Arts and entertainment Comics
*Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization
* ''Pantheon'' (Lone St ...
of other gods and spirits, these being
Ala Ala, ALA, Alaa or Alae may refer to:
Places
* Ala, Hiiu County, Estonia, a village
* Ala, Valga County, Estonia, a village
* Ala, Alappuzha, Kerala, India, a village
* Ala, Iran, a village in Semnan Province
* Ala, Gotland, Sweden
* Alad, S ...
,
Amadiọha,
Anyanwụ,
Ekwensu
Ekwensu is a trickster of the Igbo people, a trickster spirit of confusion,that serves as the Alusi (god) of bargains and the tortoise.Crafty at trade and negotiations. He is often invoked for guidance in difficult mercantile situations. He is pe ...
,
Ikenga
Ikenga (Igbo literal meaning "strength of movement") is a horned Alusi found among the Igbo people in southeastern Nigeria. It is one of the most powerful symbols of the Igbo people and the most common cultural artifact. Ikenga is mostly maintai ...
, exists in the belief system, as it does in many other
Traditional African religions
The traditional beliefs and practices of African people are highly diverse beliefs that include various ethnic religions.Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009) Molefi Kete Asante Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptura ...
, the lesser deities prevalent in Odinani expressly serve as helpers or elements of
Chukwu
Chukwu is the supreme being of Igbo spirituality. In the Igbo pantheon, Chukwu is the source of all other Igbo deities and is responsible for assigning them their different tasks. The Igbo people believe that all things come from Chukwu, who b ...
, the central deity.
[M. O. En]
"The fundamentals of Odinani"
''KWENU: Our Culture, Our Future'', April 03, 2010.
Lesser spirits known as ''ágbàrà'' or ''árúsí'' operate below the other gods and higher spirits. These lesser spirits represent natural forces; agbara as a divine force manifests as separate arụsị in the Igbo pantheon. A concept of 'the eye of sun or God' (''ányá ánwụ́'') exists as a masculine and feminine solar deity which forms a part of the solar veneration among the
Nri-Igbo
Nri is an Igbo city-state in Anambra State, Biafra. It was the seat of a powerful and imperial state who was influenced much by the territories inhabited by the Igbo of Awka and Onitsha to the east; the Efik, the Ibibio, to the south; Nsukka and ...
in northern Igboland. Arụsị are mediated by ''Dibia'' and other priests who do not contact the high god directly. Through ''áfà'', 'divination', the laws and demands of the arụsị are communicated to the living. Arụsị are venerated in community shrines around roadsides and forests while smaller shrines are located in the household for
ancestor veneration
The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...
. Deceased ancestors live in the spirit world where they can be contacted. Below the arụsị are minor and more general spirits known as ''mmúọ'' loosely defined by their perceived malevolent or benign natures. These minor spirits are not venerated and are sometimes considered the lost souls of the dead. Ancestor worship and the worship of various gods and spirits, form the main component of the traditional Igbo religion, standing in contrast with
Abrahamic religions
The Abrahamic religions are a group of religions centered around worship of the God of Abraham. Abraham, a Hebrew patriarch, is extensively mentioned throughout Abrahamic religious scriptures such as the Bible and the Quran.
Jewish tradition ...
.
The number of people practicing Igbo religion decreased drastically in the 20th century with the influx of
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
missionaries
A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
under the auspices of the
British colonial government in Nigeria. In some cases Igbo traditional religion was syncretised with Christianity, but in many cases indigenous rites were demonised by Christian missionaries who pointed out the practice of
human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more humans as part of a ritual, which is usually intended to please or appease gods, a human ruler, an authoritative/priestly figure or spirits of dead ancestors or as a retainer sacrifice, wherein ...
and some other cultural practices that were illegal under the colonial government. Earlier missionaries referred to many indigenous religious practices as ''juju''. Igbo religion is most present today in harvest ceremonies such as
new yam festival
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
(''ị́wá jí'') and masquerading traditions such as mmanwụ and
Ekpe
Ekpe, also known as Mgbe/Egbo (Ekoi language: ''leopard''; derived from the Ibibio term for the same), is a West African secret society in Nigeria and Cameroon flourishing chiefly among the Efiks. It is also found among a number of other ethni ...
.
Remnants of Igbo religious rites spread among African descendants in the Caribbean and North America in era of the
Atlantic slave trade
The Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and i ...
. Igbo ''ọ́bị̀à'' was transferred to the
British West Indies
The British West Indies (BWI) were colonized British territories in the West Indies: Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grena ...
and
Guyana
Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...
as
obeah
Obeah, or Obayi, is an ancestrally inherited tradition of Akan witches of Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Togo and their descendants in the African diaspora of the Caribbean. Inheritors of the tradition are referred to as "obayifo" (Akan/Ghana-region ...
and aspects of Igbo masquerading traditions can be found among the festivals of the
Garifuna people
The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian Creol ...
and
jonkonnu
Junkanoo is a street parade with music, dance, and costumes with origin in many islands across the English-speaking world, English speaking West Indies, Caribbean every Boxing Day (26 December) and New Year's Day (1 January). These cultural par ...
in the West Indies and
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
.
Etymology
''Ọdịnala'' in central Igbo dialect is the compound of the words ''ọ̀ dị̀'' ('located') + ''n'' (''nà'', 'within') + ''àla'' (the one god)
onsisting of anu (E nu) above (the heavens) and Ala, below (the earth)[M. O. En]
"The fundamentals of Odinani"
''KWENU: Our Culture, Our Future'', April 03, 2010. Other dialectal variants include ''ọdịnanị'', ''ọdịnana'', ''omenala'', ''omenana'', and ''omenanị''.
The word ọdịnala and all its variations is also associated with the culture and customary laws of the Igbo people. Many of the laws and culture were counterparts with religion such as taboos and laws concerning sacred spaces like a deities sacred forest. Since customary law is recognised in Nigeria, many in Igbo society find themselves syncretising these beliefs with other beliefs and religions.
Beliefs
Ọdịnala could loosely be described as a
polytheistic
Polytheism is the belief in multiple deities, which are usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own religious sects and rituals. Polytheism is a type of theism. Within theism, it contrasts with monotheism, the ...
and
panentheistic
Panentheism ("all in God", from the Greek grc, πᾶν, pân, all, label=none, grc, ἐν, en, in, label=none and grc, Θεός, Theós, God, label=none) is the belief that the divine intersects every part of the universe and also extends bey ...
faith with a strong central spiritual force at its head from which all things are believed to spring; however, the contextual diversity of the system may encompass various theistic perspectives that derive from a variety of beliefs held within the religion.
[Benjamin Ray says of the position of African religions:
]But as we have seen, there are other elements esides monotheistic oneswhich tend towards polytheism or pantheism. What, we may ask, accounts for these different tendencies? As Evans-Pritchard and Peel suggest, they do not derive so much from different observers' standpoints as from the different standpoints within the religious systems themselves This, of course, does not mean that African religions consist of conflicting "system" (monotheism, polytheism, pantheism, totemism), which lack any inherent unity. Rather, the totality of elements in each religious system can be viewed from different internal perspectives according to different contextual alignments. What is misleading is to seize upon one perspective or tendency and make it the dominant framework. This may satisfy the observer's own theological preferences, e.g., monotheism, but only at the expense of over-systematizing the contextual diversity of African religious thought.
Chukwu as the central deity is classed among the , 'invisible beings', an ontological category of beings which includes ''Ala'' the divine feminine earth force, ''chi'' the 'personal deity', the ancestors, and the minor spirits. The other ontological category consists of ''ndi mmadu'', 'visible beings', which include ''ánụ́'' animals, ''ósísí'' plants, and the final class ''ùrò'' which consists of elements, minerals and inanimate beings.
While various gods, the spirit class of Arusi, and ancestors are worshiped and prayed to; no sacrifices are given to Chukwu and no shrines and altars are erected for it.
If an Arusi is assigned to an individual, it becomes a chi, a personal guardian god/spirit.
Complex
animism
Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...
builds the core concept of most traditional African religions, including Odinala, this includes the worship of
tutelary deities
A tutelary () (also tutelar) is a deity or a spirit who is a guardian, patron, or protector of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture, or occupation. The etymology of "tutelary" expresses the concept of safety an ...
,
nature worship
Nature worship also called naturism or physiolatry is any of a variety of religious, spiritual and devotional practices that focus on the worship of the nature spirits considered to be behind the natural phenomena visible throughout nature. A nat ...
,
ancestor worship
The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...
and the belief in an
afterlife
The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving ess ...
. While some religions adopted a
pantheistic
Pantheism is the belief that reality, the universe and the cosmos are identical with divinity and a supreme supernatural being or entity, pointing to the universe as being an immanent creator deity still expanding and creating, which has ex ...
worldview, most follow a
polytheistic
Polytheism is the belief in multiple deities, which are usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own religious sects and rituals. Polytheism is a type of theism. Within theism, it contrasts with monotheism, the ...
system with various gods, spirits and other
supernatural being
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
s. Traditional African religions also have elements of
fetishism
A fetish (derived from the French , which comes from the Portuguese , and this in turn from Latin , 'artificial' and , 'to make') is an object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular, a human-made object that has power over oth ...
,
shamanism
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a Spirit world (Spiritualism), spirit world through Altered state of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, such as tranc ...
and
veneration of relics
Veneration ( la, veneratio; el, τιμάω ), or veneration of saints, is the act of honoring a saint, a person who has been identified as having a high degree of sanctity or holiness. Angels are shown similar veneration in many religions. Etymo ...
.
Nigerian American
Nigerian Americans ( ig, Ṇ́dị́ Naìjíríyà n'Emerịkà;
ha, Yan Najeriyar asalin Amurka;
yo, Àwọn ọmọ Nàìjíríà Amẹ́ríkà) are an ethnic group of Americans who are of Nigerian ancestry. The number of Nigerian immigran ...
professor of indigenous African religions at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
,
Jacob Olupona Jacob K. Olupona is a Nigerian American professor at the Harvard Divinity School with a joint appointment as Professor of African and African American Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University.
Biography
Jacob K. Olupona ...
summarized the many traditional African religions as complex
animistic
Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, hum ...
religious traditions and beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic "colonization" of Africa.
Ancestor veneration
The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...
has always played a "significant" part in the traditional African cultures and may be considered as central to the African worldview. Ancestors (ancestral ghosts/spirits) are an integral part of reality. The ancestors are generally believed to reside in an ancestral realm (spiritworld), while some believe that the ancestors became equal in power to deities.
Olupona rejects the western/Islamic definition of
Monotheism
Monotheism is the belief that there is only one deity, an all-supreme being that is universally referred to as God. Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford ...
and says that such concepts could not reflect the complex African traditions and are too simplistic. While some traditions have a supreme being (next to other deities), others have not. Monotheism does not reflect the multiplicity of ways that the traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and spirit beings. He summarizes that traditional African religions are not only religions, but a worldview, a way of life.
Chukwuemeka Mbaegbu from the
Nnamdi Azikiwe University
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, also called UNIZIK or NAU in short is a federal university in Nigeria. It consists of two campuses in Anambra State. Its main campus is in Awka (the capital of Anambra State), while its other campus is in Nnewi. ...
,
Awka
Awka () is the capital city of Anambra State, Nigeria. The city was declared capital on 21 August 1991, after the creation of Anambra and Enugu state, which moved the capital from Enugu to Awka (an administrative center since pre.-colonial times). ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, describes the Igbo religion's system as "''Monopolytheism''", referring to the belief in many distinct gods and spirits, but with one distant and unpersonalized supreme force, which resulted in the creation of everything, but is not a god per definition.
Chi
![Chi shrine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Chi_shrine.jpg)
In Odinani, the Igbo people believe that each person has their own personal spiritual guardian called Chi (or ''ḿmúọ́''), appointed to them before and at the time of their birth. The Chi remains with them for the rest of their lives on Earth. A person's Chi is the personification of that individual's fate, which is credited for an individual's life's successes, misfortunes and failures. The Igbo believe that their success in life is determined by their Chi, and that no man can rise past the greatness of his or her own Chi. In this respect, the concept of chi is analogous to the concept of a
guardian angel
A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation. Belief in tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity. The idea of angels that guard over people played a major role in A ...
in Christianity, the
daemon
Daimon or Daemon (Ancient Greek: , "god", "godlike", "power", "fate") originally referred to a lesser deity or guiding spirit such as the daimons of ancient Greek religion and mythology and of later Hellenistic religion and philosophy.
The word ...
in
ancient Greek religion
Religious practices in ancient Greece encompassed a collection of beliefs, rituals, and mythology, in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. The application of the modern concept of "religion" to ancient cultures has been ...
, and the
genius
Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for future works, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabiliti ...
in
ancient Roman religion
Religion in ancient Rome consisted of varying imperial and provincial religious practices, which were followed both by the people of Rome as well as those who were brought under its rule.
The Romans thought of themselves as highly religious, ...
.
Culturally, people are seen as the creators or makers of their own destiny.
The breath of life is in the heart, ''óbì''.
Chi can be masculine and feminine. A ''Dibia'' can identify a person's chi through divination (''ájà'') and advise adherents of ways to placate it.
''Éké'' is one's ancestral guardian spirit, but exists at the periphery of human life and remains a mystery to the people.
Households usually contain a shrine for veneration of the Chi, which could be focused on a tree. In marriage a woman takes her chi shrine along with all her belongings to her matrimonial home.
Around Nkarahia, in southern Igboland, there are the most elaborate chi shrines which are decorated with colourful china plates inset into the clay walls of the chi shrine building; the altars hold sacred emblems, while the polished mud benches hold offerings of china, glass,
manillas
Manillas are a form of commodity money, usually made of bronze or copper, which were used in West Africa.Chamberlain, C. C.(1963). The Teach Yourself ''Guide to Numismatics''. English Universities Press. p. 92. They were produced in large number ...
, and food.
As a marker of personal fortune or misfortune, good acts or ill, chi can be described as a focal point for 'personal religion'.
Cosmology
The community of visible interacting beings and the cosmos is referred to as ''ụ̀wà'', which includes all living things ''íhẹ́ ndi dị́ ńdụ̀'', including animals and vegetation and their mineral elements which possess a vital force and are regarded as counterparts to invisible forces in the spirit world.
These living things and geomorphological features of the world therefore possess a guardian deity. Igbo cosmology presents a balance between the feminine and masculine, perhaps, with a preponderance of female representation in Igbo lore.
In Igbo cosmology, the world was divided into four corners by the high god corresponding to ''èké'' ''órìè'' ''àfọ̀'' ''ǹkwọ́'' which are the days of the week in the
Igbo calendar
The Igbo calendar () is the traditional calendar system of the Igbo people from present-day Nigeria. The calendar has 13 months in a year (''afo''), 7 weeks in a month (''onwa''), and 4 days of Igbo market days (afor, nkwo, eke, and orie) in a wee ...
regarded as market days.
The universe is regarded as a composite of bounded spaces in an overlapping hemispherical structure, the total spaces are referred to as ''élú nà àlà''.
In one Igbo cosmological theory reported by W.R.G. Morton in the 1950s from an elder in Ibagwa Nike in northern Igboland, Chukwu sees that the sun travels across the world in the day time and then cuts into two in order for the moon to pass on a perpendicular route, and so the world is divided into four parts and four days.
The quarterly division of the earth and the days makes the number four sacred (''ńsọ́'') to the Igbo.
The ''élú nà àlà'' space is defined by two boundaries: ''élú ígwé'', 'sky's limit' composed of heavenly bodies under the main forces of the 'masculine' sun and 'feminine' moon, and ''élú àlà'', 'earth or lands limit' consisting of the four material elements of fire and air (masculine), and earth and water (feminine).
![Ogbo Obodo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Ogbo_Obodo.jpg)
The pattern of two and four reoccur in Chukwu's creations.
The days correspond to the four cardinal points and are its names in Igbo, èké east, órìè west, àfọ̀ north, ǹkwọ́ south. The Nri-Igbo claim the market days to have been introduced to the Igbo by their divine progenitor and king
Eri
Eri may refer to:
People
* Eri (biblical figure)
* Eri (given name), a Japanese feminine given name, including lists of people and fictional characters
* Eri (king), the progenitor of the Umu-Eri and Umu-Nri-Igbo ancient Nigerian city-states
* ...
in the 9th century after encountering the days as deities.
These Arusi are venerated as the primary or as a major deity under Chineke in parts of Igboland. In terms of hierarchy, some communities recognise èké as the head of these Arusi, while others prioritise órìè and ǹkwọ́ first after the high god.
Market days may have local deities representing the spirits in some places, in many southern Igbo towns Agwu is the patron of Eke, Ogwugwu the patron of Orie, Amadioha the patron of Afọ and Ala for Nkwọ.
The Cosmos itself is divided into "four constituent complexes" known as ''Okike'', ''Alusi'', ''Mmuo'', and ''Uwa''. Okike is the event of "Creation", the Alusi are the lesser deities, Mmụọ are the spirits of the Ancestors and all other beings, and Uwa is the World.
Justice
Ọfọ and ogụ́ is a law of
retributive justice
Retributive justice is a theory of punishment that when an offender breaks the law, justice requires that they suffer in return, and that the response to a crime is proportional to the offence. As opposed to revenge, retribution—and thus retr ...
. It vindicates anyone that is wrongly accused of a crime as long as their "hands are clean". It is only a person who is on the righteous side of ''Ọfọ-na-Ogụ́'' that can call its name in prayer, otherwise such a person will face the wrath of Amadiọha (the god of thunder and lightning).
Kola nut
The term kola nut usually refers to the seeds of certain species of plant of the genus ''Cola'', placed formerly in the cocoa family Sterculiaceae and now usually subsumed in the mallow family Malvaceae (as subfamily Sterculioideae). These cola ...
is used in ceremonies honour Chukwu, chi, Arusi and ancestors and is used as a method of professing innocence when coupled with libations. The Igbo often make clay altars and shrines of their deities which are sometimes
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
, the most popular example being the wooden statues of Ikenga. Typically, only men are allowed to make representational figures of supernatural forces.
Afterlife and reincarnation
![Igbuzo natives](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Igbuzo_natives.JPG)
The Igbo traditionally believe in an
afterlife
The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving ess ...
in s
pirit world or dimension, where the deceased ancestors exist, and may influence the material world and their descendants. Ancestors are protectors and guardians of ones lineage, close friends and heritage, and may become to higher spirits (semi-gods), as in the case of many other traditional religions of the world.
Sometimes however, ancestors may reincarnate into families that they were part of while alive.
This is called ''ilọ-uwa.'' Reincarnation is seldom, but may happen occasionally, if a deceased person can not enter the spirit world for various reasons, or may be absorbed into a new-born if it would die immediately after birth. Unlike in
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
, humans can only be reincarnated as humans.
Families hire fortune-tellers to reveal if the child harbours the soul or an aspect of an ancestor; the baby is sometimes named after this relative.
The personality of the ancestor is not identical to the child's but rather the concept establishes a vital relationship with the child and characteristics of the ancestor.
Other signs can be certain behaviors, physical traits, and statements by the child. A diviner can help in detecting if the child has reincarnated from an ancestor and may identify this ancestor. It is considered an insult if a male is said to have been reincarnated as a female. An ancestor (or aspects of the ancestor) may be reincarnated in multiple people, in which case the reincarnations share a mortal bond; upon the death of one person, it is believed that the others may die a sudden death if they see the corpse.
Ogbanje
An ''ọgbanje'' is a reincarnating
evil or revengeful spirit, that would deliberately plague a family with misfortune. In folklore, the ''ọgbanje'', upon being born by the mother, would deliberately die after a certain amount of time (usually before
puberty
Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy. ...
) and then come back and repeat the cycle, causing the family grief. This time period varies between minutes, hours, days and years.
Female circumcision
Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...
was sometimes thought to get rid of the evil spirit. Finding the evil spirit's ''
Iyi-uwa
An Iyi-uwa is an object from Igbo mythology that binds the spirit of a dead child (known as ogbanje) to the world, causing it to return and be born again to the same mother.
Many objects can serve the purpose of iyi-uwa, including stones, dolls, h ...
'', which is buried in a secret location, would ensure that the ''ọgbanje'' would never plague the family with misfortune again. The ''Iyi-uwa'' is a stone that the ''ọgbanje's'' way of coming back to the human world and is also a way of finding its targeted family. The stone is usually buried deep enough to not have been hidden by a child. The ''iyi-uwa'' is dug out by a priest and destroyed. Female ''ọgbanje'' die during pregnancies along with the baby, male ''ọgbanje'' die before the birth of a wife's baby or the baby dies. The child is confirmed to no longer be an ''ọgbanje'' after the destruction of the stone or after the mother successfully gives birth to another baby.
Deities
The Arusi, who are also known as ''the Arushi'', ''Anusi'' or ''Alusi'' by dialects (see
Orisha
Orishas (singular: orisha) are spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican Santería and Brazilian Candomblé. T ...
, the
Yoruba
The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...
cognate), all spring from Ala the Earth goddess and Goddess of Fertility, who embodies the workings of the World. They are lesser deities in Odinani, each of whom are responsible for a specific aspect of nature or abstract concept. According to Igbo lore, these lesser deities as elements of Chukwu have their own specific purpose. They exist only as long their purpose does, thus many Alusi die off save for those who represent universal concepts. Some of the more notable male Alusi include:
Amadioha
Amadioha is the Arusi or Agbara of thunder and lightning of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. He is amongst the most popular of Igbo deities and in some parts of Igboland, he is referred to as Amadiora, Kamalu (which is short for ''Kalu ...
the God of Thunder and Lightning, popular among the Southern Igbo;
Ikenga
Ikenga (Igbo literal meaning "strength of movement") is a horned Alusi found among the Igbo people in southeastern Nigeria. It is one of the most powerful symbols of the Igbo people and the most common cultural artifact. Ikenga is mostly maintai ...
the
horned god
The Horned God is one of the two primary deities found in Wicca and some related forms of Neopaganism.
The term ''Horned God'' itself predates Wicca, and is an early 20th-century syncretic term for a horned or antlered anthropomorphic god partl ...
of Fortune and Industry;
Agwu the God of Divination and Healing;
Njoku Ji
Njoku Ji is the guardian deity of the yam for the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. In parts of Igboland there are still annual rituals in honor of the yam deity known as Ifejioku. In some parts children who were dedicated to the service of t ...
the God of Yam, and
Ogbunabali
Ogbunabali ( ig, Ogbúnàbàlị̀, lit= ekills at night) is the traditional Igbo death deity. His name is considered to be a literal description of his character as he is said to kill his victims in the night, these usually being criminals or thos ...
the God of
Death
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
. In southern Igbo dialects especially, ''ágbàrà'' is the term for these forces.
''Arusi'' manifest in natural elements and their shrines are usually found in forests in which they are based around specific trees. At shrines, ''íhú mmúọ́'', an object such as a hung piece of cloth or a group of statues, are placed at an ''Arusi's'' group of trees to focus worship. Deities are described as 'hot' and often capricious so that much of the public approach shrines cautiously and are advised to avoid them at most times; priests are entrusted in the maintenance of most shrines.
Many of these shrines are by the roadside in rural areas. Tender palm fronds symbolize spiritual power and are objects of sacred power. Shrines are cordoned off with ''ọmu'' to caution the public of the deity's presence.
Larger clay modelings in honor of an ''Arusi'' also exist around forests and rivers. Other ''Arusi'' figures may be found in and around peoples' homes and the shrines of ''Dibia.'' Much of these are related to personal chi, cults, and ancestral worship.
Ala
Ala Ala, ALA, Alaa or Alae may refer to:
Places
* Ala, Hiiu County, Estonia, a village
* Ala, Valga County, Estonia, a village
* Ala, Alappuzha, Kerala, India, a village
* Ala, Iran, a village in Semnan Province
* Ala, Gotland, Sweden
* Alad, S ...
(meaning '
earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
' and 'land' in Igbo, also ''Ájá-ànà'')
is the feminine earth spirit who is responsible for morality, fertility and the
dead ancestors who are stored in the underworld in her womb. Ala is at the head of the Igbo pantheon, maintaining order and carrying out justice against wrongdoers. Ala is the most prominent and worshipped Arusi,
almost every Igbo village has a shrine dedicated to her called ''íhú Ala'' where large decisions are taken.
Ala is believed to be involved in all aspects of human affairs including festivals and at offerings. Ala stands for fertility and things that generate life including water, stone and vegetation, colour (''àgwà''), beauty (''mmá'') which is connected to goodness in Igbo society, and uniqueness (''ájà'').
She's a symbol of morality who sanctioned ''omenala'' Igbo customs from which these moral and ethical behaviours are upheld in Igbo society.
Ala is the ground itself, and for this reason taboos and crimes are known as ''ńsọ́ Ala'' ('desecration of Ala'), all land is holy as the embodiment of Ala making her the principal legal sanctioning authority.
Prohibitions include murder, suicide, theft, incest, and abnormalities of birth such as in many places the birth of twins and the killing and eating of pregnant animals, if a slaughtered animal is found to be pregnant sacrifices are made to Ala and the foetus is buried.
People who commit suicides are not buried in the ground or given burial rites but cast away in order not to further offend and pollute the land, their ability to become ancestors is therefore nullified.
When an individual dies a 'bad death' in the society, such as from the effects of divine retributive justice or breaking a taboo, they are not buried in the earth, but are discarded in a forest so as not to offend Ala. As in cases of most Arusi, Ala has the ability to be malevolent if perceived to be offended and can cause harm against those who offend her.
![Python-regius-kopf-königspython](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Python-regius-kopf-k%C3%B6nigspython.jpg)
Within the earth's spherical limit, in a cosmological sense, is a designation of the 'earth's bosom' within, , a hemispherical base to the earth with an opening or 'mouth' at its highest point, ''ónụ́ àlà''. This is composed of mainly deep dark sea water ().
Ime ala is considered as the underworld.
Ala in addition to embodying nature, is the cosmic base on which the vault of heaven, , rests.
As the foundation of all existence, children's umbilical cords are saved and symbolically buried under a tree to mark the child's first sharing of family owned lands; this tree could either be an oil palm, bread-fruit tree, raffia palm, or plantain tree depending on the cultural region.
In some places, such as
Nri
NRI or Nri may refer to :
* Kingdom of Nri, an Igbo kingdom that flourished between the 10th century and early 20th century
* National Radio Institute, a now defunct post-secondary vocational correspondence school
* National Resources Inventory
* N ...
, the
royal python, ''éké'', is considered a sacred and tame agent of Ala and a harbinger of good fortune when found in a home. The python is referred to as ''nne'' 'mother' in areas where the python is revered, it is a symbol of female beauty and gentleness. Killing of the python is expressly forbidden in these places and sanctions are taken against the killer including the funding of expensive human sized burials that are given to slain pythons.
Amadioha
Amadioha (from ''ámádí'' + ''ọ̀hà'', 'free will of the people' in Igbo) is the Arusi of justice, thunder, lightning and the sky. He is referred to as ''Amadioha'' in southern Igboland, ''Kamalu'', ''Kamanu'', ''Kalu'' among the Aro and other
Cross River Igbo people, ''Igwe'' among the
Isuama Igbo and in northwestern Igboland, and ''Ofufe'' in certain parts of Igboland.
His governing planet is the
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...
.
[Uchendu, Victor C. ''The Igbo of Southeast Nigeria''. Page 96] His color is red, and his symbol is a white ram.
[Diala, Isidore. ''Ritual and Mythological Recuperation in the Drama of Esiaba Irobi''. Page 104] Metaphysically, Amadioha represents the collective will of the people and he is often associated with Anyanwu. He is the expression of divine justice and wrath against taboos and crimes; in oaths he is sworn by and strikes down those who swear falsely with thunder and lightning.
Amadioha shrines exist around Igboland, his main shrine is located at Ozuzu in the riverine Igbo region in northern
Rivers State
Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed in 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include: Imo to the north, Abia and Akwa Ib ...
. While Anyanwu is more prominent in northern Igboland, Amadioha is more prominent in the south. His day is Afọ, which is the second market day. In mbari houses Amadioha is depicted beside Ala as her consort.
Ikenga
![Raccolte Extraeuropee - Passaré 00279 - Statua Igbo - Nigeria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Raccolte_Extraeuropee_-_Passar%C3%A9_00279_-_Statua_Igbo_-_Nigeria.jpg)
Ikenga (literally 'place of strength') is an Arusi and a cult figure of the right hand and success found among the northern Igbo people. He is an icon of meditation exclusive to men and owners of the sculpture dedicate and refer to it as their 'right hand' which is considered instrumental to personal power and success.
Ikenga is a source of encoded knowledge unraveled through psychological principles. The image of Ikenga comprises someone's ''chi'' ('personal god'), his (ancestors), ''aka Ikenga'' (right hand), ''ike'' (power) as well as spiritual activation through prayer and sacrifice.
Igbo cultures value of resourcefulness and individualism in society utilises the concept of Ikenga to regulate the relationship between individuality and family relations and obligations, as well as free will and industriousness balanced with destiny decided persons chi. Ikenga acts as a physical medium to the consciousness and emphasises individual initiative through reflection and meditation.
Success validates the Ikenga and the sculptures act as visual representation of a persons inner success, people give offerings in thanks to the Ikenga after providing energy to overcome any unwanted pre-life choices.
These choices are at the hands of the persons earth bound spirit, mmuo, who chooses sex, type, and lifespan before incarnation.
The successful Ikenga influenced the saying of well-being 'íkéǹgàm kwụ̀ ọ̀tọ́ ta ta' meaning that 'my Ikenga stands upright today'.
During festivals of ''Ogbalido'' or ('feast of Ikenga') sculptures of him may be paraded around a village or displayed at the village centre if too monumental to transport.
When a person does not become successful with hard work the Ikenga has 'fallen' and is seen as a sign of danger, if meditation and cajoling the Ikenga fails, the sculpture is 'thrown down' and broken which spiritually kills the Ikenga; a new one is carved to replace it.
Ikenga figures are common cultural artefacts ranging for six inches to 6 feet high and can be humanistic or highly stylised.
There are anthropomorphic, architectonic, and abstract cylindrical Ikenga sculptures.
Ikenga is a symbol of success and personal achievement.
Ikenga is mostly maintained, kept or owned by men and occasionally by women of high reputation and integrity in the society. At burials, a mans Ikenga is broken into two with one piece buried with him and the other destroyed.
Ekwensu
This Arusi was adept at bargains and trade, and praying to Ekwensu was said to guarantee victory in negotiations. As a force of change and chaos, Ekwensu also represented the
spirit of war among the Igbo, invoked during times of conflict and banished during peacetime to avoid his influences inciting bloodshed in the community, warriors set up shrines to Ekwensu to help war efforts.
This is based upon the finding of old shrines dedicated to the worship of the spirit, as well as the recounting of old oral stories which depict the character of Ekwensu. Ekwensu was a bringer of violence and possessed people with anger.
Ekwensu holds the propensity of bringing misfortune and is regarded as an evil spirit in this sense.
Among the Christian Igbo Ekwensu is representative of
Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
and is seen as a force which places itself opposite to that of Chukwu. Ekwensu festivals are held in some Igbo towns where military success is celebrated and wealth is flaunted.
Mmuo and minor gods
Mmụọ is a broad class of minor gods and spirits or divinities manifesting in natural elements under the class of elder divinities with major cults. Feminine mmụọ inhabit earth and water and masculine mmụọ inhabit fire and air.
This class can be broken down by the ''Arusi'', serviceable mmụọ, ''àgwụ'' are related to unusual and deranged human behaviours, these spirits interact with human in a capricious nature that often makes them dangerous.
Other cult deities exist around Igboland such as
Njoku Ji
Njoku Ji is the guardian deity of the yam for the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. In parts of Igboland there are still annual rituals in honor of the yam deity known as Ifejioku. In some parts children who were dedicated to the service of t ...
, yam and fire deity overseeing agriculture, Idemili, 'the pillar of water', the female Arusi based in
Idemili North
Idemili North is a Local Government Area in Anambra State, south-central Nigeria. Towns that make up the local government are Abacha, Abatete, Eziowelle, Ideani, Nkpor, Obosi, Ogidi, Oraukwu, Uke, Umuoji
The Umuoji people are those whose roo ...
and
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
who holds up the waters, and Mbatuku the 'bringer of wealth' or 'coming in of wealth'.
In addition to minor spirits there are evil wondering spirits of wrong doers called ''ogbonuke''.
Among the Mmuo are:
* Mbatuku: spirit of wealth
* Ikoro: drum spirit
* Ekwu: heart spirit or spirit of the home
* Imo miri: river spirit
* Okwara-afo: for Nkwerre people in Imo state is god of mercantile activities
* Aju-mmiri: sea-goddess in Nkwerre is goddess of prosperity, fertility and general well-being.
* Ogbuide: goddess of the water associated with the
Oguta
Oguta is a town on the east bank of Oguta Lake in Imo State of southeastern Nigeria.
Oguta is called "Oguta-Ameshi" or "Ameshi"- by its aborigines. Indigenes - consists of two parts, the old part which holds the 27 villages of Oguta, and the ...
people.
* Urashi and Enyija: god of the river
* Ezenwaanyi/Owummiri: Female Water Spirit, Mermaid, Seductress
Practices
Dibia
![Igbo medicine man](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Igbo_medicine_man.jpg)
Dibia are the mystic mediators between the human world and the spirit world and act as healers, scribes, teachers, diviners and advisors of people in the community. They are usually consulted at the shrine of a communities major deity. ''Dibia'' is a compound of the words ''di'' ('professional, master, husband') + ''ọ́bị̀à'' ('doctoring, sciences').
The dibia are believed to be destined for spiritual work. The dibia sees the spiritual world at any time and interprets what messages being sent and sees the spiritual problems of living people. They are given the power by the spirit world to identify any alusi by name and the possible ways of placating and negotiating with the deity. Dibia are thought to be revealed to possess the power over one of three elements namely water (and large bodies of water), fire and vegetation. Dibia whose elements are vegetation can go on to become herbalists by their supposed instinctual knowledge of the health benefits of certain plants they are instinctually drawn to, fire element dibia can handle fire unscathed during their initiation, and water element dibia do not drown. Dibia can partially enter the spirit world and communicate this by rubbing chalk on one half of their face.
Dibia and obia practices were transported to the
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
as a result of the
Atlantic slave trade
The Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and i ...
and became known as ''
obeah
Obeah, or Obayi, is an ancestrally inherited tradition of Akan witches of Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Togo and their descendants in the African diaspora of the Caribbean. Inheritors of the tradition are referred to as "obayifo" (Akan/Ghana-region ...
''.
Afa divination
The name of divination in Igbo derives from ''ígbá áfà'' or ''áhà'' meaning 'to name' coming from the diviners skill in rooting out problems hence naming them.
The dibia or ''ogba afa'', 'interpreter of afa', is considered a master of esoteric knowledge and wisdom and igba afa is a way in which people can find out the cause of such things as misfortunes. The diviner interprets codes from ''àlà mmuọ'' the unseen by throwing divination seeds, cowries, and beads,
or observing a divination board sometimes called ''osho'' which can be used in pronouncing curses on the evil. In this way the diviner is endowed with special sight. it is related the sciences of homeopathic medicine known as ''ọ́gwụ̀'', a practitioner consciously picks to either of these abilities.
Animals that are special in divination and sacrifice include a white he-goat, a white ram, a tortoise and male wall gecko. These animals are prized for their rarity, price and therefore the journey taken to obtain. Chameleons and rats are used for more stronger medicines and deadly poisons, and antidotes can include lambs, small chickens, eggs, and oils.
Nzu is used in rites from birth to death and is used to mark sacred buildings and spaces.
Agwu Nsi is the Igbo patron deity of health and divination and is related to insanity, confusion, and unusual human behaviour which is linked to possession of Agwu by the diviner.
Agwu can be manifested by other alusi so that there could be images of a divination Ikenga or ''Ikenga Agwu'' for instance.
Ancestral veneration
![Igbo male figure](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Igbo_male_figure.jpg)
Ndebunze, or , are the deceased ancestors who are considered to be in the spirit world, . In Odinani, it is believed that the dead ancestors are invisible members of the community; their role in the community, in conjunction with Ala, is to protect the community from epidemics and strife such as famine and smallpox.
Ancestors helped chi look after men.
Shrines for the ancestors in Igbo society were made in the central house, or ''òbí'' or ''òbú'', of the patriarch of a housing compound. The patriarchal head of the household is in charge of venerating the patriarchal ancestors through libations and offerings, through this the living maintain contact with the dead. Only a patriarch whose father is dead, and therefore in the spirit world where they await reincarnation into the community, were able to venerate ancestors. Female ancestors were called upon by matriarchs. At the funeral of a mans father there is a hierarchy in Igbo culture of animals that will be killed and eaten in his honor. Usually this depended on the rarity and price of the animal, so a goat or a sheep were common and relatively cheaper, and therefore carried less prestige, while a cow is considered a great honor, and a horse the most exceptional. Horses cannot be given for women. Horses were more common among the northeastern Igbo due to
tsetse fly
Tsetse ( , or ) (sometimes spelled tzetze; also known as tik-tik flies), are large, biting flies that inhabit much of tropical Africa. Tsetse flies include all the species in the genus ''Glossina'', which are placed in their own family, Glo ...
zone that Igboland is situated in and renders it an unsuitable climate for horses. Horse heads are traditionally decorated and kept in a reliquary and at shrines.
A number of major masking institutions exist around Igboland that honour ancestors and reflect the spirit world in the land of the living. Young women, for example, are incarnated in the society through the
àgbọ́ghọ̀ mmúọ́ masking tradition in which mean represent ideal and benevolent spirits of maidens of the spirit world in the form of feminine masks. These masks are performed at festivals at agricultural cycles and at funerals of prominent individuals in the society.
Kola nut
Kola nut
The term kola nut usually refers to the seeds of certain species of plant of the genus ''Cola'', placed formerly in the cocoa family Sterculiaceae and now usually subsumed in the mallow family Malvaceae (as subfamily Sterculioideae). These cola ...
(, or ) offerings and prayers (, 'kola nut blessing', , 'kola nut breaking') can be performed personally between one and his spirit or in a group in a form of a prayer or chant. The saluter addresses their personal god or chi as well as alusi and their ancestors.
These kola nuts are held in a special round bowl called with a compartment at the centre of the bowl for condiments for the kola nut such as
alligator pepper
Alligator pepper (also known as mbongo spice or hepper pepper) is a West African spice made from the seeds and seed pods of '' Aframomum danielli'', '' A. citratum'' or '' A. exscapum''. It is a close relative of grains of paradise, obtained from t ...
(or ''capsicum cayenne'', )
and ground peanuts. The bowl and kola nut rite is used to welcome visitors into a household.
After the prayer, the ceremony ends with the saluter sharing pieces of the kola with the group, known as . The kola is supposed to cut by hand, but more recently knives have become acceptable. When the cola has three cotyledons, or parts, it is considered an in some northern communities (going by other names in communities Ikenga doesn't operate) and is considered a sign of great luck, bravery and nobility. — 'one who brings kola brings life' is a popular saying that points to the auspiciousness of the kola rite.
Architecture
Mbari
![RAAI 645](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/RAAI_645.3_%282%29.jpg)
Among a small area of the Urata-Igbo cultural area, near
Owerri
Owerri ( , ) is the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of Igboland. It is also the state's largest city, followed by Orlu, Okigwe and Ohaji/Egbema. Owerri consists of three Local Government Areas including Owerri Municipal, ...
, there is a tradition of building votive monument houses called ''ḿbàrí'' primarily dedicated to the ''ágbàrà'' Àlà specific to the community and sometimes other community deities. The name joins the word ''ḿbà'' ('nation, town, society') + ''rí'' ('eat') in reference to the 'festival of life' held after its completion. These votive shrines are typically designed with four columns and a central volt, around the columns are modelled deities, spirits, and depictions of human life, the entire building built out of clay from termite mounds symbolically named ''jí'' ('yam') by the initiated spirit workers called ''ńdí m̀gbè''. Ndi mgbe are secluded from the community for a couple of months during the rites of building the mbari to a deity. Mbari are requested by a deity who the diviner tells the community feels neglected and cannot feel pride in the face of other deities in the spirit world. A string of unusual and unfortunate events befalling the community is linked to the aggrieved deity. An mbari is commissioned and artists are chosen. After the completion of the mbari the spirit workers are reincorporated into the community and a feast is held for the opening of the mbari house where elders and the community come to exhibit the critique the expensive mbari. The mbari house is not a source of worship and is left to dilapidate, being reabsorbed by nature in symbolic sense related to Ala.
Uto pyramids
Before the twentieth century, circular stepped pyramids were built in reverence of Ala at the town of
Nsude in northern Igboland. In total ten clay/mud pyramidal structures were still existing in 1935. The base section of a pyramid was 60 ft. in circumference and 3 ft. in height. The next stack was 45 ft. in circumference. Circular stacks continued, till it reached the top. The structures were temples for the god Ala/Uto who was believed to live at the top. A stick was placed at the top to represent the god's residence. The structures were laid in groups of five parallel to each other. Because it was built of clay/mud like the Deffufa of Nubia, time has taken its toll requiring periodic reconstruction.
[Basden, G. S(1966). ''Among the Ibos of Nigeria, 1912.'' Psychology Press: p. 109, ]
See also
*
Ch'i
In traditional Chinese culture and the East Asian cultural sphere, ''qi'', also ''ki'' or ''chi'' in Wade–Giles romanization ( ), is believed to be a vital force forming part of any living entity. Literally meaning "vapor", "air", or " ...
(term in Chinese religions)
*
Godianism
Godianism (also called Chiism) is a neo-Traditional religious movement which was re-enacted in 1948 or 1949 in Nigeria and originally known as the ''National Church of Nigeria''. It propagates an intellectual awakening of the African people and ...
*
Igbo culture
Igbo culture () are the customs, practices and traditions of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. It consists of ancient practices as well as new concepts added into the Igbo culture either by cultural evolution or by outside influence. Thes ...
*
Ibo loa
Ibo loa or Igbo loa, are a type of loa, of African origin, revered in Haiti. These loa are linked to the Igbo people. They are considered to be both stern and gentle, while the Petro or Vodou loa tend to be one or the other respectively.
See al ...
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
An insight guide to Igboland's Culture, Religion and LanguageG. I. Jones Photographic Archive: Southeastern Nigerian Art & Culture
{{Use dmy dates, date=August 2016
Folk religion
Traditional African religions
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