One_Naira: Didn't we have a thread similar to this thread if my memory serves me right?

Anyway, my best friend's family are of the ibibio stock and I have asked a somewhat similar question to his family (i.e: why Igbos and Ibibos have similar cultures in some areas?). The answer I got from the family is that it is because Ibibio and Igbos traded for eons plus the two ethnic group mixed up with each other since history can remember thus the two groups copied from eachother cultures and language. Also supposedly, there are some Igbo clans that trace their origin to Ibibios (I'm alittle bit suspicious of that claim though. Other than Arochukwu, who are Igbos mixed with ibibio, I've never heard of an Igbo clan that traced their origin to Ibibio). To answer your question odumchi: it probably isn't a mere coincidence. one of the two groups might have picked up the culture during a trading interaction and it expanded within their community.

Antivirus92: no igbo clan traces their root to ibibio,if not the ibibios in arochukwu.

One_Naira: Didn't we have a thread similar to this thread if my memory serves me right?

Anyway, my best friend's family are of the ibibio stock and I have asked a somewhat similar question to his family (i.e: why Igbos and Ibibos have similar cultures in some areas?). The answer I got from the family is that it is because Ibibio and Igbos traded for eons plus the two ethnic group mixed up with each other since history can remember thus the two groups copied from eachother cultures and language. Also supposedly, there are some Igbo clans that trace their origin to Ibibios (I'm alittle bit suspicious of that claim though. Other than Arochukwu, who are Igbos mixed with ibibio, I've never heard of an Igbo clan that traced their origin to Ibibio). To answer your question odumchi: it probably isn't a mere coincidence. one of the two groups might have picked up the culture during a trading interaction and it expanded within their community.

odumchi: I asked a legitimate question. I don't see anything wrong with that.

biggzman: According to history,it is believe that the IBIBIO'S(annang etc)migrated from the igbo(Arochokwu).

WAXXSTAXX: The Ibibio word "Nyibi" which means turn in English, is the root of Nyibidi. Nyibidi means turning. The play was usually accompanied with drummings. The drum is called Ibit. The drum for the ruling Crown is called Ibit Itam. Itam means crown, hat, or headgear. Ekpe was indeed the governing deity and Ibit Itam was one of their major plays. Ukara means governance or government in Ibibio. Ukara cloth is worn by those in the government of Ekpe. The Ekpe and even Ekpo masquerade of old used to dance in a circular motion in order to induce a trance-like effect or feeling. Hence Nyibidi. Ibibio is the largest language of the Cross River and Akwa Ibom territories. Efik, Ekoi, Annang, Oron, Eket, Qua, Ibeno, Okobo, etc. are all variations of Ibibio. The Ibibio owned and controlled Arochukwu until they lost it in 1634 to the allied forces of the migrating Igbo and the Akpa. The Igbo slaves of the Ibibio rebelled and joined forces with the Akpa who were themselves of Ibibio origin. The Ibibios left both Arochukwu and their ancient Long Juju, but those who remained continued to run the oracles and influence the Igbo converts/practitioners of Ekpe. The Ibibios and Efiks taught Nsibidi to the Igbos through the Ekpe society. The chief language used in Ekpe is Ibibio. The Ibibios and Efiks knew Arochukwu as Ibom and Mbot Abasi. Mbot means creation. Abasi means God. Therefore, Mbot Abasi means the creation of God or, simply, the people of God. I understand that the Igbos kept the original Ibibio name for Arochukwu, but merely translated it into Igbo language. So, MBOT ABASI(Ibibio for God's creation or the people of God) became ARO CHUKWU which literally means GOD'S CREATION or GOD'S PEOPLE in the IGBO LANGUAGE. While in Arochukwu, the Ibibio leaders had a secret society called Ekpe. Ekpe means leopard or lion. The leadership operated (and still does)in an esoteric manner. Only members are privy to the innerworkings of the group. They developed an elaborate system of logograms through which their ideas, knowledge, and activities awere recorded. Nyibidi which means turning (going in circles), evolved into Nsibidi. Nsibidi is Ibibio for what is at play or, what's playing? Nso = what. I(as in letter "e"= is. Bidi = play or playing. NSO-I-BIDI (NSIBIDI) or NSO-I-BIRI(NSIBIRI) means what's playing? What's at play? Therefore, Nsibidi means what is playing or, what's at play? Nsibidi was later adopted as the name for the writings associated with Ekpe society. It is true that the Europeans found most of the Nsibidi script among the Ekoi, but it is really of Ibibio origin. The Igbos could not fully adapt Nsibidi because translation from Ibibio into Igbo had too many constraints. Original meanings of Ekpe society's Nsibidi often got lost in translation.
[color=#990000]
[color=#770077]"There was no war between Aros and Ibibio -what happened was what one would accurately describe as a coup. The Aros who were assistants (slave by Europeans) at the Ibritam Shrine organized a coup with the help of Ekoi, Akunakuna and Igbos and seized the shrine from their Ibibio masters. Talbot** put the date at 1300 -1400 based on the geneology and calculation of the ages of relatives of informant who claims their forebears were in charge of this shrine -we dispute this because the informant forebears couldn't have been incharge since religious affairs in Ibibio land was entrusted to the group known as Annang today ,and this informant came from a different group. However, Talbot also based his date from Aro informant. We still think that the date was much earlier. However the consensus is that the Aros were in possession of the shrine before trade with the Portuguese and later Slave trade with Efik and later the Ijaws-Bonny and kalabari when Ibibios prohibited transportation of people across their territory."

http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldIgboCongress/message/15772

mimifonwon:


actually you are wrong arochukwu clan arent as closely related to ibibio as ngwa people are. The fact is that igbos are always welcoming and marry all around no matter your tribal identity. I know my mom who is ngwa have efik ibibio cousins from her maternal grandma. The fact is that igbo men believed that as long as the child has an igbo father that they could marry any woman from any tribe and they did easily. I think igbos more than any other major tribe is so accomadating to other tribes that indirectly they evolve and add to their own traditions with their interactions. Yes most people under the biafra umbrella, even some cameroonians all some way have igbo blood in them and vis versa, i.e.aguiyi-ironsi. Even in yoruba land according to my grandpa, people from ijebu igbo intermarried with igbos a lot and not a lot of igbos or southern nigerians can claim one pure tribal identity,neither can people from jos, the best we can do is say, my father is this- for you father's identity is your identity, not your moms.Even today we have mixtures like nse ekpe-etim ( ibibio-efik father(tribal identity-ibibio)), donjazzy( igbo mom- urohbo father( tribal identity-urohbo)), Mikel obi ( hausa fulani mother, father igbo(tribal identity-igbo)) joseph benjamin( igbo mom- yoruba dad-tribal identity- yoruba), Desmond elliot( igbo mom- yoruba father- tribal identity-yoruba) ( segun arinze- igbo dad,yoruba mom- tribal identity igbo). So you see what am saying about mixtures, things you wouldnt know unless they told you. But there also the believe in most african tradition that a woman has no tribal identity until she marries, so what ever her husband is is what she is. Just like edo people are cousins to yorubas, urohbos,efik-kalabari, ibibios are cousins to the igbos. The users of the nsibidi text are all related.So go figure.

NRI PRIEST:


Where did you get these rubbish from? Mikel Obi's mumm is an Igbo woman from Anambra. We Anambrarians don't even accept other Igbos in marriage talk more of non Igbo. Ask Imolites ....You meant Imo, Abia,River and Anioma intermarry a lot ??

NRI PRIEST:


Where did you get these rubbish from? Mikel Obi's mumm is an Igbo woman from Anambra. We Anambrarians don't even accept other Igbos in marriage talk more of non Igbo. Ask Imolites ....You meant Imo, Abia,River and Anioma intermarry a lot ?? And no,the Nri are not cousins to all these ethnic groups you mentioned above.I think you shoild just concentrate on "Ngwa" because it seems like that's all you know about. You are a YORUBA little girl and I consider it an insult whenever you talk like you are an authority in Igbo history. This is the height of disrespectfulnessn! Is this what your mumm taught you??

Antivirus92: thanks for ur correction. But to be sincere,i don't mean to sound ethnocentric here. It maybe as a result of how you understood the post or may be what you've been habouring for me

mimifonwon:
wait nri priest are you mad because it looks like i know more about your igbo culture than you...awww... please go to orimiri and drown. I dont understand some men's mentality at times, for your info i grew up in igboland then to usa and my grandmother(igbo) raised us in the states while my parents worked. yes my father is yoruba and so? You yourself if you dont know are not 100% igbo. There is nothing like 100% yoruba or igbo or hausa or any tribe. Yes given am a yoruba girl cuz my dad is, but ndi igbo says nneka and truly i have valued my maternal history as much as my paternal, maybe even more. My grandfather is one of the ndichie in his village and everything i know about the igbos come from him and books i have read. He is 98 now and very strong old man, with sharp memories, so when i tell part of the igbo history i know, know that i have not only books to back it up, but first hand treasured accounts, that many people can dream of, and i will say am lucky for that. so dont hate, appreciate that there are people who value your culture as much as you do.

beautiful Onyi: Nri priest, you are so ancient! Give it a rest, pls act civilized and stop giving Igbo men a bad name.

pazienza: Hehe!

NRI PRIEST: Y


As a woman,you are too aggressive for my liking; What makes you think you know Igbo culture more than I do ?? I'm telling you this once again; I'm a decendant of the Igbo that invented most of the revered,respected and widely known Igbo cultural practices like "Nze na Ozo","Ikpu Alu","Iwa ji","Ofalla","Igu Aro","Eke,oye,afor na nkwo weekdays,"Igu onwa" and so many other inventions that made the Igbo nation to tower above the rest. How dare you speak of knowledge you know not olf ? Look,Ngwa is not really considered true Igbo,hence,you see ppl like Chinenye badmouthing the Igbo. Tell me one Ngwa tradition that is known accross Igboland...Ngwa has no defined culture! They are just bunch of wanderers that came from Imo areas and settled with out a proper organized traditions...I have an "Ozo" title and its a violation of the "Ozo" principle for an unmarried woman to question my knowledge on Igbo traditions. You see why I said you aren't Igbo ??

NRI PRIEST: How dare you speak of knowledge you know not olf ? Look,Ngwa is not really considered true Igbo,hence,you see ppl like Chinenye badmouthing the Igbo. Tell me one Ngwa tradition that is known accross Igboland...Ngwa has no defined culture! They are just bunch of wanderers that came from Imo areas and settled with out a proper organized traditions.

yoruba ruler :
@ NRI PRIEST. Please you an your co-travellers of questionable origin should stop giving we Igbos bad name. If you are Igbo then you would know that there is noting like real or fake Igbo, IGBO WU IGBO. I want you to know that the real Nri's ARE THE ADAMAS WHO WERE IN THEIR PRESENT LOCATION BEFORE MENRI MIGRATED FROM AGULERI. The authochous Adamas dont recall their origin but recall the period Menri migrated to the area and the time nri with his co-travellers were assimilated by them. The Adamas are also the aborigines of Oraeri, Adazi enu and Adazi nnukwu towns long before the arrival of Nri Ifiquanim Menri from Aguleri.They are the ones who appointed Eze Nri to serve as their ritual agent and taught Eze Nri the ritual rites they perfomed and the Igbo days and years counting which Igbos allover Igboland were already practicing. AS OWNERS OF THE EZE NRI TITLE, THEY DECIDE AS WELL AS CROWN WHO WOULD BE EZE NRI TILL TODAY. THEY ALSO INHERIT THE PROPERTIES OF EZE NRI UPON HIS DEATH, THEY CAN CHALLENGE THE PRONOUNCEMENT OF EZENRI IF IT CONTRADICTS THEIR BELIEVE, ADVICES EZENRI ON SPIRITUAL MATTERS AND ARE IN CHARGE OF HIS PROTOCOLS. Hence in Nri their is an adage which says ONYE FE NRI, NRI EFE ADAMA meaning if you honour Eze Nri, Nri would in turn honour the Adamas. This is because they appointed Nri as their spiritual agent. As Igbos they share similar culture and beliefs with other authochous Igbo groups across Igboland WITHOUT ANY IGBO GROUP INFLUENCING THE OTHER. Even in Aguleri aborigines are the okpu villages which are the most senior villages in Aguleri the home of Nri. When Eri the father of Nri migrated to the Aguleri He met the okpu people who are have established there long before his arrival.According to the oral history of the aguleris, ERI ADOPTED THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURES OF THE OKPU PEOPLE. THE BIG QUESTION IS SINCE ERI AND HIS GROUP ADOPTED THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE OF THEIR HOST THE OKPU PEOPLE, WHO ARE THE OKPU PEOPLE ? SINCE IT HAS BEEN SEVERALLY PROVED THAT THE OKPU PEOPLE ARE IGBOS,WHO SPOKE IGBO AND PRACTICE THE IGBO CULTURE FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, WHAT WAS THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE OF ERI AND HIS GROUP BEFORE THEY WERE ASSIMILATED BY THEIR IGBO ABORIGINES ? The Okpu people control the most important diety in Aguleri till date.
Their are many authochous Igbo groups spread across Igboland which have given birth to many Igbo towns and communities within and outside the south east. SO ANYBODY THAT SAYS THEIR IS A FAKE AND REAL IGBOS IS A MISCHIEVIOUS IGNORAMUS WITH QUESTIONABLE BACKGROUND WHICH SHOULD BE REBUKED,CASTIGATED AND CORRECTED BY ALL INTELLIGENT IGBOS. Mind you am good in Igbo history and i can clear your doubts with facts. You can read up this well researched article written by a professor in Igbo language and culture known as Politics of Igbo Origin and Culture at: groups.yahoo.com/group/AnambraForum/message/45010

Yujin:
Nna, your reasoning is flawed. There is nothing like 'real Igbo'. You said Nri invented Nkwo, Orie, Eke and Afor market days. Were they the ones that introduced it down to the Southern Igbos? It is well known that Nri's influence stopped in Anambra, Anioma and Enugu yet people bore names like Okafor, Okoronkwo etc outside these areas even before the advent of the europeans. Even if Nri was more organize and grand than other Igbo clans, Igbo is by far larger and greater than Nri so stop the unnecessary hyping. Many towns in Anambra were found by the Aros et al, where was Nri then? If non-Nri towns were carved out of Anambra, how big will it be? You are an Ozo titled man, I was born by an Nze: now who is atop? Nwanne, bury the pride. Ofu ifunanya.