Please let's address this issue. It is really causing trouble among the people in question. If you say that igbo is a wave of migration, why is it that-Language is the same(irrespective of dialects). Whenever different/people of various origins converge. One of the most noticeable barriers among them is language. To my greatest surprise,i haven't heard of dead languages in igboland since i was born. Does it mean that those different people migrating into the present day igboland happen to coincidentally have one language. Ngwa people cannot tell you that they were speaking one kind language prior to the coming of igbo and so is aro,nsukka,nri,asaba,abakiliki. Okay,lets assume that the language igbo originated in ngwa,how did it spread to anambra and enugu,knowing that in the olden days most igbo communities doesn't have knowledge of each other and didn't even trade with each other in most cases. Ok, let's assume that other groups like izza,aro,nri all have their respective languages prior to igbo. So when they embraced the igbo language, why aren't there traces of dead languages? Again which group went around teaching others the language igbo? If you say nri, some will argue that nri influence only stopped at anambra,enugu,delta. So how did that happened? Secondly culture similarity- did those different groups throw away their culture and embraced igbo? Culture is one of the things a group can hardly throw away. Some will shout that the culture differs slightly. Yes,but the BASIC igbo cultures are the SAME. Mentality- Almost all igbo people have the same mentality,(i.e business minded,democratic,independent) if they are truely different groups of people,some will be lazy,some war-like etc. NOTE- I am not saying that everybody in igboland is of one origin. I am only saying that the people that founded the name "IGBO" are the same anscestrally and they spread across igboland.

Wave of migrations. Communities claim different, even unrelateed ancestries. Simple.

Antivirus92: Please let's address this issue. It is really causing trouble among the people in question. If you say that igbo is a wave of migration, why is it that-Language is the same(irrespective of dialects). Whenever different/people of various origins converge. One of the most noticeable barriers among them is language. To my greatest surprise,i haven't heard of dead languages in igboland since i was born. Does it mean that those different people migrating into the present day igboland happen to coincidentally have one language. Ngwa people cannot tell you that they were speaking one kind language prior to the coming of igbo and so is aro,nsukka,nri,asaba,abakiliki. Okay,lets assume that the language igbo originated in ngwa,how did it spread to anambra and enugu,knowing that in the olden days most igbo communities doesn't have knowledge of each other and didn't even trade with each other in most cases. Ok, let's assume that other groups like izza,aro,nri all have their respective languages prior to igbo. So when they embraced the igbo language, why aren't there traces of dead languages? Again which group went around teaching others the language igbo? If you say nri, some will argue that nri influence only stopped at anambra,enugu,delta. So how did that happened? Secondly culture similarity- did those different groups throw away their culture and embraced igbo? Culture is one of the things a group can hardly throw away. Some will shout that the culture differs slightly. Yes,but the BASIC igbo cultures are the SAME. Mentality- Almost all igbo people have the same mentality,(i.e business minded,democratic,independent) if they are truely different groups of people,some will be lazy,some war-like etc. NOTE- I am not saying that everybody in igboland is of one origin. I am only saying that the people that founded the name "IGBO" are the same anscestrally and they spread across igboland.

Every group in the world was founded by waves of migrations and not only Igbo. Ethnicity is built over time by assimilation and diversification. Some people maybe of same blood but end up in 2 different groups as a result of differed assimilation. The problem here is to determine the core territory on which the identity was built. For example Yorubas believe their's was at Ile Ife while Hausas believe it was in Daura but because Igbos were already dislinked thousands of years(in my belief) prior to these groups, ours was lost. I once asked why the language spoken in Agbo(Ika) bore semblance to. Afikpo with a mix of Owerri? Again why is it that people coming down to the East from Benin were already speaking Igbo before they got to the East? Remember as at then communities were scanty and separated by forests as you earlier noted. So you can see that it is difficult to determine the exact territory where we 1st got this language from.

Abagworo:

Every group in the world was founded by waves of migrations and not only Igbo. Ethnicity is built over time by assimilation and diversification. Some people maybe of same blood but end up in 2 different groups as a result of differed assimilation. The problem here is to determine the core territory on which the identity was built. For example Yorubas believe their's was at Ile Ife while Hausas believe it was in Daura but because Igbos were already dislinked thousands of years(in my belief) prior to these groups, ours was lost. I once asked why the language spoken in Agbo(Ika) bore semblance to. Afikpo with a mix of Owerri? Again why is it that people coming down to the East from Benin were already speaking Igbo before they got to the East? Remember as at then communities were scanty and separated by forests as you earlier noted. So you can see that it is difficult to determine the exact territory where we 1st got this language from.

blind arguement. Yorubas and hausas have theirs but igbos have lost their own thousand of years ago! Just listen to urself. Igbo have not lost theirs only that you guys over there have fixed ur minds somewhere. Do u think that the yoruba and hausa cultures/language are exactly alike in all their communities? NO!but why didn't they go about arguing like you guys are just doing? Or are yorubas and hausas not mixed with foreigners a little bit as igbos are? You guys over there know that igbo doesn't start over there but are too stubborn to admitt that yes it is from here or there. That's why you can hardly see an enugu or ebonyi man arguing this but constantly imo and abia. You guys can readily claim bini or urhobo than admitting that you have anything to do with anambra man!

Antivirus92: blind arguement. Yorubas and hausas have theirs but igbos have lost their own thousand of years ago! Just listen to urself. Igbo have not lost theirs only that you guys over there have fixed ur minds somewhere. Do u think that the yoruba and hausa cultures/language are exactly alike in all their communities? NO!but why didn't they go about arguing like you guys are just doing? Or are yorubas and hausas not mixed with foreigners a little bit as igbos are? You guys over there know that igbo doesn't start over there but are too stubborn to admitt that yes it is from here or there. That's why you can hardly see an enugu or ebonyi man arguing this but constantly imo and abia. You guys can readily claim bini or urhobo than admitting that you have anything to do with anambra man!

So are you insinuating that Abakaliki and Afikpo have their roots in Anambra? Why not the other way round as I suspect. Anyway I'm the last man to deny being Igbo but IMHO the Igbo spoken in Afikpo sounds closer to proto-Igbo to me.

Talking about Yoruba and Hausa, they also have slightly intelligible sub-dialects like Igbo but their union was built on a hero and place of origin and not language. Odua for Yoruba and Bayajidda for Hausa.The story is acceptable to majority of them because half way through the last millenium, centralized systems of government developed and people were conquered and put under the rule of one man in those area. Igbos on the other hand were developing independently as distinct from each other and no group was able to conquer all Igbos and put them under its rule. The Ijebu group of Yoruba for example still displays aspect of being distinct despite accepting fully that they migrated from Ife because they were not with other Yorubas under Oyo.

Abagworo:

So are you insinuating that Abakaliki and Afikpo have their roots in Anambra? Why not the other way round as I suspect. Anyway I'm the last man to deny being Igbo but IMHO the Igbo spoken in Afikpo sounds closer to proto-Igbo to me.

Talking about Yoruba and Hausa, they also have slightly intelligible sub-dialects like Igbo but their union was built on a hero and place of origin and not language. Odua for Yoruba and Bayajidda for Hausa.The story is acceptable to majority of them because half way through the last millenium, centralized systems of government developed and people were conquered and put under the rule of one man in those area. Igbos on the other hand were developing independently as distinct from each other and no group was able to conquer all Igbos and put them under its rule. The Ijebu group of Yoruba for example still displays aspect of being distinct despite accepting fully that they migrated from Ife because they were not with other Yorubas under Oyo.

so you would have believed if nri or onitsha conquered the whole of igboland?so live lets live they maintained isn't good to you? Hmmmm! Wahala dey. I just don't take ur arguements(chinenye,odumchi,abagworo) serious because i know that they are not born out of fact but out of hatred for the anambra man.

Antivirus92: so you would have believed if nri or onitsha conquered the whole of igboland?so live lets live they maintained isn't good to you? Hmmmm! Wahala dey. I just don't take ur arguements(chinenye,odumchi,abagworo) serious because i know that they are not born out of fact but out of hatred for the anambra man.

Its so childish for you to allege that someone hate an Anambra man when no one has said or done anything that suggests that. In my own world, Anambra is merely an artificial creation as it is a mix of various Igbo clans and not homogeneous. For example Umunze originated from Ohafia and speaks a dialect different from Awka.

Communities claim different, even unrelateed ancestries. Simple.[img]http://www.forexchartingsoftware.info/pc.gif[/img]

Antivirus92: l just don't take ur arguements(chinenye,odumchi,abagworo) serious because i know that they are not born out of fact but out of hatred for the anambra man.

Come on go and sit down!

Mentality- Almost all igbo people have the same mentality,(i.e business minded,democratic,independent) if they are truely different groups of people,some will be lazy,some war-like etc

If there's any part of your write-up that I like, it's this because it's extremely true.

I find it interesting how the Igbo peoples are very unique each in their own ways, yet very similar too.

For example:

The people of Owere (Urata) are known for their Bongo music and their ever-bustling palmy joints.
The Aro are known to be extremely serious businessmen and seasoned travelers.
The people of Onicha (and Idemili axis) are rumored to be born, raised, and buried in the market.
The Ngwa are expert craftsmen and manufacturers and are generous and hospital.
The people of Mbaise are extremely cunning and witty (as the late Dr Sir Warrior pointed out).
The Edda are among the best and most experienced blacksmiths in eastern Nigeria.
The Ohafia/Abiriba/Abam are known for their headhunting skills.

The list trails on...

odumchi:

Come on go and sit down!



If there's any part of your write-up that I like, it's this because it's extremely true.

I find it interesting how the Igbo peoples are very unique each in their own ways, yet very similar too.

For example:

The people of Owere (Urata) are known for their Bongo music and their ever-bustling palmy joints.
The Aro are known to be extremely serious businessmen and seasoned travelers.
The people of Onicha (and Idemili axis) are rumored to be born, raised, and buried in the market.
The Ngwa are expert craftsmen and manufacturers and are generous and hospital.
The people of Mbaise are extremely cunning and witty (as the late Dr Sir Warrior pointed out).
The Edda are among the best and most experienced blacksmiths in eastern Nigeria.
The Ohafia/Abiriba/Abam are known for their headhunting skills.

The list trails on...

so you know that we share the same trait but you kept arguing about origin. Guy you really need to think well.

shiyuyiu: Communities claim different, even unrelated ancestry. Simple.[img]http://www.forexchartingsoftware.info/pc.gif[/img]

I don't know why it is so difficult for Antivirus to comprehend.

[size=32pt]DIFFERENT TRIBES, SAME ETHNIC IGBOID GROUP WITH DIFFERENT YET SIMILAR SUB-CULTURES![/size]

Same people, same core values and beliefs. The slight differences in cultures, language (dialect) and tradition are caused by the wave of migrations. This migration was caused mainly due to factors like farming (where families move further away from its root to greener pastures, or larger plots of un-occupied farmland), tradition (eg an osu is banished from his home, he migrates further away to settle), trade etc.

ujchief: Same people, same core values and beliefs. The slight differences in cultures, language (dialect) and tradition are caused by the wave of migrations. This migration was caused mainly due to factors like farming (where families move further away from its root to greener pastures, or larger plots of un-occupied farmland), tradition (eg an osu is banished from his home, he migrates further away to settle), trade etc.

PLEASE BROTHER HELP ME TO TELL THESE SLOW THINKERS. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE ON THIS EARTH FOR DIFFERENT GROUPS PEOPLE TO HAVE SIMILARITIES WHEN THEY'VE NOT INTERACTED OR MIXED WITH EACH OTHER.PLEASE LET ABAGWORO AND CO TELL US THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN URHOBO AND HAUSA. EVEN IN THE NORTH,KANURI AND HAUSA HAVE NO SIMILARITIES IF NOT FOR ISLAM. I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE CLAIM.IT IS EASIER TO CLAIM THAN TO PROVE. BRING FORTH UR PROVES ABAGWORO.

PAGAN 9JA:
[size=32pt]DIFFERENT TRIBES, SAME ETHNIC IGBOID GROUP WITH DIFFERENT YET SIMILAR SUB-CULTURES![/size]

please pagan 9ja you know nothing about the igbo people. Sincerely watch from afar when ever igbo people are discussing something deep. Or better go and learn about ur tribe. BIKO!

Abagworo:

So are you insinuating that Abakaliki and Afikpo have their roots in Anambra? Why not the other way round as I suspect. Anyway I'm the last man to deny being Igbo but IMHO the Igbo spoken in Afikpo sounds closer to proto-Igbo to me.

Talking about Yoruba and Hausa, they also have slightly intelligible sub-dialects like Igbo but their union was built on a hero and place of origin and not language. Odua for Yoruba and Bayajidda for Hausa.The story is acceptable to majority of them because half way through the last millenium, centralized systems of government developed and people were conquered and put under the rule of one man in those area. Igbos on the other hand were developing independently as distinct from each other and no group was able to conquer all Igbos and put them under its rule. The Ijebu group of Yoruba for example still displays aspect of being distinct despite accepting fully that they migrated from Ife because they were not with other Yorubas under Oyo.

abagworo,what we are discussing here is not abakiliki,nsukka,izzi having their root in anambra cause i know that it causes you high-bp whenever you hear that. What we are saying is that igbo people are the same,even if the root is imo,abia,ebonyi etc.

Antivirus92: please pagan 9ja you know nothing about the igbo people. Sincerely watch from afar when ever igbo people are discussing something deep. Or better go and learn about ur tribe. BIKO!

wth> I AM AGREEING WITH YOU! I SAID IT IS THE SAME ETHNIC GROUP. YOU ALL HAVE SAME BLOOD!

PAGAN 9JA:




wth> I AM AGREEING WITH YOU! I SAID IT IS THE SAME ETHNIC GROUP. YOU ALL HAVE SAME BLOOD!

you don't have to mock yourself!

Antivirus92: abagworo,what we are discussing here is not abakiliki,nsukka,izzi having their root in anambra cause i know that it causes you high-bp whenever you hear that. What we are saying is that igbo people are the same,even if the root is imo,abia,ebonyi etc.

We are all Igbos but nobody has roots anywhere. My problem with you is that you seem to believe in only your own tradition without accepting others. When you are corrected you translate it to Anambra vs others something. To many Igbo groups, they originate where they found themselves and not somewhere else. If you come to their village to tell them that they originate somewhere, you might lose your life. There are however exceptions like the Nri and Aro whose lineage is maintained. All Umunri and Umuaro know their origin till date. That some how points to the fact that they might be more recent than other Igbo groups.

Abagworo:

We are all Igbos but nobody has roots anywhere. My problem with you is that you seem to believe in only your own tradition without accepting others. When you are corrected you translate it to Anambra vs others something. To many Igbo groups, they originate where they found themselves and not somewhere else. If you come to their village to tell them that they originate somewhere, you might lose your life. There are however exceptions like the Nri and Aro whose lineage is maintained. All Umunri and Umuaro know their origin till date. That some how points to the fact that they might be more recent than other Igbo groups.

when you mention aro,remember that aro is a heterogenous group which includes even non igbos. So aro is not a linage unlike nri. Any aro man should trace his lineage cos they(aro) people are not the same. In nri case, nri lineage is still very much alive but his father's(eri) lineage is now almost domant. Remember iguedo,which has some links to eri and which founded many towns like ogbunike,nando etc in anambra. And one can also find traces of iguedo in imo state and ebonyi. So what is it pointing to? Nothing but common anscestry. Remember that nri lineage is different from his father(eri) and iguedo whom i thought was eri's daughter or concubine also has a different lineage. But all are from one origin.

Antivirus92: when you mention aro,remember that aro is a heterogenous group which includes even non igbos. So aro is not a linage unlike nri. Any aro man should trace his lineage cos they(aro) people are not the same. In nri case, nri lineage is still very much alive but his father's(eri) lineage is now almost domant. Remember iguedo,which has some links to eri and which founded many towns like ogbunike,nando etc in anambra. And one can also find traces of iguedo in imo state and ebonyi. So what is it pointing to? Nothing but common anscestry. Remember that nri lineage is different from his father(eri) and iguedo whom i thought was eri's daughter or concubine also has a different lineage. But all are from one origin.

Descendants of Iguedo are also regarded as Umunri anyday. Aro is a lineage and every Aro man even in Anambra or Imo knows his roots in Arochukwu in case you don't know. Aro and Nri people also know that they are not originally from anywhere they settled and the natives also know that. In pre-colonial times, an Nri man comes to another Igbo community either as a soothsayer or medicine man and goes back to his own area or sometimes could be given land to settle. The same goes for Awka or Aro. Isu people usually came as farmers and given land to farm on lease by the natives and sometimes settle too. Abam people were often hired as fighters during communal disputes and at times settled with land too.

Abagworo:

Descendants of Iguedo are also regarded as Umunri anyday. Aro is a lineage and every Aro man even in Anambra or Imo knows his roots in Arochukwu in case you don't know. Aro and Nri people also know that they are not originally from anywhere they settled and the natives also know that. In pre-colonial times, an Nri man comes to another Igbo community either as a soothsayer or medicine man and goes back to his own area or sometimes could be given land to settle. The same goes for Awka or Aro. Isu people usually came as farmers and given land to farm on lease by the natives and sometimes settle too. Abam people were often hired as fighters during communal disputes and at times settled with land too.

do you actually know what a lineage mean? How can you call a confederacy of ndi ibom(in akwa ibom),ekpa,ezza/izzi(in ebonyi state) and umuezeagwu that came from owerre axis a lineage because they came together to form aro confederacy? Do you actually know anything about aro history? Again umuiguedo are NOT considered as umunri please. An ogbunike or nando or nteje man cannot tell u that he is nwa nri but he can claim brotherhood with umunri. This where you guys get it wrong,mistaking umunri,umueri,iguedo etc even though they are all related.

Antivirus92: you don't have to mock yourself!

i dont understand what you are trying to say! my point is that ALL IGBO TRIBES/SUB-TRIBES HAVE THE SAME ETHNIC IGBO ORIGIN!

Antivirus92: do you actually know what a lineage mean? How can you call a confederacy of ndi ibom(in akwa ibom),ekpa,ezza/izzi(in ebonyi state) and umuezeagwu that came from owerre axis a lineage because they came together to form aro confederacy? Do you actually know anything about aro history? Again umuiguedo are NOT considered as umunri please. An ogbunike or nando or nteje man cannot tell u that he is nwa nri but he can claim brotherhood with umunri. This where you guys get it wrong,mistaking umunri,umueri,iguedo etc even though they are all related.

You don't get my point. Aro at least knows how they started which stands them out in Igboland. Many Igbo groups can't really remember where they came from but believe God created them at there present location. It points to a more recent origin for Aro to remember that. However my last post was not based on the founding of Aro, Abam, Isu or Nri, but the spread of Aro and those other groups into territories that the natives inspite of being Igbo-speaking considered them strangers.


Now read this extract from the Ehilihite group of Mbaise.

The people of Ezinihitte believe that their original ancestors as well as those of the rest of the world were created at Ihu Chileke Oha. It was from there that the different towns and villages were assigned their respective places of abode in the act of creation of the deity.

The people of Ezinihitte do not have any memory of having migrated to Ihu Chileke Oha of Orie-Ukwu Oboama na Umunama from any other part of the world. There is not any faint recollection that Ezinihitte people migrated to Ihu Chileke Oha from Isuama or from Awka in contradistinction to the claims of scholars such as Afigbo and Nwanguru.

http://www.ahiaradiocese.org/articles83.htm

Dear Nairalanders,

I see that the question of Igbo is a mystery and a source of consternation to many forumites.
I will attempt to ease your anxieties by explaining to you what Igbo is.
First and foremost, Igbo is a philosophy not an identity or ethnicity per se. The people who are Igbo today are those who are initiates in this philosophy. (just as much of the world has bought into Western ideas/philosophy and can't imagine life any other way.)
Igbo was an African philosophy system that co-incidentally had many features common with what is today known as western philosophy. So we hear of the West, but the West consists of multiple nations, languages, traditions etc So it is with Igbo.

Let me explain:

- Igbo is ancient and yet modern. i.e. Igbo has never been and will always be. Any tradition attributed to the most ancient people (such as the Jews) can be found in Igbo land e.g Monotheism and circumcision to name a few, and any characteristic thought to associated with modernity is Igbo e.g human rights,technology and democracy.
- Igbo has no center and no boundaries.Similarly, Igbo has no headquarters.>>>>This should put an end to all your anxieties about whether Rivers/Ijaw/Ibibio is Igbo or whether Delta, Edo or Benue is Igbo.
- Igbo has Kings but no monarchy>>> this should be self-explanatory.
- Igbo is a republic, but not a state: (the Jews have a similar quandary as to whether the State of Israel and zionism are corruptions of Judaism)
- Igbo has deities (schools of thought, if you will) but has only one GOD, CHUKWU, the creator God!
- Igbo has a land( a temple) but has no home, or rather can make anywhere home while reverent of the temple- Igbo land( ani, ala )
- Igbo respects tradition but has no orthodoxy.
- Igbo has no traditional dress but has recognized regalia. e.g red cap, and ikenga
- Igbo has kith and clans but no primogenitor
- Igbo has a lingua franca but not one tongue.
- Igbo has no constitution but has omenala.
- Igbo has no central banking but evolved the purest form of credit and capitalism.
- Igbo pays tribute but has no taxation.>>> The British found this out when Aba WOMEN rioted in 1929 with introduction of taxation in IGBO country.
- Igbo is patrilineal e.g umunna and matrilineal e.g Umere nne or Ikwu nne
- Igbo is individualistic e.g akaraka and communal e.g Umu Ada
- Igbo is an open society e.g Ikwu na Ibe, oha na eze but has secret societies e.g mmanwu, nze na ozo,okonko,ekpe
- Igbo is a free market but abhors monopolies, so markets are rotated between towns in a league.
- Igbo abhors sexism . Women are emancipated. In addition, women have extensive rights, and in special circumstances could "marry" another woman

This is condensation of of many arguments which distilled Igbo to what it is.
So to the outsider, Igbo appear clannish, almost cultish, whereas to Igbo....Bende is as far to Owerri as Onitsha is to Kinshasa.



This and many more explains why the British could not figure out the Igbo. The British thought Igbo were not behaving as they imagined primitive people would i.e not as good primitive african subjects.
They already evolved a philosphy as advanced as the Western. The Igbo were tehn accused by the British of becoming too Western, to haughty, and unlikely to fall MUGU to BEKEE and and liable to cost them an empire in Nigeria.
This was imparted to the Nigerian socio-political space, and that is why most ethnic groups in Nigeria hate Igbo or see the Igbo as arrogant. In fact a few initiates of Igbo have denied being Igbo( as an ethnicity) while essentially reamining Igbo(philosophy)- That is the paradox.
The problem is there is no way to suppress a philosophy as thorough as Igbo. It is too narrow and too broad and to illusive to discredit.
To the British (it was like an illusion, the more they looked- the less they saw).

So Igbo is a philosophy which is often mis-interpreted as an ethnicity.


I could go on.
However, if you will like to be inducted or learn more about Igbo as a philosophy, I will be glad to explain further as necessary.

Sincerely,

Nwafor Igbo

^^^^^^^^^^^^ well-written post. so your conclusion is "IGBO IS A WAY OF LIFE" !

GotNoBrainsYo: Dear Nairalanders,

I see that the question of Igbo is a mystery and a source of consternation to many forumites.
I will attempt to ease your anxieties by explaining to you what Igbo is.
First and foremost, Igbo is a philosophy not an identity or ethnicity per se. The people who are Igbo today are those who are initiates in this philosophy. (just as much of the world has bought into Western ideas/philosophy and can't imagine life any other way.)
Igbo was an African philosophy system that co-incidentally had many features common with what is today known as western philosophy. So we hear of the West, but the West consists of multiple nations, languages, traditions etc So it is with Igbo.

Let me explain:

- Igbo is ancient and yet modern. i.e. Igbo has never been and will always be. Any tradition attributed to the most ancient people (such as the Jews) can be found in Igbo land e.g Monotheism and circumcision to name a few, and any characteristic thought to associated with modernity is Igbo e.g human rights,technology and democracy.
- Igbo has no center and no boundaries.Similarly, Igbo has no headquarters.>>>>This should put an end to all your anxieties about whether Rivers/Ijaw/Ibibio is Igbo or whether Delta, Edo or Benue is Igbo.
- Igbo has Kings but no monarchy>>> this should be self-explanatory.
- Igbo is a republic, but not a state: (the Jews have a similar quandary as to whether the State of Israel and zionism are corruptions of Judaism)
- Igbo has deities (schools of thought, if you will) but has only one GOD, CHUKWU, the creator God!
- Igbo has a land( a temple) but has no home, or rather can make anywhere home while reverent of the temple- Igbo land( ani, ala )
- Igbo respects tradition but has no orthodoxy.
- Igbo has no traditional dress but has recognized regalia. e.g red cap, and ikenga
- Igbo has kith and clans but no primogenitor
- Igbo has a lingua franca but not one tongue.
- Igbo has no constitution but has omenala.
- Igbo has no central banking but evolved the purest form of credit and capitalism.
- Igbo pays tribute but has no taxation.>>> The British found this out when Aba WOMEN rioted in 1929 with introduction of taxation in IGBO country.
- Igbo is patrilineal e.g umunna and matrilineal e.g Umere nne or Ikwu nne
- Igbo is individualistic e.g akaraka and communal e.g Umu Ada
- Igbo is an open society e.g Ikwu na Ibe, oha na eze but has secret societies e.g mmanwu, nze na ozo,okonko,ekpe
- Igbo is a free market but abhors monopolies, so markets are rotated between towns in a league.
- Igbo abhors sexism . Women are emancipated. In addition, women have extensive rights, and in special circumstances could "marry" another woman

This is condensation of of many arguments which distilled Igbo to what it is.
So to the outsider, Igbo appear clannish, almost cultish, whereas to Igbo....Bende is as far to Owerri as Onitsha is to Kinshasa.



This and many more explains why the British could not figure out the Igbo. The British thought Igbo were not behaving as they imagined primitive people would i.e not as good primitive african subjects.
They already evolved a philosphy as advanced as the Western. The Igbo were tehn accused by the British of becoming too Western, to haughty, and unlikely to fall MUGU to BEKEE and and liable to cost them an empire in Nigeria.
This was imparted to the Nigerian socio-political space, and that is why most ethnic groups in Nigeria hate Igbo or see the Igbo as arrogant. In fact a few initiates of Igbo have denied being Igbo( as an ethnicity) while essentially reamining Igbo(philosophy)- That is the paradox.
The problem is there is no way to suppress a philosophy as thorough as Igbo. It is too narrow and too broad and to illusive to discredit.
To the British (it was like an illusion, the more they looked- the less they saw).

So Igbo is a philosophy which is often mis-interpreted as an ethnicity.


I could go on.
However, if you will like to be inducted or learn more about Igbo as a philosophy, I will be glad to explain further as necessary.

Sincerely,

Nwafor Igbo

please go on. Please start from the philosophy of their origin because i know for sure that they must have origin.

Abagworo:

You don't get my point. Aro at least knows how they started which stands them out in Igboland. Many Igbo groups can't really remember where they came from but believe God created them at there present location. It points to a more recent origin for Aro to remember that. However my last post was not based on the founding of Aro, Abam, Isu or Nri, but the spread of Aro and those other groups into territories that the natives inspite of being Igbo-speaking considered them strangers.


Now read this extract from the Ehilihite group of Mbaise.

The people of Ezinihitte believe that their original ancestors as well as those of the rest of the world were created at Ihu Chileke Oha. It was from there that the different towns and villages were assigned their respective places of abode in the act of creation of the deity.

The people of Ezinihitte do not have any memory of having migrated to Ihu Chileke Oha of Orie-Ukwu Oboama na Umunama from any other part of the world. There is not any faint recollection that Ezinihitte people migrated to Ihu Chileke Oha from Isuama or from Awka in contradistinction to the claims of scholars such as Afigbo and Nwanguru.

http://www.ahiaradiocese.org/articles83.htm

and this ezinihite people in imo are kins to the ezinifite people in anambra. But the anambra version has history while the imo version has no history. Lol! Did you see where we got it all wrong? Do you now believe that some claims should not be taken serious because it's simply lack of knowledge.

GotNoBrainsYo: Dear Nairalanders,

I see that the question of Igbo is a mystery and a source of consternation to many forumites.
I will attempt to ease your anxieties by explaining to you what Igbo is.
First and foremost, Igbo is a philosophy not an identity or ethnicity per se. The people who are Igbo today are those who are initiates in this philosophy. (just as much of the world has bought into Western ideas/philosophy and can't imagine life any other way.)
Igbo was an African philosophy system that co-incidentally had many features common with what is today known as western philosophy. So we hear of the West, but the West consists of multiple nations, languages, traditions etc So it is with Igbo.

Let me explain:

- Igbo is ancient and yet modern. i.e. Igbo has never been and will always be. Any tradition attributed to the most ancient people (such as the Jews) can be found in Igbo land e.g Monotheism and circumcision to name a few, and any characteristic thought to associated with modernity is Igbo e.g human rights,technology and democracy.
- Igbo has no center and no boundaries.Similarly, Igbo has no headquarters.>>>>This should put an end to all your anxieties about whether Rivers/Ijaw/Ibibio is Igbo or whether Delta, Edo or Benue is Igbo.
- Igbo has Kings but no monarchy>>> this should be self-explanatory.
- Igbo is a republic, but not a state: (the Jews have a similar quandary as to whether the State of Israel and zionism are corruptions of Judaism)
- Igbo has deities (schools of thought, if you will) but has only one GOD, CHUKWU, the creator God!
- Igbo has a land( a temple) but has no home, or rather can make anywhere home while reverent of the temple- Igbo land( ani, ala )
- Igbo respects tradition but has no orthodoxy.
- Igbo has no traditional dress but has recognized regalia. e.g red cap, and ikenga
- Igbo has kith and clans but no primogenitor
- Igbo has a lingua franca but not one tongue.
- Igbo has no constitution but has omenala.
- Igbo has no central banking but evolved the purest form of credit and capitalism.
- Igbo pays tribute but has no taxation.>>> The British found this out when Aba WOMEN rioted in 1929 with introduction of taxation in IGBO country.
- Igbo is patrilineal e.g umunna and matrilineal e.g Umere nne or Ikwu nne
- Igbo is individualistic e.g akaraka and communal e.g Umu Ada
- Igbo is an open society e.g Ikwu na Ibe, oha na eze but has secret societies e.g mmanwu, nze na ozo,okonko,ekpe
- Igbo is a free market but abhors monopolies, so markets are rotated between towns in a league.
- Igbo abhors sexism . Women are emancipated. In addition, women have extensive rights, and in special circumstances could "marry" another woman

This is condensation of of many arguments which distilled Igbo to what it is.
So to the outsider, Igbo appear clannish, almost cultish, whereas to Igbo....Bende is as far to Owerri as Onitsha is to Kinshasa.



This and many more explains why the British could not figure out the Igbo. The British thought Igbo were not behaving as they imagined primitive people would i.e not as good primitive african subjects.
They already evolved a philosphy as advanced as the Western. The Igbo were tehn accused by the British of becoming too Western, to haughty, and unlikely to fall MUGU to BEKEE and and liable to cost them an empire in Nigeria.
This was imparted to the Nigerian socio-political space, and that is why most ethnic groups in Nigeria hate Igbo or see the Igbo as arrogant. In fact a few initiates of Igbo have denied being Igbo( as an ethnicity) while essentially reamining Igbo(philosophy)- That is the paradox.
The problem is there is no way to suppress a philosophy as thorough as Igbo. It is too narrow and too broad and to illusive to discredit.
To the British (it was like an illusion, the more they looked- the less they saw).

So Igbo is a philosophy which is often mis-interpreted as an ethnicity.


I could go on.
However, if you will like to be inducted or learn more about Igbo as a philosophy, I will be glad to explain further as necessary.

Sincerely,

Nwafor Igbo

who created that philosophy? Why is the philosophy restricted to some people in a geographical area? Don't you think that illiteracy and ignorance(on the side of the fore-fathers) helped in making that philosophy a mistery?

Antivirus92: and this ezinihite people in imo are kins to the ezinifite people in anambra. But the anambra version has history while the imo version has no history. Lol! Did you see where we got it all wrong? Do you now believe that some claims should not be taken serious because it's simply lack of knowledge.

In their dialect it is not ezinihite but "Ehi la Ihita". An Ezinifite man in Anambra cannot understand Ohuhu dialect. Some Isu, Aro and Awka people came to their land and were assimilated but they still know their differences. The Nfunalas(natives) are distinguished.

This Philosophy was the work of wise men, or the school of thought known to us know as Ozo, Ekpe etc.
They had a written language that predated colonization- known as nsibidi that is a mystery to us now just as the heiroglyphics were before the Key (or rosetta stone) was discovered.
As to their origin of Igbo. The origin has always been Africa. Igbo has been in Igboland as far as can be verified since the 6th- 8th century.
Igbo-Ukwu metallurgy or bronze casting was already occuring in the 9th century. We only found out because the first bronze cast was found by accident at a shrine.

I think if we are to understand the Mystery school or Igbo.... Their origins and evolution, we should invest in archaeology to know our own history better. or even decode nsibidi
No real work of archaeology has even been done in Igboland. If we are to really find answers, it'll have to be backed up by data ( archaeological evidence) rather than conjecture or speculation.

GotNoBrainsYo: This Philosophy was the work of wise men, or the school of thought known to us know as Ozo, Ekpe etc.
They had a written language that predated colonization- known as nsibidi that is a mystery to us now just as the heiroglyphics were before the Key (or rosetta stone) was discovered.
[size=32pt]As to their origin of Igbo. The origin has always been Africa[/size]. Igbo has been in Igboland as far as can be verified since the 6th- 8th century.
Igbo-Ukwu metallurgy or bronze casting was already occuring in the 9th century. We only found out because the first bronze cast was found by accident at a shrine.

I think if we are to understand the Mystery school or Igbo.... Their origins and evolution, we should invest in archaeology to know our own history better. or even decode nsibidi
No real work of archaeology has even been done in Igboland. If we are to really find answers, it'll have to be backed up by data ( archaeological evidence) rather than conjecture or speculation.

I RESPECT YOU WITH REGARDS TO THAT SATEMENT! I THINK YOU ARE THE ONLY NAIRALAND IGBO WHO DOSENT SAY THAT HE IS AN IGJEW!