Ukawsaw Granniosaw was a slave from Bornu. His autobiography came out in 1772. That's over a decade before Equiano's.

Abagworo: The use of Igbo for all Igbo groups wasn't from time immemorial and Igbo was more or less a term used for slave people. Even in that Olauda's write up he said they call people "Oye Ibo" and those people were obviously "Aros" because that red thing they rub is "uhie" and was found around the Cross River area.

Infact Igbo was a forbidden word in some Igbo areas until recently. I will google it out later.

Correct assertion. In fact, according to Ade Abayomi, there is no evidence that the people who are now referred to as Igbo ever called themselves with this name. Etymology has proved that the term ''Igbo'' is of recent antiquity, referring to slaves of various origin who were transported out through the eastern routes of Nigerian area to the coast during the trans Atlantic slave trade. These slaves came to be referred to as Igbo as well as people living in that of the Nigerian area, variously recorded as Ibo, eboe, etc.
The term ''Igbo'' referring to a people is not the only with recent antiquity in Nigerian area. Even the group of people we called Yoruba today were not known as Yoruba before AD 17thc. They were Ijebu, Egba, owe, etc. For them to be commonly referred to as Yoruba people together was popularized by Samuel Johnson who got the name from a write up of an Hausanised Arab traveller of 16th - 17th c AD.
By the way, the identity of Louis Africanus, as the writer of the article in question is known, is a historiographical problem and therefore has not been treated on its face value.

Ok

Wtf naa ? I came here to see pics all I saw was a long write up :-/

Ndigbo kwenu,every tribe/people have something or past they are proud of and we have ours

I'm here to counter any lie.

chukwuawka: The Life of Olaudah Equiano

Extract from: The Interesting Narrative of The Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African. Written by Himself.
London: Printed for and sold by the author, No. 10, Union-Street, Middlesex Hospital, [1789].
Vol. 1, Chapter 1, pages 4-38.

That part of Africa, known by the name of Guinea, to which the trade for slaves is carried on, extends along the coast above 3400 miles, from the Senegal to Angola, and includes a variety of kingdoms. Of these the most considerable is the kingdom of Benen, both as to extent and wealth, the richness and cultivation of the soil, the power of its king, and the number and warlike disposition of the inhabitants. It is situated nearly under the line, and extends along the coast about 170 miles, but runs back into the interior part of Africa to a distance hitherto I believe unexplored by any traveller; and seems only terminated at length by the empire of Abyssinia, near 1500 miles from its beginning. This kingdom is divided into many provinces or districts: in one of the most remote and fertile of which, called Eboe, I was born, in the year 1745, in a charming fruitful vale, named Essaka. The distance of this province from the capital of Benin and the sea coast must be very considerable; for I had never heard of white men or Europeans, nor of the sea: and our subjection to the king of Benin was little more than nominal; for every transaction of the government, as far as my slender observation extended, was conducted by the chiefs or elders of the place. The manners and government of a people who have little commerce with other countries are generally very simple; and the history of what passes in one family or village may serve as a specimen of a nation. My father was one of those elders or chiefs I have spoken of, and was styled Embrenche; a term, as I remember, importing the highest distinction, and signifying in our language a mark of grandeur. This mark is conferred on the person entitled to it, by cutting the skin across at the top of the forehead, and drawing it down to the eye-brows; and while it is in this situation applying a warm hand, and rubbing it until it shrinks up into a thick weal across the lower part of the forehead. Most of the judges and senators were thus marked; my father had long born it: I had seen it conferred on one of my brothers, and I was also destined to receive it by my parents. Those Embrence, or chief men, decided disputes and punished crimes; for which purpose they always assembled together. The proceedings were generally short; and in most cases the law of retaliation prevailed. I remember a man was brought before my father, and the other judges, for kidnapping a boy; and, although he was the son of a chief or senator, he was condemned to make recompense by a man or woman slave. Adultery, however, was sometimes punished with slavery or death; a punishment which I believe is inflicted on it throughout most of the nations of Africa. So sacred among them is the honour of the marriage bed, and so jealous are they of the fidelity of their wives. Of this I recollect an instance: --a woman was convicted before the judges of adultery, and delivered over, as the custom was, to her husband to be punished. Accordingly he determined to put her to death: but it being found, just before her execution, that she had an infant at her breast; and no woman being prevailed on to perform the part of a nurse, she was spared on account of the child. The men, however, do not preserve the same constancy to their wives, which they expect from them; for they indulge in a plurality, though seldom in more than two. Their mode of marriage is thus: - both parties are usually betrothed when young by their parents, (though I have known the males to betroth themselves). On this occasion a feast is prepared, and the bride and bridegroom stand up in the midst of all their friends, who are assembled for the purpose, while he declares she is thenceforth to be looked upon as his wife, and that no other person is to pay any addresses to her. This is also immediately proclaimed in the vicinity, on which the bride retires from the assembly. Some time after she is brought home to her husband, and then another feast is made, to which the relations of both parties are invited: her parents then deliver her to the bridegroom, accompanied with a number of blessings, and at the same time they tie round her waist a cotton string of the thickness of a goose-quill, which none but married women are permitted to wear: she is now considered as completely his wife; and at this time the dowry is given to the new married pair, which generally consists of portions of land, slaves, and cattle, household goods, and implements of husbandry. These are offered by the friends of both parties; besides which the parents of the bridegroom present gifts to those of the bride, whose property she is looked upon before marriage; but after it she is esteemed the sole property of her husband. The ceremony being now ended the festival begins, which is celebrated with bonefires, and loud acclamations of joy, accompanied with music and dancing.

We are almost a nation of dancers, musicians, and poets. Thus every great event, such as a triumphant return from battle, or other cause of public rejoicing is celebrated in public dances, which are accompanied with songs and music suited to the occasion. The assembly is separated into four divisions, which dance either apart or in succession, and each with a character peculiar to itself. The first division contains the married men, who in their dances frequently exhibit feats of arms, and the representation of a battle. To these succeed the married women, who dance in the second division. The young men occupy the third; and the maidens the fourth. Each represents some interesting scene of real life, such as a great achievement, domestic employment, a pathetic story, or some rural sport; and as the subject is generally founded on some recent event, it is therefore ever new. This gives our dances a spirit and variety which I have scarcely seen elsewhere. We have many musical instruments, particularly drums of different kinds, a piece of music which resembles a guitar, and another much like a stickado. These last are chiefly used by betrothed virgins, who play on them on all grand festivals.

As our manners are simple, our luxuries are few. The dress of both sexes is nearly the same. It generally consists of a long piece of callico, or muslin, wrapped loosely round the body, somewhat in the form of a highland plaid. This is usually dyed blue, which is our favourite colour. It is extracted from a berry, and is brighter and richer than any I have seen in Europe. Besides this, our women of distinction wear golden ornaments; which they dispose with some profusion on their arms and legs. When our women are not employed with the men in tillage, their usual occupation is spinning and weaving cotton, which they afterwards dye, and make it into garments. They also manufacture earthen vessels, of which we have many kinds. Among the rest tobacco pipes, made after the same fashion, and used in the same manner, as those in Turkey.

Our manner of living is entirely plain; for as yet the natives are unacquainted with those refinements in cookery which debauch the taste: bullocks, goats, and poultry, supply the greatest part of their food. These constitute likewise the principal wealth of the country, and the chief articles of its commerce. The flesh is usually stewed in a pan; to make it savoury we sometimes use also pepper, and other spices, and we have salt made of wood ashes. Our vegetables are mostly plantains, eadas, yams, beans, and Indian corn. The head of the family usually eats alone; his wives and slaves have also their separate tables. Before we taste food we always wash our hands: indeed our cleanliness on all occasions is extreme; but on this it is an indispensable ceremony. After washing, libation is made, by pouring out a small portion of the food, in a certain place, for the spirits of departed relations, which the natives suppose to preside over their conduct, and guard them from evil. They are totally unacquainted with strong or spirituous liquours; and their principal beverage is palm wine. This is gotten from a tree of that name by tapping it at the top, and fastening a large gourd to it; and sometimes one tree will yield three or four gallons in a night. When just drawn it is of a most delicious sweetness; but in a few days it acquires a tartish and more spirituous flavour though I never saw anyone intoxicated by it. The same tree also produces nuts and oil. Our principal luxury is in perfumes; one sort of these is an odoriferous wood of delicious fragrance: the other a kind of earth; a small portion of which thrown into the fire diffuses a most powerful odour. We beat this wood into powder, and mix it with palm oil; with which both men and women perfume themselves.

In our buildings we study convenience rather than ornament. Each master of a family has a large square piece of ground, surrounded with a moat or fence, or enclosed with a wall made of red earth tempered; which, when dry, is as hard as brick. Within this are his houses to accommodate his family and slaves; which, if numerous, frequently present the appearance of a village. In the middle stands the principal building, appropriated to the sole use of the master, and consisting of two apartments; in one of which he sits in the day with his family, the other is left apart for the reception of his friends. He has besides these a distinct apartment in which lie sleeps, together with his male children. On each side are the apartments of his wives, who have also their separate day and night houses. The habitations of the slaves and their families are distributed throughout the rest of the enclosure. These houses never exceed one story in height: they are always built of wood, or stakes driven into the ground, crossed with wattles, and neatly plastered within, and without. The roof is thatched with reeds. Our day-houses are left open at the sides; but those in which we sleep are always covered, and plastered in the inside, with a composition mixed with cow-dung, to keep off the different i

Can some1 pls summarize dis tin 4me? Am allergic to long write ups pls

Igbo means forest or indian hemp

The Igbos I have come across weren't cool, but I still love Igbo anyway, anyone wanna teach me Igbo? pleeeease?

im sure only igbos will read it to the end...i tried 3rd line 2nd paragraph....and i totally agree with all the content and comments...............


abuse me make i carry my horn and calabash for you...

"Olaudah Equiano" myth was created by the abolitionist if you care to know!
It is a totally scripted, fictional biography

Pishure or no history

amiskurie: Pishure or no history

Pishure

nagoma:

Pishure

Whaaaaaaarrt!

I will have to come back later to read the article in full. It's loooong.


Mr. Ukwuano ( Equiano ) was a great Igboman

No pics?

Igbo Ndioma Ekelem Unu!!!!

Proud to be an Igbo Man!!!

What a great piece. How do I lay my hand on this lovely book?

Blackchampion: Can some1 pls summarize dis tin 4me? Am allergic to long write ups pls

Because of this one line sentence, you quoted the whole article?

@op na who wan read all dis notes? Abeg make i go chop ga.rr.i first then I'll come back to comment

I read it all nice piece op but please get me a glass of water I'm so out of breath Phew!!!!!!!! Proudly Igbo

richjohn1: "Olaudah Equiano" myth was created by the abolitionist if you care to know!
It is a totally scripted, fictional biography

Please Dont contradict what the world's best record keepers United Kingdom have proven till date.Well even if its fiction it shows how much the average brits knew of the hinterland in the 1700's & it helped to the abolitionists fight to stop the slave trade or are u trying to say something else

An eye opening on the history and culture of the Igbo people.

good read, pictures will make it better tho

ChinenyeN:
Obiagu has been completely wrong about me from the very first day he decided to comment about me on NL. I remember that day very well, and I remember my first comment to Obiagu. In fact, none of you are actually anywhere near right about ChinenyeN.

I think it behoves you to consider your attitude if many people take issues with your conduct.

No point playing ostrich...

Interesting. Read about this guy some time ago. It's interesting to note that slave trade wasn't alien to them. I guess what makes the European style slave-trade stories gruesome would be their treatment of slaves, just lime Olaudah has pointed out.

His use of English is remarkable. His time in London really did him some good. "Some of our snakes, however, were poisonous: one of them crossed the road one day when I was standing on it, and passed between my feet without offering to touch me...". Beautiful!