Olaudah equiano was a self thought Igbo slave who managed to buy his freedom and moved to London. He wrote and published his life story from when he was a young boy in West Africa to when he was captured, sold into slavery and regained his freedom as a young man. His book The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano was written in 1789. Was he the first Igbo man to read and write in English?

gidgiddy:
Olaudah equiano was a self thought Igbo slave who managed to buy his freedom and moved to London. He wrote and published his life story from when he was a young boy in West Africa to when he was captured, sold into slavery and regained his freedom as a young man. His book The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano was written in 1789. Was he the first Igbo man to read and write in English?

Yes he was. His igboness is undisputed, it's his PLACE OF BIRTH that is been debated.

How come no igbo bears the same name Olaudah? Same applies to his last name.

Something fishy about his progeny

Somehow

kayfra:
How come no igbo bears the same name Olaudah? Same applies to his last name.

Something fishy about his progeny

His real name is Olaedo (means bronze artifact in igbo) ikwuano. The portuguese in pronouncing his name spelt as Olaudah Equiano. Same way they mispelt Benin and Gave Lagos the name.

larryUG:

His real name is Olaedo (means bronze artifact in igbo) ikwuano. The portuguese in pronouncing his name spelt as Olaudah Equiano. Same way they mispelt Benin and Gave Lagos the name.

Even if I accept your Portuguese explanation. Who is named Olaedo today?

kayfra:
Even if I accept your Portuguese explanation. Who is named Olaedo today?

U dont need to accept my explanation. He wrote an autobiography and published it before he died. He detailed his tribe and village and how he was kidnapped witg his sister. But suit yourself. He isnt Igbo. Thats what u wanna hear

larryUG:

U dont need to accept my explanation. He wrote an autobiography and published it before he died. He detailed his tribe and village and how he was kidnapped witg his sister. But suit yourself. He isnt Igbo. Thats what u wanna hear

Did I deny anything you wrote? I have doubts about his background. That's all

kayfra:


Did I deny anything you wrote? I have doubts about his background. That's all

You will because he is Igbo. You never see anything good in Igbo despite the fact that he claimed he was Igbo by his very own account.

Olaudah (he whose voice is loud) is one of the many Igbo names that are not popular in usage.

He mentioned major Igbo customs and wrote Igbo words in his autobiography.

kayfra:
Even if I accept your Portuguese explanation. Who is named Olaedo today?

What kind of question is that?

How many Igbo bears Nwakerendu? How may Igbo bears ukpai?

Mind you it's olou-uda (olaudah)

I have an old uncle who bears olunnaya (voice of his father). There are name derivatives for the word olu (voice), despite the fact that it's not popular.

In those days, names of slaves were sometimes incorrectly spelt or pronounced in English.

May envy not give you heart attack o

larryUG:

U dont need to accept my explanation. He wrote an autobiography and published it before he died. He detailed his tribe and village and how he was kidnapped witg his sister. But suit yourself. He isnt Igbo. Thats what u wanna hear

Don't mind the person. Envy is a disease that has eaten deep.

larryUG:

His real name is Olaedo (means bronze artifact in igbo) ikwuano. The portuguese in pronouncing his name spelt as Olaudah Equiano. Same way they mispelt Benin and Gave Lagos the name.

No, it's oluu-uda (he whose voice is loud)

superlightning:


What kind of question is that?

How many Igbo bears Nwakerendu? How may Igbo bears ukpai?

Mind you it's olou-uda (olaudah)

I have an old uncle who bears olunnaya (voice of his father). There are name derivatives for the word olu (voice), despite the fact that it's not popular.

In those days, names of slaves were sometimes incorrectly spelt or pronounced in English.

May envy not give you heart attack o

You still can't name a single person with that name is the point

superlightning:


You will because he is Igbo. You never see anything good in Igbo despite the fact that he claimed he was Igbo by his very own account.

Olaudah (he whose voice is loud) is one of the many Igbo names that are not popular in usage.

He mentioned major Igbo customs and wrote Igbo words in his autobiography.

Cut that "woe is me" igbo victimization mentality. That nonsense doesn't work with me. You doth cry too much about imagined Igbo persecution. It is irritating

Argue the points and stop throwing an emotional tantrum. You guys can't even agree about the interpretation of the name Olaudah. From Bronze to the voice is loud. WTH! Now you see why I doubt his progeny

kayfra:


Cut that "woe is me" igbo victimization mentality. That nonsense doesn't work with me. You doth cry too much about imagined Igbo persecution. It is irritating

Argue the points and stop throwing an emotional tantrum. You guys even agree about the interpretation of the name Olaudah. From Bronze to the voice is loud. WTH! Now you see why I doubt his progeny

As if your doubt would affect his igboness.....lol.... What scholars are worried about is his birthplace not his igboness

By his OWN account, he said he is of Igbo descent, yet it PAINS your soul that he is giving the account himself.

Whether Bronze or Voice, he igboness is out of the question. Centuries of misspelt names will definitely corrupt the actual pronunciation. But to you, it just can't be Igbo. Lol....go and quench abeg, you are inconsequential.

kayfra:


You still can't name a single person with that name is the point

You keep wanting to believe your own childish bias....suit yourself

superlightning:


You keep wanting to believe your own childish bias....suit yourself

Can you just answer the question? Who do you know named Olaudah?

superlightning:


As if your doubt would affect his igboness.....lol.... What scholars are worried about is his birthplace not his igboness

By his OWN account, he said he is of Igbo descent, yet it PAINS your soul that he is giving the account himself.

Whether Bronze or Voice, he igboness is out of the question. Centuries of misspelt names will definitely corrupt the actual pronunciation. But to you, it just can't be Igbo. Lol....go and quench abeg, you are inconsequential.

His alleged account even has it as Eboe and still no known Igbo bears any semblance of his first or last name. It's amazing and perplexing at the same time. You can't even give a consistent meaning or translation of his names and yet you want us to buy his progeny hook, line and sinker?

kayfra:


His alleged account even has it as Eboe and still no known Igbo bears any semblance of his first or last name. It's amazing and perplexing at the same time. You can't even give a consistent meaning or translation of his names and yet you want us to buy his progeny hook, line and sinker?

Who are the "us"? Perhaps you mean you and yourself �......lol.....Pele o.... despite all the logical explanation for the spelling of the name at the time and the fact the oluu-uda himself referred Igbo as his ancestry, you keep asking childish and uninformed questions. Sorry.

kayfra:


His alleged account even has it as Eboe and still no known Igbo bears any semblance of his first or last name. It's amazing and perplexing at the same time. You can't even give a consistent meaning or translation of his names and yet you want us to buy his progeny hook, line and sinker?

His account is now "alleged"? Kayfra, please kill yourself with envy. Goodbye

superlightning:


His account is now "alleged"? Kayfra, please kill yourself with envy. Goodbye

It's an allegation or fairy tale. A made up story by an European benefactor

superlightning:


Who are the "us"? Perhaps you mean you and yourself �......lol.....Pele o.... despite all the logical explanation for the spelling of the name at the time and the fact the oluu-uda himself referred Igbo as his ancestry, you keep asking childish and uninformed questions. Sorry.

Olaudah
Olaedo
Olou-udah
Oluu-uda

We can't even make up our minds what his name is and all the names listed above are allergic to modern day Igbos. They tend not to bear the names or the Olaudah is simply a figment of someone's imagination. I suspect the later. Olaudah hoax

You almost sound like kobojunkie.

@ op

Probably not. He might have been the first "Eboe" to publish a widely read autobiography at that time, perhaps.

I just checked his book (circa 1789) and he mentioned "Natives of Eboe" living in Britain.

He had many names btw, one was Gustavus Vassa as he included on the cover.