The death of any individual in the Igboland is never met with smiles, we often notice that irrespective of the age of the dead person, there will always be a reason to mourn over their death. Consequently, it is not surprising to see Ndi Igbo treating the dead with unreserved respect and an uncommon type of complex rituals. Going by what is generally referred to as the Igbo belief, death is not necessarily the complete end of any human being, it is instead, a transition to a different world – the world of the spirits.

Ndi Igbo believe that no matter how established you were in life, your burial rituals, called ikwa ozu determines your well-being when you’ve gone to be with your ancestors. Therefore, assuming the ancestral status comes with a number of requirements which must be met; if the living come short of any of these requirements, the dead person is believed to be in a state of unrest and cannot partake or mingle with his people in the other side of the world.
Aside the impending distress of the dead person when the burial is not properly ritualized, the living relatives are also likely to suffer mishaps, often attributed to their inability to perform required rituals. To this end, every family strives to perform all attending rituals when they are bereaved. Ikwa ozu is not something you can neglect in Igbo land, it is perceived as helpful to both the living and the dead.

Ikwa ozu differs from state to state and from community to community; but one thing is always done in common, it comes after the internment of an elderly woman or man. Usually, different communities allow families to do it immediately after the internment (perhaps the next day) or defer it to a time when they can afford the responsibilities. However, it is now commonplace for even the wealthy to defer their Ikwa ozu till a later date when they can gather with friends to make merry, instead of mourning. Ikwa ozu lasts for different duration, days, weeks, and sometimes months, depending on who died and the circumstances surrounding their death.

In Igbo land, the news of the passing on of any individual is not just disseminated, according to Igbo tradition, there is a laid-down procedure for breaking the news of death, especially that of a great man. The first group to be informed is the deceased's immediate family. Afterward, the extended family is told. Then the entire community is summoned to an ikpo oku. The news is broken while presenting them with alcohol and livestock. Only after the ikpo oku are public displays of mourning permitted to commence.

The final group to be informed is the deceased's mother's family. They are then given a date to visit the immediate family and learn exactly how the death occurred. Lavish entertainment is provided on the occasion. The number of yams, goats, and cows the mother's family demands to take home with them is dependent on the deceased's status in his community. This elaborate procedure for passing on the news of death helps prevent murder; it ensures that no-one leaves this world without the exact circumstances being ascertained.
Most importantly, the Ndi Igbo bury their dead relatives within their premises, the choice of the spot where the grave will be dug is often exclusively reserved for a particular person – depending on the person that died, and on the customs of various communities.
Ndi Igbo believe that admission of the dead into the spirit world is not automatic. To achieve this for the dead, the children of the dead perform appropriate funeral rites that can facilitate their deceased parent(s) into the spirit world. In the same way, funeral rites in Igboland are not automatic. Many factors determine if one is to be accorded funeral rites. Among the factors are when and how one dies, marital status of one before he or she dies, and if one has a child or children, especially male child before he or she dies. Ndi Igbo have both good and bad deaths. A good death implies death after a ripe old age and other parameters, while a bad death implies death below this ripe old age, death by suicide, or death by detestable diseases.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b1gSN-nHc4

Good one op. well written and I can say I find it educative.

judgementyard:
Good one op. well written and I can say I find it educative.

Thank you!
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Arealove:

Thank you!
You can subscribe to the Youtube channel for similar content.

Ok Will do that.