₦airaland Forum

letu:
Do you have any pictures of this old/ancient swords or sword, because I know that in Igbo history when the name Mma Ahaa is mentioned it simply means war sword or just sword and not this over size machete which my present day Igbo brothers keep carrying about whenever it's time to dress like an ancient Igbo worrior during traditional ceremony, if you have any pictures of this Mma Ahaa or Sword please post the pictures here I will like to see what the look like.

Yes, I have some pictures and I will upload it.
This sword was collected by James Barbot during his journey to new Calabar around 1699. He was quite condescending in his description of the people of New Calabar, to the point of being racist. He said the blacks in New Calabar were inhuman, but he made comments about the Hackbous (a misprinting of Hickbous) which is an old name for the Igbos. He claimed that those Igbos were the one who supplied the people in New Calabar many goods and artefacts. I assume he was referring to the Aros based on the location. He mentioned that these group of Hackbous blacks terrorised the people towards the North.
He collected the swords that were made by the Igbo blacks and took them to London.

letu:
But this same Jewish rituals are in similitude to some of the ancient Egyptian rituals or let me also put it like this just as Igbo culture is similar to Jewish, the funny thing is that the same Igbo culture is at the same similar to ancient Egyptians and also similar to some extent to ancient cultures in middle East while to others they simply believe that Igbo origin/ culture is older than those other cultures that Igbos are being compared to eg Cathrine Acholonu and John Anenechukwu Umeh etc.

There is this case Rev. J.C. Taylor witnessed at Onitsha around 1840s or 50s.
He noticed how a "Holy Girl" in form of a young virgin went the way of Jehoiakim which was prophesied by Proph. Jeremiah. However, like Jesus, the belief and reason for ´the death of the young virgin were to the atonement of the sins of the land and wipe away the sins of the people in Onitsha. Just as the bible of old prophesied in Isaiah 53:5:

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

The event was narrated thus:

Sorry, I was banned by the antispambot.
Please, how do I prevent this happening again?
CC: Odumchi, Bigfrancis21.

Now, I am afraid to post excerpts from the pages I am reviewing again.

Ardar:
How the hell are igbo women respected in igbo culture please pray tell.

Please, read the evidence/excerpts from ethnologists in 1841. This was compiled by highly educated white Europeans or Brits of African descent and some who came back to settle in Freetown. It is not a Nigerian Government publication. This is what they observed in the 1800s.

I will add another one from Oldfield I believe where he narrated his encounter with an Igbo businesswoman in the 1800s.

Jamrock391:
[img][/img] Ok, so I am African American but apparently most Nigerians i meet think im Lying lol. They say i look like an Igbo man. What do you all think? Heres my picture

Well, one can tell where they are coming from ith that claim.

ijawcitizen:
If the land was inhabited by igbos before the Ijaws came, it would be bearing an igbo name.

But unfortunately for the igbo revisionists, it has an Ijaw name because it was first inhabited and founded by Ijaw ancestors.

Go there and tell them that they are Ijaw so they can give you a bloody nose.

[quote author=ijawcitizen post=98067762]You call this nonsense written by a very ignorant foreigner "Knowledge"?

Even in this modern day, there are still people who believe Nigeria is hausa, yorubas & igbos only, is what is written here different from the ignorance showcased by the average ignorant Nigerian about other ethnicities?

I truly pity you because if I reel out "knowledge" of derogatory write ups by same foreigners about igbos, you will hate yourself.[/quoIgnorant?
Who are strangers? These guys lived, sleep and breathe Nigerian culture. They dedicated all their life and even most died studying and interpreting Nigerian languages. Do you have an Idea who Ajayi Crowther is? So because the evidence did not fit your false propaganda/narrative? So, I should believe your beer parlour stories ahead of the work of competent ethnologist?
Go and google Rev. (Ajayi), Crowther, Beale Africanus, James Schön, Dr Baikie etc. These are the guys who wrote down and published and interpreted many Nigerian languages. That is how good they are. The works of Oldfield are still being used till today for studies in the Niger/Benue Biodiversity... That is how good these guys are.
Please, take your ignorance out of here, these are documented facts.
If you don't have any evidence to disapprove these great scholars who lived almost all their life and died studying Nigerian culture, please, find your way out.

I need your contributions and thoughts too.


Apart from Chukwu Okike (God the creator) Igbos also believed that there is "a fallen Angel", which is consistent with Judaistic beliefs. People who wanted to do evil or mischief went to him. In the bible, the "fallen angels" is Satan. In Igbo cultures in the past, they also believe the "fallen angels" to be Satan. They call it Kamallo or Igwikalla".

Read the excerpt below:

This is a footnote, in reference to how religious fanaticism drove the Heber (Ebo) people down to their present location.
They use present or recent activities, like religion and culture to buttress their assertions of previous happenings.

Here Beale stated how the Fulanis (Phula, Fula, Fulata) used the same fantasm to take over the land of the Hausas from Lilubawa near Fula Toro.

They came into the bushes to tend to their herds and living there when suddenly, Fodie (Who I believe in Uthman Dan Fodio) had an apparition to take over all the land around him until they take over the land up until the Atlantic Ocean. (I used to think these stories were just conjectures and propaganda until I read it in this book).

Down to the main issue, these types of fanatism in North-Africa down to Centre Africa promoted this migration according to Beale

Those ethnologists and missionary really queried and studied the Igbos in West-Africa and were really stunned by the Hebrew similarities. From the records, the Igbos were also referred to as Heber, Eber (Hebrews) before they were called "Egbo" and then "Ebo".
You could also tell here that the Igalas and Igbos were kind of related too.
Read this below.

Jewish migration continued....

This part is important as it documents how they finally came to settle as a tribe from Israel down to the Niger area.

Note that there are still full-blooded Israelites still living in North-Africa till today and still practising their religion. They have been there for centuries.

The Jewish Origins - Note that this part of their work is not based on their written records. This is based on their theory in the 1800s.

I believe this is where the origins of the Igbo Jewish connection stemmed from.

The prayers a Woman named Wamah, offered to Chukwu was written down by Taylor and Crowther around 1857.

Religion Continued...
This still speaking of the Aros.
It is interesting to note that the Isuama and Elugu dialect was spoken by most of the visitors. I will peep into what the Aro dialect sound like today and how these dialects influenced them.

Also note here, that European travellers also bought artisans and metal finishes here because they were so impressed by the quality.

Now to the origins and link to Judaism. Note that the earlier works even link this more strongly than Beale did in this book.
Rev. James Frederick Schön the respected German missionary and linguist (he did most of his works on the Hausa language) was one of the people in the 1800s who believed in the Igbo-Hebrew links.

Read what is written below from Beale though.

We will look at the religion first and the Aro and a written record of a prayer made in Abo (now Aboh).

AdakaBoro8:
identity grabbing has enter into igbo people blood.

Please, kindly find your way out. This is not a place for your bigoted ethnic fight. We are looking at written history from professional ethnologist who studied our culture way before the concept of the word Nigeria was conceived. Please if you have old scholarly works from 1700s and 1800s to disprove this, please bring it forward and if not find your way out.

I have 4 published books of established ethnologist from the 1800s well preserved. Next time when you guys pop up with your propaganda, we will have pages of very old scholarly books to counter your falsehood.

pazienza:
I wasn't sadly invited to this party. But to hell with that. I'm not only inviting myself, but I'm taking the high table.

Emm OP. Kedu ebe orji m di?

Odogwu!! We are sorry for this grave error. Biko, one bottle for you to step down.

My next post will touch on the origin of debates of Igbo Hebraic ancestory. The early explorers were the first people to debate Igbo-Hebrew origins. Which Beale summarised well from the works of early ethnologist.

These links are based on language, name and some Igbo philosophy and religion.
CC @ bigfrancis21 Odumchi

ijawcitizen:
Another igbo masturbation thread.

Una no dey tire to claim other people land?
Who cursed you people?

Can you find your way out of this thread? This thread here is for knowledge.... We are reviewing what true ethnologist wrote about the land way before the name called "Nigeria" was conceived in the mind of any soul or spirit. Living or dead.
I have other older historical books to review, please and please if you are not here to gain knowledge from history, please go and find an Ndoki group with a fake name to give them fake "oral history" conjured up from the comfort of your beer parlour.

the Igbo people at this point was seen as peaceful with a healthy population between 10-12 million people.

It shows people like the OP have a serious agenda and he is not alone. Apparently some people went to their page with false history trying to convince them that they are not Igbo and Ndoki people fought them off violently.

ijawcitizen:
In dj khalid's voice,
"Another one"

Here is an excerpt from a book written by revered ethnographers in the 1840s.

Fact vs Fiction. I guess why they removed history from school.

This account gave an example of how Igbo learn and reproduce things very fast.
No be today them dey do aba things... boiz don dey produce stuff dey put fake designers teytey... Read this account in 1854.

...Still on their smartness. It is observed that Igbos were fiercely competitive and each town would try all to best the other.... You could still see this on Nairaland even today. LOL.
Cc: @Afam4eva, this spirit of competitiveness and battle of greatness did not start with you and your other rivals on Nairaland.

Ekealterego:
Location of the Empire of the Egboes1

SITUATED between the Rivers Niger and Old Calabar and bounded on the north by the left or Binnue branch of the first river, on the south by the Atlantic, on the east by Old Calabar and the Dwalla Countries, and on the west by the River Niger, Benin, and Igara, is the extensive and well-watered tract of the territory included in the Empire of the Egboes. According to Dr. Baikie, Egboe extends east and west from the Old Calabar River to the banks of the Niger, or Kwora and possesses also some territory at Abo, in the westward of the stream on the north it borders on Igara and Akpoto, and is separated from the sea only by petty tribes all of which trace their origin from the great race.

It is divided into several districts or counties, each speaking different dialects, although derived from one root. The principal counties are Isuama, Elugu, Isielu, Isiago, Abaga, _Mitshie, and Djuku, all of which are situated on the north; in the middle are Abo, Abazim, Aro, and Amazunie, and in the south are Brass, Nimbe, Okrika, Ebane or Bonny, and Adony. Very little is known of these districts their histories are shrouded in impenetrable darkness; expeditions have been made through the great water course into the interior; but no cross expedition, starting from the eastern banks of the Niger to the Old Calabar River has as yet been attempted.

I believe one of the older journals detailed more about the history and characteristics of the different Igbo clans. I have the book and I will upload the excerpts.

Position of Women in Igbo Culture

This shows that Igbo women were well respected although they could not be kings or chiefs.

Location of the Empire of the Egboes1

SITUATED between the Rivers Niger and Old Calabar and bounded on the north by the left or Binnue branch of the first river, on the south by the Atlantic, on the east by Old Calabar and the Dwalla Countries, and on the west by the River Niger, Benin, and Igara, is the extensive and well-watered tract of the territory included in the Empire of the Egboes. According to Dr. Baikie, Egboe extends east and west from the Old Calabar River to the banks of the Niger, or Kwora and possesses also some territory at Abo, in the westward of the stream on the north it borders on Igara and Akpoto, and is separated from the sea only by petty tribes all of which trace their origin from the great race.

It is divided into several districts or counties, each speaking different dialects, although derived from one root. The principal counties are Isuama, Elugu, Isielu, Isiago, Abaga, _Mitshie, and Djuku, all of which are situated on the north; in the middle are Abo, Abazim, Aro, and Amazunie, and in the south are Brass, Nimbe, Okrika, Ebane or Bonny, and Adony. Very little is known of these districts their histories are shrouded in impenetrable darkness; expeditions have been made through the great water course into the interior; but no cross expedition, starting from the eastern banks of the Niger to the Old Calabar River has as yet been attempted.

In the south the districts are intersected by numerous streams and rivulets, which enter to form the delta of the Niger; mangrove swamps are abundant in various places except between Bonny and Old Calabar, the soil is rich and fertile Further up, the country is more open and elevated, and numerously populated. In Isuama most of the towns are built on rising grounds, dry, and well selected; so that Isuama, Elugu, and Isiago, are far healthier and dryer than the seacoast towns


But there are yet several large and important countries in the interior of Egboe of which nothing is known, as the country has not received that attention among civilized settlers that other parts of the Coast have. After the great failure of the expedition of 1841, no adequate attempt was made to open the River Niger until 1854 when a new impetus was given by the complete success of that year, but which, unfortunately, has been followed by tardy operations.

Note
Egba, Igbo, Ebo, and Ibo are the various spellings met with in books describing the race inhabiting this part of the Coast. Among the soft Isuama and Elugu, the soft Ebo and Ibo is used; but among the inhabitants on the coast, such as Bonny and Okrika the harsher name Egbo is prevalent In the interior north of the Territory, the nations are called Igbo, which approaches more to the original name of the inhabitants. 1

In this thread, we will visit history and review ethnographers' works and other writers who worked on the Igbo culture in the 17th centuries.
Africanus Beale is a good way to start as it is short and integrates the recent works of Baikie, Oldfield, Crowther and other earlier works.

Doctor James Africanus Beale Horton African surgeon soldier and became more concerned with politics In his book West African Countries and Peoples 1868 Horton challenged the prevalent notions of the racial inferiority of Africans and also put forward several proposals for the self-governance of different African national and ethnic groups However Horton also saw himself as a loyal subject of the British crown and envisioned Britain as having a strong cultural and technological influence in the development of Africa.

Africanus saw the Igbos (Eboes) as a great example for his argument to present to the British government of that time.

I will present relevant experts as we advance. I hope the Igbo peeps are following.