₦airaland Forum

notobs:
The Igbos are not Efik/Ibibios, Ekpe and Nsibidi is the cultural heritage of the Efik Ibibio others are just wannabe. Thats the truth.

Key question what is the meaning of Ekpe = Efik/Ibibio language used to describe big cats, espercially lion it could also be used for leopard, tiger etc thats that igbo language

Nsibidi is another Efik/Ibibio lanugage which we all know as the language of Ekpe cultural society.

Whats the link to igbo? Ekpe and Nsibidi Both language of the Efiks and Ibibio, what has igbo to do with it? it it was their cultural heritage they would have had Igbo words to describe it. Stop fooling yourselves revisionist historians. A copy can never be Original.

Igbo can never be Efik or Ibibio. What sort of ignorance is this. People are telling you that Igbos practice Ekpe and use Nsibidi inspite of its origins. Pls stop speaking English because it's not your language! The fact is that an Igbo man is reinventing Nsibidi for Igbos,period!

Notobs, you come off as an ethnic bigot and let me remind you of the following rules:

1. Please post on topic always. Don't derail or tribalize threads.
3. Don't advocate or encourage violent actions against any person, tribe, race, animals, or group of people.

You are breaking rule #1 more so than rule #3.

All attempt to call me names will not change the fact that Ekpe is an Efik/Ibibio cultural heritage and not igbo as most of you revisionist historians on this page want the public to believe. All your campaign to the moderators to have me banned and silenced because I have exposed your lies will fall on deaf ears, the moderators are sane, honest people who will stand for the truth.

You are calling Nsibidi and ekpe an igbo tradition and i am challenging that. because i stand for the truth which is that Nsibidi and Ekpe is an Efik/ibibio cultural tradition and practice with centuries of literature and history to back it up. your job is to prove to us why its and Igbo tradition and not calling me names or trying to have me banned/silenced.

Radoillo:
This is the first time I've heard anyone attempt to put Ekoi under an Efik/Ibibio umbrella. You probably don't know how dissimilar both languages are. To give you an idea, Yoruba and Idoma are closer to each other than Efik and Ekoi are. It is not general knowledge that Ekoi falls under Efik...unless it's general knowledge that Nupe falls under Yoruba. (This is not even a good analogy: Yoruba and Nupe are closer to each other than Efik and Ekoi).

Ihuomadinihu:
I never said they are same cultures. I said they have established relationships amongst them due to geographical proximity. We have what is Cross riverain Igbo culture too. Nsibidi has it's origins in Ejagham before the efik/ibibio adopted it. Am actually more interested in the aboriginal settlers of the Abia/Cross river area,who were driven away by the Ibibios.

Really? Isn't Ekoi language and culture categorized as semi-Bantu?
I assumed it's jst as typical as the general Efik/ibibio culturally identity

You mean to say Ekoi aren't semi-Bantu like Efiks and the others in the region?

christopher123:
Nsibidi is a system of symbols indigenous to what is now southeastern Nigeria that is apparently an ideographic script, though there have been suggestions that it includes logographic elements. The symbols are at least several centuries old: Early forms appeared on excavated pottery as well as what are most likely ceramic stools and headrests from the Calabar region, with a range of dates from 400 to 1400 CE. There are thousands of nsibidi symbols, of which over 500 have been recorded. They were once taught in a school to children. Many of the signs deal with love affairs; those that deal with warfare and the sacred are kept secret. Nsibidi is used on wall designs, calabashes, metals, leaves, swords, and tattoos. It is primarily used by the Ekpe leopard secret society, which is found across Cross River among the Ekoi, Efik, Igbo people, and other nearby peoples. Outside knowledge of nsibidi came in 1904 when T.D. Maxwell noticed the symbols. Before the British colonisation of the area, nsibidi was divided into a sacred version and a public, more decorative version which could be used by women.

There are thousands of nsibidi symbols, of which over 500 have been recorded. They were once taught in a school to children. Many of the signs deal with love affairs; those that deal with warfare and the sacred are kept secret.[7] Nsibidi is used on wall designs, calabashes, metals (such as bronze), leaves, swords, and tattoos.[2][8] It is primarily used by the Ekpe leopard secret society (also known as Ngbe or Egbo), which is found across Cross River among the Ekoi, Efik, Igbo people, and other nearby peoples.

Outside knowledge of nsibidi came in 1904 when T.D. Maxwell noticed the symbols.[4] Before the British colonisation of the area, nsibidi was divided into a sacred version and a public, more decorative version which could be used by women.[8] Aspects of colonisation such as Western education and Christian doctrine drastically reduced the number of nsibidi-literate people, leaving the secret society members as some of the last literate in the symbols.[9] Nsibidi was and is still a means of transmitting Ekpe symbolism. Nsibidi was transported to Cuba and Haiti via the Atlantic slave trade, where it developed into the anaforuana and veve symbols.[10][11]


Court Cases - "Ikpe"[edit]

The Ikpe from Enyong written in nsibidi as recorded by J. K. Macgregor
Nsibidi was used in judgement cases known as 'Ikpe' in some Cross River communities. Macgregor was able to retrieve and translate an nsibidi record from Enyong of an ikpe judgement.

The record is of an Ikpe or judgement case. (a) The court was held under a tree as is the custom, (b) the parties in the case, (c) the chief who judged it, (d) his staff (these are enclosed in a circle), (e) is a man whispering into the ear of another just outside the circle of those concerned, (f) denotes all the members of the party who won the case. Two of them (g) are embracing, (h) is a man who holds a cloth between his finger and thumbs as a sign of contempt. He does not care for the words spoken. The lines round and twisting mean that the case was a difficult one which the people of the town could not judge for themselves. So they sent to the surrounding towns to call the wise men from them and the case was tried by them (j) and decided; (k) denotes that the case was one of adultery or No. 20.[15]

These are quite interesting, as they can serve as written records from the point of view of the Igbo themselves during the pre-colonial days.
A poster explains Nsibidi, other Nigerian/African writing systems, and modern archaeology very well:

Zarahanair:
KINGSTON said:
This in particular is another negative about modern archaeology that I've been complaining about:
https://www.nairaland.com/189030/african-script
Even the smaller kingdoms left documentation in several forms such as Aroko and Nsibidi, but many historians refuse to acknowledge these forms of documentation as a source of information.

I agree actually- but would only point out that it is inevitable that the big dogs will get more press. I would also agree that we need more research on the smaller areas. Do you have anything more on Nsibidi writing, especially on its origins? From your link, it seems that Nsibidi is an indigenous writing from that was around BEFORE the Arabs showed up. If youe link is combined with other data it seems some of the symbols used go back a long way, centuries before. If this is correct, and Nisibidi writing has been conveying meaning and ideas, then the old claim that sub-Saharan Africa had to wait for Arabs to show up to get writing is completely wrong. I see this wrong on 3 counts:

1) The kingdom of Kush is a "sub-Saharan" entity- the first great empire in SUB-SAHARAN Africa, a fact obscured by the southward movement of the desert, making people once "sub-Saharan", NON sub-Saharan as the decades passed. But Kush had trade and admin links well south into the Sudan, and the Kushites had their own writing system, an alphabetic one in place long before the Muslim era, and quite different from Egyptian hieroglyphics. But even before that elements of Egyptian-influenced script were in place going back to 700-500 BC, also long before any Arabs showed up. QUOTE:

"Kush conquered Egypt in the 8th century B.C., and ruled it for several decades. The Kushitic civilization flourished following the rise to ascendancy of Meroe as the capital city, starting in the 6th century B.C. The sophistication of Kush was reflected in its impressive stone architecture, irrigation systems, a large iron industry, its own script, and a well developed sense of nationhood. The first great empire of Africa south of the Sahara experienced its greatest development during the final three centuries B.C. Its collapse about A.D. 300 seems to have been precipitated by the decline of its agricultural base wing to soil exhaustion, and of its iron industry owing to the over-exploitation of forests for charcoal."
--Robert stock (2012). Africa South of the Sahara, Third Edition: A Geographical Interpretation. 171

2) Ethiopia is "sub Saharan" and also had its own writing system in the Auxumite era- again long before any Arabs showed up.

3) Add in the Nsibidi writing you mention and again, Arabs were not needed to bring writing to West Africa. Indigenous Nsibidi, if confirmed to go back to earlier centuries, (400AD is the date given by one scholar- Slogar 2005, 2007) would give West Africa also, alongside East and NE Africa an indigenous writing system before the Muslim era in West Africa. Early forms [of Nsibidi] apparently appeared on excavated pottery as well as what are most likely ceramic stools and headrests from the Calabar region, with a range of dates from between 400 and 1400 CE.

(Slogar, Christopher (Spring 2007). "Early ceramics from Calabar, Nigeria: Towards a history of Nsibidi.". African Arts (University of California) 40 (1): 18–29; Slogar, Christopher (2005). Eyo, Ekpo, ed. Iconography and Continuity in West Africa: Calabar Terracottas and the Arts of the Cross River Region of Nigeria/Cameroon (PDF). University of Maryland. pp. 58–62.)
=====================================================

Per one reference on Nsibidi it was not simply religious or secret society pictograms but a writing system conveying everyday meaning- from court cases to messages in wartime. QUOTE:

[b]"However, such systems are also found in areas where Muslim influence has been less strong or is unlikely. Thus, among the Ashanti and other Akan-speaking peoples of Ghana and Cote D'Ivorie, where gold was of great political, economic and symbolic significance, many goldweights bore signs that indicated their precise ponderal value; other signs corresponded to proverbs, while others represented concepts (for example, certain aspects of the Supreme Being). The nsibidi system of the Ekoi, Igbo and Ibibio peoples of the Cross River area of present-day Nigeria used over a thousand signs to represent a considerable number of concepts as well as some sounds. Nsibidi was used to record court cases and convey complex messages, including warnings in wartime, and for summarizing folktales and personal narratives; its pictograms thus constituted a true writing system. As with the Malian systems of graphic signs, knowledge of nsibidi was often acquired within the initiation societies, but unlike the Malian ones, nsibidi signs were often tattooed on the body or dramatically enacted through gestures."[/b]
--Kevin Shllingford (2004) "Literacy and Indigenous Scripts: Pre-colonial West Africa" - Encyclopedia of African History


We need to study ALL of Africa and its developments I am sure you agree. NE Africa is just as 'African" as the Guinea Coast. And I agree that there are some people out there caught up in fantasy "Egyptomania" just like the Europeans, who have been the most massive appropriators and copiers of all time- as far as things Egyptian. Bottom line is that African Americans do not need "clearance" from these people anymore, and don't need approval from today's Arabized Egyptians either to study and comment on the Nile Valley. We don't need no badges like the Mexican guy said in the old movie.

We just need to keep building up our own base- our own thing. People should do their own research- Go to Google books and harvest info like that above. I see cats relying on Wikipedia but Wikipedia while sometimes having some useful info is crawling with embedded Eurocentric moles and Administrator collaborators editing out and blockading good, balanced scholarship on Africa. A network of blogs and sites like Nairaland and Egyptsearch is essential for end-running and defeating them- a process that is already well underway and is yielding success with good Google representation, These efforts need to be multiplied. While the moles "guard" obsolete, BS WIki pages, other sites are yielding much more accurate, balanced info. People should harvest as much as they can from multiple sources on Africa, and put it out there on the web like our Nsibidi info.

However we also need to have good evidence and scholarship operating. Too often cats are just relying on sheer speculation an assertion, or using mostly obsolete data from 40 years ago, or taking fragmentary theories and announcing them as the final word on everything, rather than recognizing them as theories that might change. I still run into cats taking bout magical levitation built the pyramids, or "incoming Caucasoids" or "Middle Easterners", as if Africans could not do the ordinary (and advanced) engineering or math necessary. We don't rely on any self-esteem fluff either - which is also a strawman Eurocentrics love to use to dismiss or downplay solid African data. "Self-esteem" is irrelevant- hard data is what counts. We have the hard data, scholarship and science on hand now, with more coming every day, to truly place Africa at the center- whether it be Egyptian Nile Valley, Kush, Nile Basin, Sahara or other parts and cultures.

MissMeiya:
I'm equally jealous of scripts like Hindi Devanagarii (अब, दुख की महान सत्य है), Eastern African Ge'ez (አስምዕኩ፡ቃላተ፡ነቢይነ፡ለንቡራነ፡ሀገርየ፡ወባሔቱ፡ኢየብከይዎሙ።), alphabets Greek (Το αρχαιότερο όνομα της περιοχής αυτής), Cyrillic (Древнее название этой области), Korean hangul (이 지역 의 고대 이름), Japanese hana (この地域の古代の名前), and all the alphabets, syllabaries, and logograms inbetween.

And of course, the Chinese logographic system (该地区的古名), which is closest to what Nsibidi was meant to be, if it had been developed.

If you read my post, Nsibidi was developed.

macof:
Really? Isn't Ekoi language and culture categorized as semi-Bantu?
I assumed it's jst as typical as the general Efik/ibibio culturally identity

You mean to say Ekoi aren't semi-Bantu like Efiks and the others in the region?

There's a great deal of confusion in the use of the words 'semi-Bantu' and 'Bantoid' in describing the languages of the Cross River zone and parts of the Middle Belt. That is understandable, given the great linguistic diversity of that zone. 'semi-Bantu' is an outdated word that belongs to the era when anthropologists thought Fulani was 'Hamitic' and Igbo 'Sudanic'.

Ekoi is classified as a 'southern Bantoid' language. This is the same group to which Tiv in the Middle Belt belongs. Ibibio-Efik is classified as a Lower Cross language. This is the same group to which Ogbia (Goodluck Jonathan's ethnic group) in Bayelsa belongs.

In other words, Ekoi is closer to Tiv than it is to Ibibio-Efik. And Ibibio-Efik is closer to Ogbia (Bayelsa) and Ogoni (Rivers) than it is to Ekoi.

Yes, both languages ultimately belong to the Benue-Congo language macro-family: same group as the Bantu languages. But that is about as significant as Igbo and Nupe and Aja (Benin Republic) belonging to the same language family (Kwa).

Under no circumstance is it right to use Ibibio-Efik as a general term for group of languages/cultures that include Ekoi.

As a Yoruba man, you would be furious if someone said the gangan was a Nupe heritage, and then went ahead to rationalize that statement by saying that Yoruba and Nupe are so similar that one could use the term 'Nupe' as a generic name for both groups, won't you? That is basically what you (and notobs) are doing here.

I said I wouldn't bother myself by commenting on this thread because there's no use trying to change the [bad] perceptions of some of those who have already made up their minds, but seeing how every animal in the forest is dragging the name of my people about in the mud, I just couldn't resist.

First of all, I'd like to say how appalled and dissapointed I am by the disturbing ignorance which certain characters (who claim to be Easterners, btw) have displayed on this thread. It makes it glaringly obvious that, despite being close (geographically speaking), we know so little about one another. To think that inventions and advancements like the internet and books were supposed to bring us together and make information more accessible is absurd. We're all here in this digital age arguing about who has this and who doesn't, while our great, great grandfathers in the 19th and 20th centuries seemed to know more about their surroundings than we do. It's very sad.

I won't talk about how Ekpe-practicing communities can be found throughout Abia, Cross River, Ebonyi, and the rest of Igboland (via the Aro) because countless authors have already labored to produce books that fulfill this purpose. Neither will I attempt to explain how Ibibio, Anang and Efik have been spoken in communities throughout Abia for centuries and how numerous cultural practices and traditions have been shared between groups in the region.

What I will say, however, is that I'm really surprised by this "Ekpe na my papa tin" attitude. Anyone bearing such a mentality has no business whatsoever with anything involving Ekpe. The main idea behind Ekpe is to maintain peace, order, and fraternity, irrespective of artificial barriers. Ekpe is a socio-political entity meant to link peoples together despite their differences. Anyone initiated into Ekpe should know this. But then again, I can bet the majority of those beating their chests about it are not initiated and know Ekpe as nothing more than that colorful masquerade that comes out at ceremonies and Nsibiri as those funny-looking squiggly lines people drew on buildings...

I am impressed with ur analysis...i can count on u

Radoillo:
There's a great deal of confusion in the use of the words 'semi-Bantu' and 'Bantoid' in describing the languages of the Cross River zone and parts of the Middle Belt. That is understandable, given the great linguistic diversity of that zone. 'semi-Bantu' is an outdated word that belongs to the era when anthropologists thought Fulani was 'Hamitic' and Igbo 'Sudanic'.

Ekoi is classified as a 'southern Bantoid' language. This is the same group to which Tiv in the Middle Belt belongs. Ibibio-Efik is classified as a Lower Cross language. This is the same group to which Ogbia (Goodluck Jonathan's ethnic group) in Bayelsa belongs.

In other words, Ekoi is closer to Tiv than it is to Ibibio-Efik. And Ibibio-Efik is closer to Ogbia (Bayelsa) and Ogoni (Rivers) than it is to Ekoi.

Yes, both languages ultimately belong to the Benue-Congo language macro-family: same group as the Bantu languages. But that is about as significant as Igbo and Nupe and Aja (Benin Republic) belonging to the same language family (Kwa).

Under no circumstance is it right to use Ibibio-Efik as a general term for group of languages/cultures that include Ekoi.

As a Yoruba man, you would be furious if someone said the gangan was a Nupe heritage, and then went ahead to rationalize that statement by saying that Yoruba and Nupe are so similar that one could use the term 'Nupe' as a generic name for both groups, won't you? That is basically what you (and notobs) are doing here.

odumchi:
I said I wouldn't bother myself by commenting on this thread because there's no use trying to change the [bad] perceptions of some of those who have already made up their minds, but seeing how every animal in the forest is dragging the name of my people about in the mud, I just couldn't resist.

First of all, I'd like to say how appalled and dissapointed I am by the disturbing ignorance which certain characters (who claim to be Easterners, btw) have displayed on this thread. It makes it glaringly obvious that, despite being close (geographically speaking), we know so little about one another. To think that inventions and advancements like the internet and books were supposed to bring us together and make information more accessible is absurd. We're all here in this digital age arguing about who has this and who doesn't, while our great, great grandfathers in the 19th and 20th centuries seemed to know more about their surroundings than we do. It's very sad.

I won't talk about how Ekpe-practicing communities can be found throughout Abia, Cross River, Ebonyi, and the rest of Igboland (via the Aro) because countless authors have already labored to produce books that fulfill this purpose. Neither will I attempt to explain how Ibibio, Anang and Efik have been spoken in communities throughout Abia for centuries and how numerous cultural practices and traditions have been shared between groups in the region.

What I will say, however, is that I'm really surprised by this "Ekpe na my papa tin" attitude. Anyone bearing such a mentality has no business whatsoever with anything involving Ekpe. The main idea behind Ekpe is to maintain peace, order, and fraternity, irrespective of artificial barriers. Ekpe is a socio-political entity meant to link peoples together despite their differences. Anyone initiated into Ekpe should know this. But then again, I can bet the majority of those beating their chests about it are not initiated and know Ekpe as nothing more than that colorful masquerade that comes out at ceremonies and Nsibiri as those funny-looking squiggly lines people drew on buildings...

Nonsense, you cannot change centuries old precept, Ekpe is an Efik/Ibibio cultural heritage and not igbo. We have dances that resemble and bear similarities to egedege dance of the igbos, But We never claim it to be ours eventhough they are similar. Over reach and intellectual dishonesty is a crime. A copy can never be original.
And by the way odumchi we are talking Ekpe and its sacred language Nsibidi here, and not Odum or Agu owuru.

notobs:
Nonsense, you cannot change centuries old precept, Ekpe is an Efik/Ibibio cultural heritage and not igbo. We have dances that resemble and bear similarities to egedege dance of the igbos, But We never claim it to be ours eventhough they are similar. Over reach and intellectual dishonesty is a crime. A copy can never be original.
And by the way odumchi we are talking Ekpe and its sacred language Nsibidi here, and not Odum or Agu owuru.

Quite interesting fellow Mt. Notobs, you have now moved from Nsibidi when you found out that that "your ethnic " group Efik did borrow from "Ejaaghams". Now the fight is about Ekpe.

Can you please define what your anger is about,.

Is it the lack of comprehension of what the OP was espousing,
Is it the acknowledgement by the "igbo" ethnc champions here that they borrowed Nsibidi from the Ibibios but have adopted it as their writing system.
Is it the lack of comprehensive knowledge about your own "ethnic group" the Efik.

Is it the lack of understanding of various writings of various NLanders here who have pointed out that other "ethnic" groups borrowed and incorporated Ibibio culture as part of their culture.

What exactly do you want instead of malicious derailment of this beautifull thread.


Anger and Bitterness never created anything meaningful.

kmariko:
Quite interesting fellow Mt. Notobs, you have now moved from Nsibidi when you found out that that "your ethnic " group Efik did borrow from "Ejaaghams". Now the fight is about Ekpe.

Can you please define what your anger is about,.

Is it the lack of comprehension of what the OP was espousing,
Is it the acknowledgement by the "igbo" ethnc champions here that they borrowed Nsibidi from the Ibibios but have adopted it as their writing system.
Is it the lack of comprehensive knowledge about your own "ethnic group" the Efik.

Is it the lack of understanding of various writings of various NLanders here who have pointed out that other "ethnic" groups borrowed and incorporated Ibibio culture as part of their culture.

What exactly do you want instead of malicious derailment of this beautifull thread.


Anger and Bitterness never created anything meaningful.

you are the one that lacks comprehension and understanding, you cannot commit intellectual fraud and hope to be heralded, you guys are not fooling me and i wont allow you to fool the public either so i will keep punching holes in your lies.

All am saying is Ekpe and nsibidi is the cultural heritage of the Efik/Ibibios and not igbo! If you dont accept that premise then you must be really lacking in understanding of the subject matter.

notobs:
you are the one that lacks comprehension and understanding, you cannot commit intellectual fraud and hope to be heralded, you guys are not fooling me and i wont allow you to fool the public either so i will keep punching holes in your lies.

All am saying is Ekpe and nsibidi is the cultural heritage of the Efik/Ibibios and not igbo! If you dont accept that premise then you must be really lacking in understanding of the subject matter.

Now read this slowly "angry" young man

1. No "Igbo ethnic champion " on this thread claimed they invented, discovered, wrote, designed Nsibidi...You Notobs made it up.
2. Nsibidi is an Ejaagham invention. Most people on this thread noted that EXCEPT YOU who claims Ibibio.
3. Efik/Ibibios are distinct ethnicitically from Ejaaghams. EJEAAGHAMS ARE NOT IGBOs.
4. Efik/Ibibios borrowed Nsibidi from the Ejaaghmas just like any other group in the area.
5. The "Igbo ethnic champions" have admitted that they borrowed a lot of the Efik/Ibibios culture including Ekpe due to migration to areas under Ibibo Empire.

Please leave the thread to allow the OP a non-Igbo to give us a little more lecture on this educative thread.

Finally go and have a thorough study/research about your "claimed Efik " ethnicity maybe - just maybe you will have a deeper understanding of your environment. Then come back and lecture us on what you found out.

Take that unwarranted "anger" and put it to good use.

thanks and be well

notobs:
you are the one that lacks comprehension and understanding, you cannot commit intellectual fraud and hope to be heralded, you guys are not fooling me and i wont allow you to fool the public either so i will keep punching holes in your lies.

All am saying is Ekpe and nsibidi is the cultural heritage of the Efik/Ibibios and not igbo! If you dont accept that premise then you must be really lacking in understanding of the subject matter.

Nsibidi is ejeghams culture not efik and ibo pls

For hausas to ride horse doesnt mean they invited horse riding

Did u do comprehension at school

is that guy still disturbing??
for clarity purposes, the script nsibiri is an Edzhaagham creation... purportedly taught them by Adakas(baboons).I don't know why that mgboko who probably has never left kalabar would be causing nuisance here.the developer is doing it for the benefit of Igbo land..but that doesn't mean it could be used solely by the Igbos. it could be used to create an nsibirosphere ,an area where the Igbo, mgboko, ejaagham and other nations in the cross river basin would use the modern script to enhance cultural exchanges and polyglottism.
I hereby call on the Igbo language committee in Enugwu to provide the necessary support the developer needs and it ensure its adopted as our concurrent lingual script with Latin

Hey MissMeiya how have u been? Sorry for not being in touch, I was ban for I don't know why, coming back I can't help but Laugh @ what am seeing. Did not expect it to be derailed like this . To All the people claiming tribal and ethic ownership of the writings . I wonder why they have not brought up their own thread concerning the topic$ well don't let them. Get in to your way. You have done a great job. And I as well as a whole lot of people have gained one or two here

Nsibiri is very impressive, and it would be nice to see Igbos and other South Easterners using it as their official script once Nigeria is eventually dismantled. Indeed, I dream of an Africa where the various ethnic group do away with the latin script and they write instead with the many indigenous African script and also use their local languages as their official ones.
Edit: Dont think it exists/existed. Found nothing else.

cheruv:
is that guy still disturbing??
for clarity purposes, the script nsibiri is an Edzhaagham creation... purportedly taught them by Adakas(baboons).I don't know why that mgboko who probably has never left kalabar would be causing nuisance here.the developer is doing it for the benefit of Igbo land..but that doesn't mean it could be used solely by the Igbos. it could be used to create an nsibirosphere ,an area where the Igbo, mgboko, ejaagham and other nations in the cross river basin would use the modern script to enhance cultural exchanges and polyglottism.
I hereby call on the Igbo language committee in Enugwu to provide the necessary support the developer needs and it ensure its adopted as our concurrent lingual script with Latin

even in Igbo language,we call baboons 'adaka'. To show you how connected all those regions are.

christopher123:
The Ekpe is a men’s society found in Abiriba, Aro-chukwu, Ohafia and many other Bende communities in Igbo land, it is a variation of the important Egbo Ejagham ( Ekoi) in the Upper Cross-River as well as the Efik Ekpe Society of Calabar. Egbo means leopard in Ejagham, while Ekpe is also the Efik/Ibibio word for the powerful creature (leopard) which is the symbol of the organisation. It is pertinent to note that Agu is the name of the leopard in Igbo, therefore it is clear that the Cross-River Igbos borrowed the Efik/Ibibio word.

In Aro-chukwu and Bende, the Ekpe society was the main legislative and judicial force in community government in the days of old. The striking, symbol-laden fabric of stich and dyed indigo and white (Ukara) is the Ekpe cloth in which the esoteric “language” of Nsibidi is embodied. Strong creatures of the forest, are important symbols of the Ukara cloth and this symbolizes the powerful authority of the Ekpe society.

Nsibidi is an ancient system of graphic communication dating back to at least AD 170. It has a variety of different characters and is indigenous to areas of Southeastern Nigeria and Southwestern Cameroon in the Cross River region, some of the major towns and cities that use Nsibidi are Abiriba, Arochukwu, Calabar, Ikom , Ohafia and other smaller towns within the Ejagham/Ekoi , Efik, Ibibio and Igbo speaking nationalities, it was also taken to Cuba and the Americas via the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. The Nsibidi name changed among the different groups, for example among the Igbo it is generally known as Nsibiri while in Cuba it is called Anaforuana.

Nsibidi is aesthetically compelling, encoded and does not correspond to any spoken language. It is a graphic script whose symbols refer to abstract concepts, actions and whose use facilitates communication among peoples speaking different languages. It comprises of hundreds of symbols that can be drawn in the air (as gestures, on the ground, on skin (as tattoos), on houses, on art forms, such as masks and textiles (Ukara). The early European missionaries and writers were able to record about 200 of these Nsibidi characters.

The Ekpe entourage comprises of the knit-bodied maskers “the runners” who are said to be the servants or slaves of Ekpe from the spirit world, when the masquerade is dancing it continuously sends signals and messages (Nsibidi) which only the initiated can understand. Each movement of the masquerade tells a story. In the ancient times the runners carried out regulatory functions in the name of presiding Ekpe spirit. The Ekpe spirit is housed within the Ukara- dressed “stationary masker” Uluo Ekpe (the house of Ekpe) from which the mysterious voice of Ekpe is heard during the funeral celebrations of its members.



The Ekpe Abiriba was brought from the Ena clan in the upper Cross-River during migration, hence in one of their songs, they say “Ekpe Ya Nko”, Nko being one of the homes of Abiriba Ena. To confirm the authenticity of the origin of the Abiriba Kingdom, the Ekpe Abiriba added a replica of a canoe and paddle to the Ekpe entourage indicating the crossing of the river, when the replica canoe is in motion it is referred to as Ubom Marima, the good boat.

The exhibition of the Ekpe society entourage is quite spectacular and it is with pleasure that we share with you pictures of the Ekpe entourage, which again would be on display during the Igwa Mang festivities in Abiriba this December.

the influence of Igbo's of Eboyi state, Abia state and other's in Cross river state and Akwaibom state by the Ekio's in cross river state, through their Ekpe association is a vice versa thing because the Igbo's of Abia, Eboyi did influence them(Akwa-Cross group) because the pri colonia Akwaibom,Cross river worship the Igbo goddes know as Ala the earth goddes.

nive one miss meiya...i would really like to knw u outside the walls of nairaland to pick ur brains...i m a lil bit astonished and also ashamed that with all the lil research i v been doing on history especially as pertaining to blacks, i neva thought to look close to home...i never knew about nsibidi till 5mins ago....its a shame that the black continent seems to v thrown away its identity...thnks for this thread...its quite illuminating



guy i m deeeply disappointed..u came acrooss this thread and u couldnt holla @ me

iamord:
Hey MissMeiya how have u been? Sorry for not being in touch, I was ban for I don't know why, coming back I can't help but Laugh @ what am seeing. Did not expect it to be derailed like this . To All the people claiming tribal and ethic ownership of the writings . I wonder why they have not brought up their own thread concerning the topic$ well don't let them. Get in to your way. You have done a great job. And I as well as a whole lot of people have gained one or two here

lastly lemme put down a message here
https://www.nairaland.com/872006/destruction-black-civilization-chancellor-williams

https://www.nairaland.com/326177/tomb-art-ancient-egypt-black


Has anyone noticed that we blacks have no positive history?for nigerians, the history taught in schools began with lord lugard and all...for african americans and other blacks outside africa,it began with slavery?What happened before those years?were we not in existence?whyz no one asking this questions
pls pls and pls i urge everyone to take a look at this links above..its quite pertinent...been reading it all through last month aand also watched a few vids on youtube...most especially the first link


i have known about the defamation of the sphinx for some years but the scale at which it was done on other structures is mind boggling...most of us dont even know that the first pictures on the walls of the earliest discovered tombs in ancient egypt were of blacks people....and its a pity that no black person of note has thought to research on the 'lives of negroes in the 10th century or even pre jesus years'? where the hell is the history of blacks?what happened to us? is it not coincidental that our history from novels and movies as depicted by hollywood started from the slave trade period?whyz no one asking this questions?if u ask the churcheos xtians, they would say 'we are children of israel' ? does this even make any sense? the whites or even chinese can tell u what happened to them in the 5th century or the time of the crusades or taipei etc...what about us?have we, in the name of accepting xtianity/islam etc thrown away our identity? pls read the first link well and pass to friends if possible

****pls lets argue on this like matured intelligent people;no pub talk and dont just put up a statement here saying 'u need to repent', or 'u need Allah/jesus' without contributing anything meaningful to this topic...over and out


page 7 of the first link is very important and talks about the Queen Ann Nzinga of which the history we know has deleted her records!!!she was an amazon in fighting off the portuguese hordes whose only aim using religion was for total enslavement of the angolans..i think it would make more practical sense to name my first daughter, Nzinga for her baptism name than to give her the name of a saint..seems more logical

https://www.nairaland.com/872006/destruction-black-civilization-chancellor-williams/7

Aww. !! uzoexcel sorry bruv no vex for me. You know what happens when food is too sweet.. I even got banned for a while

letu:
the influence of Igbo's of Eboyi state, Abia state and other's in Cross river state and Akwaibom state by the Ekio's in cross river state, through their Ekpe association is a vice versa thing because the Igbo's of Abia, Eboyi did influence them(Akwa-Cross group) because the pri colonia Akwaibom,Cross river worship the Igbo goddes know as Ala the earth goddes.

Noted: but can you explain further

letu:
the influence of Igbo's of Eboyi state, Abia state and other's in Cross river state and Akwaibom state by the Ekio's in cross river state, through their Ekpe association is a vice versa thing because the Igbo's of Abia, Eboyi did influence them(Akwa-Cross group) because the pri colonia Akwaibom,Cross river worship the Igbo goddes know as Ala the earth goddes.

Nonsense, another intellectual flatulence of a revisionist.

uzoexcel:
nive one miss meiya...i would really like to knw u outside the walls of nairaland to pick ur brains...i m a lil bit astonished and also ashamed that with all the lil research i v been doing on history especially as pertaining to blacks, i neva thought to look close to home...i never knew about nsibidi till 5mins ago....its a shame that the black continent seems to v thrown away its identity...thnks for this thread...its quite illuminating



guy i m deeeply disappointed..u came acrooss this thread and u couldnt holla @ me










lastly lemme put down a message here
https://www.nairaland.com/872006/destruction-black-civilization-chancellor-williams

https://www.nairaland.com/326177/tomb-art-ancient-egypt-black


Has anyone noticed that we blacks have no positive history?for nigerians, the history taught in schools began with lord lugard and all

Wow really? I'm not from there but I've always heard the education system was biased to westen history/culture and all, but you guys seriously don't even learn about your own forefathers? Wow that country really must be a mess, no Asian/South American county would even allow that.

no wahala

iamord:
Aww. !! uzoexcel sorry bruv no vex for me. You know what happens when food is too sweet.. I even got banned for a while

sad really

kingston277:
Wow really? I'm not from there but I've always heard the education system was biased to westen history/culture and all, but you guys seriously don't even learn about your own forefathers? Wow that country really must be a mess, no Asian/South American county would even allow that.

.

One advantage in this kind of writing is that it helps those who don't speak thesame language communicate in writing by using this kind of script. It can be taught as an alternate form of writing in schools and a form of it can be taught all over the world as a universal written language. Chinese writing I believe is like this. People speaking different languages can communicate in writing.