Who Are Igbos

The Igbo have a clear notion of who they are. They call themselves Igbos or Ndigbo (Igbo people). But at the point of cultural contacts non-Igbo writers have wrongly misspelt them as Heckbos, Igbos, Egboes, Eboes or Ibos.

I tackle these misnomers right away.

There are 36 letters in the Igbo alphabet made up of 8 vowels (Udaume), 19 consonants (Mgbachiume) and 9 blends (Udamkpi). The third letter, "gb," falls under Udamkpi. "Gb" is different from "g" and "b," which are (Mgbochiume). Call us "Igbos," not "Ibos." The language we speak is also called Igbo.

Since creation, Igbos have lived in the Lower Niger down to the Niger Delta area of the Bight of Biafra. To their East (Eke) are the Annang/ Ibibio and Efik peoples. They are bounded in the West (Orie) by the Yoruba and Edo. In the North (Afo) by the Hausa/Fulani groups; while in the South (Nkwo) are the Ijaw/Ogoni kingdoms. Some forty million Igbos today live within and outside the Nigerian borders.

The culture of Igbo people is called Omenala Igbo. It has man and his well being at its very center. This culture envisages life to include the past, present and future. Cultural practices like prayer, farming, dancing, sacrifice, birth, marriage and death are there to ensure that one's link with the world beyond is not broken.

The Igbo family includes the unborn, the living and the dead, for which reason abortion has no place in Igbo culture. Our family is made up of the father, mother(s) and children. It includes all those related by blood to a common ancestor. Marriage between persons even remotely related by blood is strictly forbidden. Igbo family/society is patriarchal but one completely balanced with female values. Yes, we pay ilobola to marry somebody's daughter.

Politically, chief-priests and elders ruled Igbos for thousands of years. There was no time in Igbo history when they were ruled by one man as their core value frowns at unilateralism. Their system of government is best described as theocratic-democracy as (1) the Igbo recognize only Chukwu (God) as their spiritual and secular king and, (2) government is by mutual consent after wide and open debates usually at the market place.

Igbo Traditional Religion

I must privilege Prof. Emmanuel N Onwu's submission that Igbo religion in its original form was a "direct revelation of 'Chukwu,' 'Chineke' to the Igbo earliest ancestors" (2002 Ahiajoku Lecture, Owerri). It pre-dates Christianity.

Secondly, it is Judaism in its unwritten form. Igbos believe in the sacredness of blood. They circumcise their male children eight days after birth, observe religious purifications and washings. Altogether, if you codify the religious practices of Igbo people what will emerge is an authentic version of the Pentateuch.

Igbos believe in a Supreme Deity called Chukwu (the Great God) who created all things. Chukwu is also called Chineke (God the creator). The Igbo religion, like Christianity, engages creation from a common source or monogenesis.

The Igbo also believe in an entity called Ekwensu (the Devil) who is the father of all evil and enemy of Chukwu.

Apart from Chukwu, the Igbo have a pantheon of other lesser gods. We therefore have a polytheistic situation where Chukwu presides over lesser deities who act as his messengers.

Man and His "Chi": Meaning of "Chi" in Igbo Cosmology

Let me introduce this topic by stating that Igbos see things in two. Scholars of Igbo studies call this the principle of complementary dualities. Nothing is absolute and alone. Our philosophical thoughts equip us to see man and woman, life and death, water and fire, secular and spiritual and, so forth.

Igbos have a firm grasp of the abstract. It is true that Igbos talk mainly in proverbs. Now we know that proverbs and analogies are there to help you transmit complex ideas with the human language. Our ancestors did all these bestowing on us certain immutable truths we can feel and connect harmoniously with. One such truth is predestination. Another is will power. Between these polarities the concept of "chi" makes sense.

Even if man is predestined to die, the Igbo believe one can through conscious effort and good deed delay his death and even alter its circumstances. I believe that is what Professor Donatus Nwoga had in mind when he asserts that "Things not only form and act in dualities, it is also possible for forms of reality to change both within the same type of reality and from one type of reality to another. 'No condition is permanent' does not only operate within the social system, but also at the ontological level" (1984 Ahiajoku Lecture, Owerri).

Complete reading: http://igbobia.com/?q=why-ndi-igbo-are-who-they-are-and-behave-the-way-they-dosee-facts.html

Lalasticlala

MJBOLT:

Igbos beating chest since 1960

make I folo u shine teeth small

Nice write up.

I think it is high time massob declare the independent day because with this info about Igbo, I don't believe they can cope with Nigeria advance spartial behaviour.

Afonjas doing their hating as usual.

MJBOLT:

Igbos beating chest since 1960

somebody is talking about his tribe and u call it chest beating
If them return d favour u will start crying about "Igbo hate"
Smh

MJBOLT:

Igbos beating chest since 1960

Our history is way beyond 1960, ask around.

Proud to be Igbo, now and in the next life

Igbo mma mma nu!

Igbo people are great people

While you identify with the truths in the information and contents from this Moniker...don't forget the source is Igbobia.com...the Pan-Igbo forum that reveals real facts about and discusses the Igbo people.

Visit the forum, register and post news contents and helpful materials that are relevant to Ndi-Igbo. It is free for everyone.
The site was launched two months ago, and ever since, it has received massive positive response for the unique knowledge and hidden facts it springs.

Of course, anyone can register there...it is fast rising.

Umu-Igbo, ka anyi wue nke anyi.

lgbo bu lgbo mma mma oo

Magician1503:

make I folo u shine teeth small

...and why do you laugh brother?

Igbo is the correct usage but IBO is not insulting. Energy should not be wasted making more explanations

Youngadvocate:
Who Are Igbos



The Igbo also believe in an entity called Ekwensu (the Devil) who is the father of all evil and enemy of Chukwu.

Stop repeating white man's lies.

Ekwensu was never an enemy of Chukwu.

Our Chukwu had no enemies. He's not the useless bible god fighting foolishly up and down..

Ekwensu is Igbo's God of war. If you go to war without Ekwensu, you are on your own. (E.g. 1967)

With Ekwensu on our side, the europeans never conquered us. So they painted Him as evil and we swallowed their lies and abandoned our Gods. Now we suffer.

Youngadvocate:
...and why do you laugh brother?

e shock you

biafranbaby:


Stop repeating white man's lies.

Ekwensu was never an enemy of Chukwu.

Our Chukwu had no enemies. He's not the useless bible god fighting foolishly up and down..

Ekwensu is Igbo's God of war. If you go to war without Ekwensu, you are on your own. (E.g. 1967)

With Ekwensu on our side, the europeans never conquered us. So they painted Him as evil and we swallowed their lies and abandoned our Gods. Now we suffer.

Thanks bro. There is nothing like Devil in our traditional religion.

biafranbaby:


Stop repeating white man's lies.

Ekwensu was never an enemy of Chukwu.

Our Chukwu had no enemies. He's not the useless bible god fighting foolishly up and down..

Ekwensu is Igbo's God of war. If you go to war without Ekwensu, you are on your own. (E.g. 1967)

With Ekwensu on our side, the europeans never conquered us. So they painted Him as evil and we swallowed their lies and abandoned our Gods. Now we suffer.

No, brother...u have some instance of misinterpretation here. The sentence you quoted tells how the Whites expressed their view...though some of these views they expressed were informed by the tales of our father's then.
Nevertheless, Ekwensu isn't presented in the light of evil especially, with the traditional Igbo person. It is the becoming of a distorted tale.

i dont believe Ekwensu is the God of war, what of Ani?
I am not a traditionalist, but Ekwensu has not been used in any positive light ever since i was a boy, i hear things like Ekwensu e tinye Buhari aka na nti and that is not a good thing


But please can one Igbo guru list out our gods and their roles...this could make a good movie script oooo

FakoMaybach1:
i dont believe Ekwensu is the God of war, what of Ani?
I am not a traditionalist, but Ekwensu has not been used in any positive light ever since i was a boy, i hear things like Ekwensu e tinye Buhari aka na nti and that is not a good thing


But please can one Igbo guru list out our gods and their roles...this could make a good movie script oooo

Honestly I wish to know too.
But the little I can come up with are;
1) Amadioha--King of the gods
2)Aji mmili--goddess of the sea.
3) Ani--god of the land.
4) Ekwensu--Devil
5) Kamalu....don't know much about him.

Nb...Am open to corrections.

Ani (Land) - Wife to Amadioha (I guess). Earth god. God of morality and fertility. The highest god in Igbo tradition.

Kamalu/Amadioha (I love this name) - God of thunder and lightening. Sky god. God of justice.

Anyanwu - Sun god. Symbol of perfection and enlightenment etc.

Ikenga! - God of endeavor, achievement,success,strength etc

There are others ofcourse.

Thank you so much for bringing a new discus on the Igbo. I was just talking about the effort to water down the igbo identity by another construct called Biafra. Unfortunately the present generation of young people hardly read, and so do not know much about their history and identity.

Now someone brought the idea of indigenous people of Biafra. There is nothing like Biafra as a people before the declaration by Ojukwu, though there was the bight of Biafra in present day Bayelsa. We are Igbos, not Jews nothing more or less. It is sinful to discard our original identity for another, that will; be calamity. Now some people have blamed Nigerian government for killing history, and rightly so there seems to be that attempt. I rather blame the igbo leaders - political and traditional- for not making effort bto preserve out identity, history and tradition. It should have been make compulsary in all schools in Igbo land to teach Igbo (not Igbo language alone). That way we will be well grounded on our history and the missing link with Nigeria. This should be considered as the only way to re-invent the igbo identity and save Igbo from those reconstructing the cannon for their own interest (for political and religious interests)> For the records we are Igbos.

irepnaija4eva:



Honestly I wish to know too.
But the little I can come up with are;
1) Amadioha--King of the gods
2)Aji mmili--goddess of the sea.
3) Ani--god of the land.
4) Ekwensu--Devil
5) Kamalu....don't know much about him.

Nb...Am open to corrections.

Amadioha is god of the skies, uses a ram as his animagi
Idemili na goddess of the rivers, (cus we no get sea ooo) the python is her animagi
you got Ani god of the land but i dont know his symbol or animal
Ojukwu is the god of pox the vulture is his animagi
Eri is the god of wealth
movie script don dey even play for my head, na to design naija version of God of war sef put am for App

To be an igbo man is a privilege

stefanbanach:
To be an igbo man is a privilege

I like that line dear...sends shivers down the spine for some and goose bombs to others

Ok, we have heard

Great Info...My People My Tribe My Pride.. Proudly Abia.

FakoMaybach1:


Amadioha is god of the skies, uses a ram as his animagi
Idemili na goddess of the rivers, (cus we no get sea ooo) the python is her animagi
you got Ani god of the land but i dont know his symbol or animal
Ojukwu is the god of pox the vulture is his animagi
Eri is the god of wealth
movie script don dey even play for my head, na to design naija version of God of war sef put am for App

Wow..same here...
I will be going to my home town next week to meet our clan head for more info..
Honestly i also thought of that too.

FakoMaybach1:
i dont believe Ekwensu is the God of war, what of Ani?
I am not a traditionalist, but Ekwensu has not been used in any positive light ever since i was a boy, i hear things like Ekwensu e tinye Buhari aka na nti and that is not a good thing


But please can one Igbo guru list out our gods and their roles...this could make a good movie script oooo

Even the oyibos know our culture better than most of us.

From Wikipedia:

Ekwensu is an Trickster God (Alusi) of the Igbo people who serve as the Alusi or God of Bargains and the tortoise. Crafty at trade and negotiations, he is often invoked for guidance in difficult mercantile situations. Like most Trickster Gods, the deity was a force of Chaos and Change, thus in his more violent aspects, Ekwensu was also revered as a God of War and Victory who ruled over the wicked spirits and the chaotic forces of nature. His companion was Death. With the advent of Christianity, the more beneficent aspects of the deity were supplanted by missionaries who came to misrepresent Ekwensu as Satan.[1]

He was the testing force of Chukwu, and along with Ani the Earth goddess, and Igwe, the Sky God, make up the three highest Arusi's of the ancient Igbo people. During the colonial enslavement-missionary period Ekwensu was transcribed to become the Igbo word for Satan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekwensu

wow...interesting read.
Igbo Amaka!!