Ch.+11+Beliefs

Igbo Beliefs

Kangsan Kim

Chapter 11 Page 95-109

Facts: 1.Igbo have a strong belief that the spirits of one's ancestors keep a constant watch over the living, and must be pleased through prayer. It is against tribal law to speak badly of a spirit. 2. Igbo people believe in reincarnation. Ancestors who lived well, died in socially approved ways, and were given correct burial rituals, live in one of the worlds of the dead, which mirror the worlds of the living. They are periodically reincarnated among the living and are given the name ndichie, or the returners. 3. Those who died bad deaths and lack correct burial rites cannot return to the world of the living, or enter that of the dead. They wander homeless, expressing their grief by causing harm among the living. 4. Igbo people believe that there is one creator, called Chukwu. The creator can be approached through other deities and spirits in the form of natural objects, usually through the god of thunder Amadioha 5. Apart from the natural level of the universe, they also believe that it exists on another level, that of the spiritual forces, the alusi. The alusi are minor deities, and are forces for blessing or destruction, depending on circumstances. 6.Ala – the earth-goddess, the spirit of fertility (of man and the productivity of the land). Igwe – the sky-god. This god was not appealed to for rain however, that was the full-time profession of the rain-makers, Igbo tribesmen who were thought to be able to call and dismiss rain. Imo miri – the spirit of the river. The Igbo believe that a big river has a spiritual aspect; it is forbidden to fish in such deified rivers. Mbatuku– the spirit of wealth. Agwo – a spirit envious of other’s wealth, always in need of servitors. Aha njuku or Ifejioku – the yam spirit. Ikoro – the drum spirit. Ekwu – the hearth spirit, which is woman’s domestic spirit. 7. Igbo people make sacrifices to minor deities for blessings.They wanted to offer the most precious sacrifice of all, human sacrifice; slaves were often sacrificed at funerals in order to provide a retinue for the dead man in life to come. There was no shrine to Chukwu, nor were sacrifices made directly to him, but he was understood to be the ultimate receiver of all sacrifices made to the minor deities. 8. The Igbo believe in the concept of Ofo and Ogu, which is a law of retributive justice. Ofo and Ogu will vindicate anyone that is accused of a crime as long as he/she is innocent. 9. Igbo believe that each person has their own personal god which is responsible for a person's fortune or misfortune. 10. Since the Igbo people believe that higher powers govern everything in life, villages have oracles that attempt to predict the future.



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For further information go to: http://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle-East/Igbo-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html

Works Cited

"African Tribes - Ibo - Igbo Culture." //African Safaris, African Tours, Africa Holidays and Africa Travel Guide//. Web. 05 Nov. 2009. .

"Igbo People - New World Encyclopedia." //Info:Main Page - New World Encyclopedia//. Web. 05 Nov. 2009. .

"Religion and expressive culture - Igbo." //Countries and Their Cultures//. Web. 05 Nov. 2009. .

"Religion and the Igbo People." //Queen's University Belfast | Home//. Web. 05 Nov. 2009. .

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