Igbo People Research Paper

In the village of Umuofia, the Igbo people worship a religion of many deities. Their polytheistic religion consists of gods related to nature such as rain, sun, etc. The most important deity is the goddess of the Earth; Igbo people frain from committing sins against the goddess of the Earth in fear of complete genocide. The European missionaries introduce Umuofia to a monotheistic religion, Christianity. The Igbo people fear what they can’t understand, such as medicine. Igbo people feared the “white man”, however, missionaries successfully convert some Igbo people into Christian, causing them to be shamed by the hierarchy of men in the village. The conversion caused changes in Igbo culture and influenced the Igbo people to behave in a way that was unheard of before the European missionaries arrived. Enoch, a recently converted Christian, committed one of the worst crimes in

In the novel Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, religion, an indispensable tradition is celebrated within the Igbo people. The Igbo people, hosts gatherings, worship, and celebrate their ancestors. They are polytheistic, in other words, they believe in many gods. The Igbo people also believe in sacrifices to their ancestors and crimes are considered as sins. Their ancestors and gods serve as a role model, or a sculpture, to whom they worship and sacrifice in Igbo society. However, the arrival of the European Missionaries not only brings tremendous changes to Igbo religion and culture, but also creates conflicts among them.

Thousands of years ago there was a tribe filled with people known as the Ibo, now known as the Igbo. The Igbo were one of the first tribes to really be able to thrive and have order in their villages. Igboland is now one of the most populated countries in Nigeria. Though Igboland is now one of the most populated countries, it has managed to keep its historical charm. Igboland is now a very well thriving country, but it is still facing many hardships regarding their political system.

After the missionaries arrived, many Igbo people converted to Christianity; because of this, a majority of modern Igbo people are Christian, and even some Igbo people practice “a syncretic version of Christianity intermingled with indigenous beliefs” (“Igbo”). However, there were some negative effects on the religion. Christian reforms and attempts to destroy the religion caused less integration and unity between the Igbo people (Okeke et al. 9). While the religion was not completely forgotten, a majority of the Igbo have abandoned traditional

Throughout the reign of the Missionaries, the Igbo religion became lost. Clan members no longer worships their sacred gods and goddesses. “To abandon the gods of one’s father and go about with a lot of effeminate men clucking like old hens was the very depth of abomination,” (153; pt.2, ch.17) Okonkwo says in regards to his fellow clansmen converting to Christianity. At first, many members of the clan did not notice the changes around them. They became oblivious to the missionaries and what they had brought with them, “the white men has not only brought a religion, but also a government.” (155; pt.2, ch. 8) The changes brought by the white men, occur slowly and cautiously, until it becomes too late for the clan members to react. Members of

Missionaries have had a profound and resounding effect on southeastern Nigeria that remains today, missionaries still playing a significant role in the culture of the Igbo. Although missionaries were initially synonymous with colonization, European coloniasts enforcing Christian ideals on the ‘save’ natives in an effort to civilize them, missionaries remained in Nigeria even after it gained its independence on October 1, 1960 through a series of constitutions legislated by the British government. Despite the abolition of British colonial forces, missionaries remained, exerting extensive influence on local culture. Missionaries promoted western education, which was widely popular among the Igbo and viewed as a method to move up the social ladder.

How would you feel if you were forced to marry someone you had met a week before just because your parents told you to? Arranged marriages are one of the most important traditions within the culture of the Igbo tribe. Even though this tradition has been sustained within few ethnic groups around the world, society has been evolving and changing over time, which may lead one to believe it’s only a matter of time before everyone has succumbed to the more modern lifestyle. The view that certain tribes have on marriage and how it has changed in certain places over time can be seen within the short story, “Marriage is a Private Affair.”

To what has become one of the largest African ethnic groups in the western hemisphere, the Yoruba tribe must give acknowledgment to the brave deities that they have come to worship. It is said in the story that has become the upbringing of this culture that the deities whom originally lived in the sky, looked in hope to bring life to the water and marshland below. In this attempt, these deities had unknowingly constructed the foundation of morals and values that are represented by millions of Yoruba people today.

The Igbo people are a tribe that basis much of their beliefs around folklore. This folklore is a key part of their daily lives and their religion. These stories passed from generation to generation teach valuable lessons to the children of the tribe and prepare them for adult life. The following examples are some of the most important beliefs and the stories that accompany them.

Up until recently the Igbo have been seen as people without history. Historians thought this because they have very little archeological data to pull from. Now, “...historians have proposed two interrelated hypotheses of Igbo origin: one, that there exists a core area which may be called the ‘nuclear’ Igboland, and two, that waves of immigrant communities from the north and the west planted themselves on the border of this nucleus as early as the fourteenth and fifteenth century.” (Gall 215) It is speculated that the tribe first lived 100 miles north of their current location, which is called Igboland. Igboland is

The igbo people had a strong belief for their gods in chapter 13 our main character okonkwo accidentally kills a fellow clansmen on their. Which made the Earth Goddess extremely upset, so in order to please the Earth Goddess, Okonkwo was to be banished. “Ezeudu’s quarter stormed

Akunna, a powerful villager in Umuofia, explains Ibo beliefs to the missionaries by saying, “We make sacrifices to the little gods, but when they fail and there is no one else to turn to we go to Chukwu. It is right to do so. We approach a great man through his servants” (Achebe 180). The thought process and order behind Ibo religion twists the stereotypes and shows that they do not just sporadically worship false gods, which the European missionaries assume when they first come. But, we also learn that Ibo religion is not without its faults.

During pre-colonial Nigeria, the community was polytheistic, meaning they believed in many gods. For example, one god would be the goddess of the earth and harvest. They were always careful to avoid committing sins against her for fear of vengeance or how the swelling of the stomach and limbs was also an abomination to the earth goddess “ He died of the swelling which was an abomination to the earth goddess.” Another example of their they would go to the oracle

Based on the knowledge and culture of Igbo, the seed yam mentality is authorized by nature with the fundamental of disciplining relationships. In this case, ceremonies like the Okuku Onye Uwa ceremony and the Abam n’Obi ceremony have embraced the religious influence of yam. Many occasions are focused around the farming of agricultural goods and cultivation.

Historically, the chief group of the Ngwa people originated from Ụmụnọha in the present Imo State of Nigeria. In their search for dwelling virgin lands the people embarked on a journey. Apparently, the journey lasted many days and the clan eventually arrived at the banks of the Imo-River. Fatigued, and in need of food, combined with the reality that the river had overflown its banks they waited for low tide, for it to recede. However, the only handy food item they had was yam – the king of crops. One group decided to roast the yams, while the other group preferred boiling the yams. While they were cooking their food, the great Imo River began to recede.