Igbo's Traditional Religion

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The Igbo’s traditional religion is based on a belief that there is one creator, God, and known through the Igbo’s as Chineke or Chukwu. This creator can be approached through numerous deities and spirits in the form of objects, but the most common form he had was through the god of thunder, Amadioha. There is another belief that ancestors, that have passed, can protect their living descendants and are responsible for their health, harvest, children and rain. The Igbo also has shrines, called Mbari, and they were made to honor the earth spirit and contain tableauv, of painted earth (www.igboguide.org). There were other shrines that were wooden figures that represented patrons or ancestors. The shrines have evidence, and the evidence from these shrines, oracle houses, and traditional priests in the villages still emphasize these beliefs, though the western influence, Christianity has taken a more dominant role in the modern Igbo land. One of the main events in Igbo land is Christmas because of the way it signifies home return in the village. Even though most live in the city or somewhere else in Nigeria, Igbo families consider their one and only home is their house in the village. The two weeks around Christmas families in the tribe are brought back to the village. This is normally the time that people catch up with other family members with what has happened in the past year and to visit other relatives or friends in the neighborhood. Igbo is the language spoken in Ala Igbo or the Ani Igbo, also known as Igboland, by people who are referred as “Ndi Igbo” (www.ibopeople.com/culture-and-tradition) and they are also commonly known as “Olu no Igbo” which means those in low lands and highlands. The villages and village groups were ident...

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... control, or role, from the older age grades. Age grades are normally initiated by youths when they reach a certain age in their childhood. They then choose an elder to be their patron and to facilitate their recognition amongst the elders. In the olden days, the new formed group had to show their maturity by defending their community against their neighbors or enemies. Now, they have to do daily tasks such as building a school, water provision, etc. If the elder agrees that the specific age grade they are working with performs their task with a good amount of success, and the group is a role model to the community, the group will go into adulthood and gets to be honored with a name. With the name, the age grade with be a part of the decision making, and be seen as the protector of the culture and societal tradition.

Works Cited

www.iboguide.com
www.ibopeople.com

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