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| Yam Pottage[1] |
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| Igbo Wedding[2] |
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| Yam Festival[3] |
The foundation of Igbo origin is primarily
based on production. The fundamentals surrounding production is land and
people. Production is the key to life
from an Igbo stance. If there is much production, then there is much wealth.
This is a reoccurring theme for the Igbo people. This concept was applied daily
into the lives of the Igbos. It was first applied to the land from which they
produced crops. Then it was applied to their population of people such as
women, children and, inter communities. Chukwu was the progenitor of Igbo
myths.
Chukwu is also known as Chi. Meaning Chi
created all.[1]As
the myth goes Chi let Eri, a man, down from earth with a rope on an anthill
because the ground was soggy. Eri complained to Chi that the ground was too
wet. So, a blacksmith was called to dry out the land so Eri could walk on it.
While dwelling on the land in Nri Eri gets married and have children. The
family is faced with food scarcity. Eri seeks Chi. Chi tells Eri to sacrifice
his son and daughter and then bury them. Chi would send someone to perform the
scarification on them. Eri was distraught. He did what Chi said and watered
their graves. After three weeks’ yams grew from his son’s grave and cocoyam
from his daughter’s.[2] He
also sacrificed slaves and from them came palm oil and coconuts.[3]
Yams has been an important and favorite
crop for Igbos for many generations.
Other
crops were considered inferior to yams. Igbos attachment to yams was mystical.[4] The
cultivation of yams has been a strict ritual process for planting and harvest
seasons.[5]
Sacrifices were made to the yam spirit during the new Yam festival.[6] Igbo agricultural landscape was defined by
yams. Their cultivation of yams represented Igbo male achievements and
prestige.[7]
Success in yam production was a ladder of social mobility. To become a “Yam
King” king a certain criteria had to be met that involved a certain number of
yams and the addition of feasting a large number of people. Women could also be
successful in cocoyam. This all goes back to their myth with the sacrifice of
Eri’s two children. The yam is associate with Igbo male success and the cocoyam
is associated with Igbo women success. Their success depended on their surplus
of yams. The success of yams brought not only wealth but, Igbos could be
involved in local political, social and, economic matters.[8] To be successful one had to
dominate land production. Agriculture was the most important mean in acquiring
wealth.[9]
Women and children were used as laborers. The need to produce more laborers
encouraged marriage alliances and polygamy.
The custom of Polygamy introduced
more wives and produced many offspring’s that were used to maintain a large enough
farm to produce crops for the family and the market. The many wives and off
springs was also symbolic of Igbo wealth. Polygamy also introduced a defense
system for the Igbo people. Men were encouraged to marry many wives and
reproduce as many children as possible. The more people in a village the more
manpower they had. The Igbo could defend and protect their land and people from
rival villagers or tribes.[10] It
was a tragedy for an Igbo to be married and unable to produce children.
Children were a direct blessing from God.[11] Igbos believed in the power
of production. Production was the only true power a being had. Production was
power from God that they revered. God used his power to produce the world. The
earth is also a god that is fertile and produces.[12] The Igbos religion varied
accordingly to their region.
Traditionally the Igbos believed in
the afterlife, reincarnation, sacrifices and, spirit and ancestor worship.[13]
They were engaged in elaborate funeral celebrations and other life passages.[14]
The Igbos believed that a person’s fate was determined by their name. They were
careful in how they named their children. They went as far as divination when
naming their children.[15]
Today Igbos are still careful in naming their children. However, since the
introduction of Christianity, the majority of Igbos no longer practice their
ancient traditional religion. Many Igbos today are Christians.
In fact, the Igbos sought to be
called Christians because it was fashionable.[16] During colonial era the British did not
bother the Christian villages. Some British villagers were treated with some
level of respect by British officers. The Igbos learned quickly that Christians
received special treatment.[17]
Many sought Christian missionaries to become Christians. Christianity was quite
different than their native beliefs. In
Christianity the Igbos worshipped one God and a man married one woman as
opposes to worshipping many gods and marrying many women.
When it came to marriages the Igbos
distinguished themselves from other ethnic groups. A lot of pride was taken in
the fact that they paid high bride-wealth and performed elaborate wedding
ceremonies.[18]
They were also particular in choosing their wives.
The Igbos preferred females with
long limbs, which was a sign of fast growth. Later in the marriage the husband
would look for his wife to have a large body structure.[19]
A huge woman was the choice for most. She would easily be recognized at social
functions and received the pride and respect of her husband.[20]
Igbos marriages are usually a long drawn out process. Their marriages are what
sets them apart from other ethnic groups. Igbo Marriages are not put together
hastily. A lot of preparation and consideration was taken into account when
Igbos married. Igbo women were not only prized in marriages but also in trade.
Trading took place in Iboland way
before colonial times. It was dominated by the women. The women would often
carry their goods to the market on their heads. Professional trading was
introduced later during the colonial era.[21]
The men migrated from their villages into town seeking work. Once the Europeans
settled, town life grew thus causing an influx of Igbo males to seek work and
start businesses. Then later when they had saved enough money, they would send
for their wife and children.[22]
The colonial era changed much of Igbo culture.
In conclusion, the colonial era
introduced Christianity and trade. Christianity changed their ancient customs
of polygamy to monogamy. However, the Igbos still put much consideration in
their marriages today as they did in times past. Although, trading changed
gender roles with the introduction of British colonizers, many women still hold
prominent positions in Igbo societies today.
Igbo myths and culture have evolved over the years to what you see
today. Their ancient culture has grown over the years to a more sophisticated
one. However, remnants of ancient Igbo origin and myths can still be seen today
in their customs, and beliefs. They are still careful in naming their children.
The Igbos continue to cultivate and trade yams. Although, many do not perform
their traditionally blood sacrifice. Yams are still regarded as a favorite
among the Igbo people. Chi their ancient
god introduced yams from the sacrifice of Eri’s son and introduced cocoyam’s
from the sacrifice of his daughter. The cultivation of yams is not an ordinary
cultivation for the Igbo people. It had been regarded as a ceremonial event
accompanied with annual ritual and sacrifices to their yam spirit to
acknowledge their god. The surplus and production of yams was indicative of
wealth and success in local endeavors. To maintain yam surplus one had to have
the means to produce yams. Producing
more members of the family was the answer to yam surplus. In times past
marrying many women in turn producing many off springs maintained the labor
cultivation of yams (especially) and other farming products and livestock. It
was also viewed as a blessing from God to reproduce many children. Since, God
himself though his power produced the world.
The
foundation of Igbo origin is primarily based on production. The fundamentals
surrounding production is land and people. Production was the key to life from an Igbo
stance. If there is much production, then there was much wealth. The majority
of Igbos today
worships
Jesus the Christ, as he is their key to life, their Savior.
[1]
Stephen Belcher, African Myths of Origin,
287.
[2]
Stephen Belcher, African Myths of Origin,
287
[3]
Ibid.,287.
[4]
Chima J. Korieh, “Yam! Is King.”
[5]
Ibid.
[6]
Ibid.
[7]
Ibid.
[8]
Ibid.
[9]
Edmund O Egboh, “Polygamy in Iboland.”
[10]
Edmund O Egboh, “Polygamy in Iboland.”
[11]
Chimalum Nwankwo, “The Igbo Word in Flora Nwapa’s Craft.”
[12]
Ibid.
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[14]
lbid.
[15]
Afam Ebeogu, “Onomastics and the Igbo Tradition of Politics.”
[16]
F. K. Ekechi. 1971. “Colonialism and Christianity in West Africa: The Igbo
Case, 1900-1915”.
[17]
Lbid.
[18]Daniel
Jordan Smith. "Legacies of Biafra: Marriage, Home People and Reproduction
Among the Igbo of Nigeria."
[19]
Clifford N Aniefuna. "The Christian Family as the Path to a "Culture
of Life" in the Teaching of Pope John Paul II: Implications for Igbo
Christian Marriage and Family Life."
[20]
Lbid.
[21]
Edmund O EGBOH. 1976. “Professional Trading Among the Igbos of South-eastern
Nigeria”
[22]
Lbid.
Images
[1] Yam Pottage
Images
[1] Yam Pottage
Yam Pottage By secretlondon123 -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/secretlondon/2854616760/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9695505
[2]Igbo Wedding
wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8798467
[3] Yam Festival
Celebrating New Yam festival By Informatique - Flickr [1],
CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5090508
