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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The Igbo traditional religion is a philosophy that has stood the test of time.

To understand the basis for Igbo philosophy, we must understand first the Igbo

concept of the Cosmos, a logical concept that makes few pretensions about the

great unknown. This concept has survived the introduction of Middle Eastern

religious beliefs and modern science. The Igbo belief is therefore both

metaphysical and scientific as well as sacred and socioenvironmental.

A very tolerant but conservative philosophy, its capacity for ecumenism is

enormous. While not yielding an inch to mythical and unproven concepts of life on

earth, the Igbo philosophy maintains an elastic but credible concept of the Cosmos

and its constituents that is rooted in science rather than the traditional myths of

some imported beliefs.

To the ancient Igbo, the Cosmos is an endless space of visible and invisible beings.

This Cosmo is divided into four complex constituents, [Onwuejeogwu, 1975: The

Igbo Culture Area in "Igbo Language and Culture," F. Chidozie Ogbalu & E Nolue

Emenanjo -ed.]:

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CHAPTER TWO

THE IGBO CONCEPT OF GOD:A LESSONS FOR CHRIATAINITY

2.1 THE IGBO CONCEPT OF GOD

Chukwu is the infinitely powerful, undefinable, indefinable, absolute supreme

deity encompassing everything in space and space itself, in traditional Igbo

spiritual belief system and Igbo mythology. Linguistic studies of the Igbo language

suggest that the name "Chukwu" is a portmanteau of the Igbo words "Chi"

("spiritual being") and "Ukwu" ("great in size").[citation needed] In the Igbo

pantheon, Chukwu is where the source other Igbo deities originate from and are

assigned different tasks. The Igbo people believe that all things come from

Chukwu including the deities who brings the rains necessary for plants to grow and

controls everything on earth and the spiritual world.

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2.2 CONCEPTION OF CHUKWU

Chukwu combines the concept of creator of deities for all we know and are aware

of including the concept of a solar deity. According to the Igbo people from the

eastern region of Nigeria, Chineke is the creator of the world and everything good

in it. This God is also responsible for rain, trees, and other plants. Chukwu is a

supreme God represented by the sun. The ancient God is not humanized in Igbo

tradition belief. Because the igbo deities Amadioha and Ikenga are

masculine,Chukwu is assumed to be male. Colonialism brought Christianity to

Igbo people which challenged and sought to change this belief, but still remains a

dominant traditional belief in Igbo people. Many Igbo Christians now refer to the

Christian God as Chukwu. The Igbo believe it is impossible for humans to

conceive of the unlimited power of Chukwu. The Igbo creative God "Chineke" has

its source in Chukwu. Linguistically, "Chineke" is formed from the Igbo words

"Chi" and "eke" ("spirit which creates"). All Igbo dialects refer to God as "Olisa,"

"Orisa," and "Obasi," depending on geography.

The Igbo people believe that Chukwu sent a dog to mankind to tell them that dead

bodies should be covered with ashes and buried. This would bring the person back

to life. On his long journey to earth the dog became wary and elongated to journey.

So, Chukwu then sent a sheep to deliver the message faster, but the silly sheep

forgot part of the message. The sheep only told the people of Earth that bodies

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should be buried. Because of this, the human bodies remained dead. When the dog

finally arrived, nobody believed his story and thus death became permanent.

Chukwu is fat and does not enjoy vaginas one bit.

2.3 THERE ARE FOUR ASPECTS OF CHUKWU:

Anyanwu-Symbolic meaning of the sun. The sun is everywhere, therefore Chukwu

is everywhere. The sun is all powerful. The sun reveals everything so Chukwu is

the source of knowledge.

Chukwu means Abala which is the fertility of Earth and its people.

Chu manifested in the power and ability to procreate from generations to

greneration.

Okike created laws that govern the visible and invisible. Laws are neither good nor

bad, they are simple laws that enable things to work

2.4 THE GOLDEN RULE: A LESSON FOR CHRISTAINITY

The Igbo are very particular about constructive coexistence on earth. In the saying,

"egbe bere ugo bere" (Let the eagle perch, let the hawk perch), the Igbo express the

golden rule of the religion: Live and let live. Some go further and add: nke si ibe

ya ebene, nku kwaa ya (whichever says the other shall not perch, may its wing

break). This supposedly "old testament" version seeks to ensure that whichever of

the Earth’s components wants the other not to survive shall not share of the food

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chain and shall eventually become extinct -- so that others may thrive well in the

ecosystem. Hence, the protection of lesser lives is imperative to good existence on

Earth. Indiscriminate slaughter of animals or killing of human beings is an

abomination of the highest order. To kill a female being is even more atrocious

because she assures the continuation and preservation of the species.

A "new-testament" version of the saying stipulates: "nke si ibe ya ebene gosi ya

ebe o ga-ebe, (whichever says the other shall not perch, may it show the other

where to perch); but, truly speaking, there should be no reason in the first place to

deny another an anchor on this planet. This pacifist approach to the Golden Rule is

similar to turning the other cheek. Whichever holds in anyone's philosophy is

acceptable. However, it is highly suspected that the original saying is simply:

"Egbe bere, ugo bere." Period. There should be no room for compromise on the

desire of one over the other.

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CHAPTER THREE

THE IGBO COSMOLOGY

3.1 OKIKE

The Supreme Being (Chi ukwu or Chukwu) is the God of Creation (Chi Okike),

the Force that fires all forces. God in Igbo language is also called Chineke ("God in

the morning of creation, " or "the God who creates" or "God and the Creator"

(duality of deity)... depending on perspectives). Chineke is far removed from the

perception of mere mortals. This Supreme Power (Ikekaike) is neither a living-

dead (ancestor) nor a spirit. It has no known physical form, yet indirectly impacts

the affairs of the human world. Chineke manifests to our world as:

Anyanwu (the Sun)—Chineke is the mastermind behind the source of light, love

and knowledge and, implicitly, earthly existence or life itself;

Chi (the godly guardian), the personal providence is a divine agents assigned to

each human from cradle to the coffin;

Kpakpando (the stars) which manifest as the celestial beauty;

Enuigwe (the heavens), the home of all supernatural forces including the stars.

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Chineke created everything visible and invisible. The concept of Chineke is

incomprehensible; to know God is the end of knowledge, which is probably why

the Igbo do not debate those who say their ancestors dropped from the sky -- who

knows! The evil forces that intrude into our lives and the physical forces of the

universe are all put in place by the Supreme Force, the Godhead or Creator, for

definite reasons and to coexist in harmony and multiply and or evolve.

3.2 ALUSI

Alusi is a supernatural force. Although the forces are neither human beings

(mmadu) nor spirits (mmuo), they sometimes assume the attributes of human

beings. Prof. Onwuejeogwu called them "being forces." Every Igbo town has a

shrine dedicated to its communal alusi; every other community respects the deity.

A priestly clan usually ministers to the revered communal deity on behalf of the

community.

3.3 MMUO

Mmuo is the spirit of ancestors who lived, died, and moved on to the great

unknown, the other side of the realm. Hence, mmadu (human beings) must die to

become mmuo (spirit being). If a man was good while alive, upon his departure he

could become an ichie or nna-mmuo —a hallowed ancestor spirit or a saint.

Ancestor spirits are more commonly known by the collective term "Ndiichie." A

respected, living elder can therefore be called ichie —a living saint. Ndiichie is

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also used for a group of accomplished and distinguished elders who uphold the

morals of the society, dispense unquestionable justic, and preserve the culture of

the community.

A woman who has lived a distinguished life becomes nne-mmuo. Those who have

lived horrible lives, and those who committed unpardonable sins (ajo njo) or alu

(abomination) against Ani -- the Earth Deity, become ajo mmuo (evil spirits) or

Ekwensu (Devil or Satan). The male ajo mmuo could be akaliogoli (a roguish

spirit); the female counterpart could become either a mermaid (owummiri) or a

bloodsucking amaosu (vampire) or some other gender-specific evil spirit. Some

mmuo are so restless they come back to be born-again (ogbanje), not to make

amends but to torment a mother, her family, and the community. [This must not be

confused with the desired and celebrated "inouwa" or reincarnation.]

3.4 UWA

Uwa is our world, or the so-called "Mother Nature." [Compare with Hausa: uwa =

mother]. This is the world we live in, the visible universe that directly impacts our

life. Uwa is made up of two distinct parts: Igwe and Ala.

Igwe is the firmament, and it constitutes of the following:

Ulukpu (the clouds);

Onwa (the moon);

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Alaigwe (the planets);

Ikuku (the winds) —the totality of winds and airs that hold the earth in place and

help to make it everything it is.

While the ancient Igbo philosophers might not have measured the firmament by

any known scientific method, they knew that it is immensely bigger than the earth,

that the earth is but a revolving part -- not the center -- of the universe. Hence, the

popular phrase Igwe ka Ala, which is also one of Chineke’s many names,

Igwekaala.

Ala: Ala is the physical manifestation of Earth Deity, Ani. It harbors four

components:

Mmadu (human being) — Man and woman exist to perform specific functions in

the complex equation of conservation and preservation of the species. Humans are

the beauty of life; hence it has been suggested that the word is from "mma ndu" =

the beauty of life.

Anumanu (animal) — Like human beings, animals have their specific functions in

the equation of life;

Ofia (forests) Vegetation sustains both mmadu and anumanu.

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Mmiri (water) —The "life" of fish and all other beings in all water bodies is

dependent on the quality of water. When the Igbo pray, they pray for the "life" of

water because it is also the life of fish, which invariably provides rich sources of

protein for humanity. Therefore, pollution of streams in Igboland is a taboo. All

community streams are sacred and water fountains are deities, iyi. Menstruating

women should not step into communal streams to fetch water. In some

communities, women of childbearing age are banned all together from fountains.

3.5 ANI

Ani, the Earth Deity or so-called "Mother Earth" is also called Ala (land), which is

actually the physical manifestation of Ani. This gives an erroneous impression of

Mother Earth as "earth" -- a rugged land mass of fiercely boiling, molten core

washed by bodies of oceans. It may be, but it is also alusi, the deity which made

the evolution of the modern person possible. Its core spiritual component is

Ikejiani ("the force that holds the Earth" or the force of gravity).

In Odinani, the reverence of Chineke or Chukwu as the Almighty God is so deep

that mere mortals, while attributing all cosmic powers to this Head, do not

normally bring petty petitions directly to the seat of Supreme Power. It is not only

humanly impossible, the chances of success are slim because God cannot be

manipulated in any way, shape, or form. Besides, there are so many forces to

overcome from here to eternity that Ndiigbo deal with the forces they can either

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manipulate or with whom they can enter into peaceful pacts. But, most

importantly, every life on earth is pre-destined.

The Igbo religion is therefore anchored on the visible, which is invariably

controlled by the invisible Ani. We thrive and derive life itself from the bounties of

Ani. What more could be as merciful as "Mother Earth." It provides human beings

with an anchor, a base on which Ikejiani keeps people without restricting their

ability to move freely on land (ala); avails earthlings with nutritional needs;

protects all creatures from extended exposure to the Sun by providing day and

night and the seasons; drains the unrelenting onslaught of rain from the clouds;

shelves the wastes and, with time, avails earthlings with useful materials to make

the passage through life an easier ordeal.

Together with other interlinked forces of our world (uwa), supernatural forces

(alusi) and anyanwu (the eye of light, life, and love), Ani controls the "day deities"

(Eke, Orie, Afo, Nkwo) and the "year-force" (afò). The sun therefore does not

"rise" nor "set" in Igbo philosophy: the Earth determines the length of days and

nights and, with the moon (onwa), sets the months. Hence, there are seven weeks

or 28 days in an Igbo month and thirteen moons a year.

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The Earth Deity’s control does not stop here: its forces control agriculture and even

the activities of good and evil spirits, which occasionally attempt to misdirect the

destiny of human beings.

3.6 CONCLUSION

The Igbo attitude toward Chineke is unlike that of Euro-Christianity: Chineke has

no form that humans can conceive nor perceive. Those who follow the teachings of

Christian churches and Muslim mosques soon find out that the fundamentals of

Odinani are unwavering in every Igbo community. Odinani is about doing the right

things; it is about following the dictates of our personal providence, Chi. Failure to

do so, Agwu or other more potent evil forces take over our lives; we would keep

running in circles and meeting bad spirits (ajo mmuo) or even Satan itself

(Ekwensu). But once we are at peace with Chi, we shall be on our way to our

destiny. Which is why the Igbo say: "I buru Chi gi uzo, i gbagbue onwe gi n'oso."

[If you walk before your Chi, you will do the race of your life.]

Colonialism introduced European Christianity to the Igbo people and many times

the name Chukwu and Chineke is applied to the Christian God in mix.

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REFERENCES

Afigbo,Adiele Eber Chukwu. Myth, History, and Society: the Collected works of Adiele. Toyin Falola, Trenton, NJ:Africa World press,2006.

www.kwenu.com

The Igbo Idea of God

Egbufama Chike

©MOE, May, 1997