Cultural Background Information

As readers, we are about to step into a completely foreign world. In Amadi’s retelling, the Nigerian tribal system is patriarchal (male-centered), polygemist (husbands have several wives), and polytheistic (tribe members worship multiple main gods and also pay heed to minor gods and spirits).

Within the hierarchy of the tribe, there are several layers of stratification. At the top of society are the chiefs and elders. Their words are law and their wisdom gained from experience is traditionally given deep respect. Another member of the tribal elite are the dibias or spiritual leaders. Selected for their ability to perceive and/or communicate with the supernatural, these spiritual leaders seek to intercede with the gods on the behalf of their people. Warriors who have proven themselves in combat are also deeply revered and asked for council concerning tribal issues. This picture shows a

masked dibia

Within the novel, kola nuts are used as a formal greeting for visitors during ceremonies and councils. Cowries shells are used in the divination process, helping to tell the future. The Ikoro drum is used to call tribal and clan meetings to order. Through various charms and amulets, dibias prescribe how individuals can protect themselves from bodily and spiritual harm.

The Great Ponds is the middle link in a trilogy outlining Nigeria’s precolonial history. Along with The Concubine (1966) and The Slave (1978), The Great Ponds outlines “his traditional African world, but they deal with timeless societies which are not poisoned by the effects of colonialism, rationalism, or modern change” (Liukkonen).

“Amadi's style is simple and dispassionate, but behind the straightforward stories a reader can discern outlines of a deeper, mythological tale. His view of life is as straightforward as his style of storytelling, ‘One has a specific role to play in the world plan and there is no escape from it’” (Liukkonen).

Liukkonen, Paul. "Elechi Amadi." Books and

Writers. Web. 8 Feb 2010. <http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/

amadi.htm>.