Work 0n Igbo Concept of God
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Transcript of Work 0n Igbo Concept of God
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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