THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DEITIES IN THE CONTEMPORARY NSUKKA NORTHERN IGBOLAND

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ABSTRACT

The Igbo have embraced Christianity and civilization which have displaced the traditional religion in its organized form yet the traditional religious beliefs and practices still rule the minds of many Igbo Christians. One of such beliefs and practices that have survived the onslaught of the forces of change in Igboland is the belief in deities. Deities though in retreat are very much alive. The average Igbo Christian would not normally participate in the public worship of deities but  would  resort  to  deities  for  help  when  difficult  life  situations  such  as illnesses,  misfortunes,  deaths,  barrenness,  present  themselves  for  solutions. Above all, the deities are still invoked  as adjudicators  on serious issue like undetected crime, land disputes, identification of witches and sorcerers. This work argues that in spite of the socio-cultural and religious transformations that have taken place in Igbo society deities which Christianity and modernity have condemned still rule the minds of the products of these agents of change. The failure of these agents of change to address the realities of the Igbo life results in ambivalent, syncretism and distorted life among the Igbo.The Okija shrine saga revealed that deities’ regime in Igboland is not yet over. This revelation in one out of so many of such practices that takes place in so many shrines all over the country at a time Christianity and civility should rule the minds of the people. Against  this  backdrop,  this  work  addresses  itself  to  the  problem.  This  is achieved through the phenomenological approach using the tool of historical – analytical methods. This work seeks to fuse the two worlds which hitherto rule the lives of the Igbo into one single reality wherein the Igbo hold on to a single value system.

CHAPTER ONE

1.1     BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Events in the recent past connected with some deities in Igboland reveal that deities’ regime is not yet over in a society that accepted Christianity and its attendant  western  civilization  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago.  If appearance is taken for reality, deities would have become museum pieces in Igboland judging by outward manifestations of Christianity and civility in the contemporary Igbo public life.

But the “embattled gods” (Kalu; 2003) of Igboland merely retreated and refused to surrender when heavy punches were delivered on them by the forces of change. They have demonstrated in the recent past that they are very much alive, resilient and active operating as it were in a latent manner. The Efuru deity  in  Idoha  in  Nsukka  cultural  zone  attracted  the  attention  of  the  then Anambra State Government and had its shrine destroyed in 1988 because of the activities going on in the shrine which were adjudged inhuman.

In 1994 the most dreaded deity in Nsukka zone Adoro Ero in Alor-Uno, was touched by a crusading para-Christian sect. The deity was sacked in the process  but  similar  attempt  at  the  shrine  of  the  deity  in  Alor—Agu  was ferociously resisted leading to the death of the leader of the group as a result of serious injuries she sustained in the fight.

Similarly in 2002, Christians in Neke, invaded and destroyed the shrines of Ezugwu and Odo deities in what they considered as inhuman and ungodly

practices in the shrines. The story made waves in the national dailies as human skulls alleged to have been recovered from the shrines where displayed on the pages of the print media. A long and protracted court case ensued as the traditionalists who felt that their right to freedom of worship has been infringed upon took the Christians  to court. The state, the church, the police and the judiciary were involved in the imbroglio.

The  last  of such  incidence  which  attracted  national  attention  was  the

‘Ogwugwu Okija shrine saga’. The Nigerian Police acting on a petition she received stormed the site of the shrine, arrested the priests and recovered human skulls  and  decaying  bodies.  Nigerians  reacted  to  the  discovery  with  some blames on the failure of the church and the court. The action of the Police was supported by some people while others condemned it.

From the examples above it is obvious that shrines in Igboland have not been abandoned  contrary to expectations  at the introduction  of Christianity. Some deities have had their shrines destroyed but the speed with which they were reconstructed and reconsecrated by the people is eloquent testimony of their significance in their lives. Apart from the waves which their destruction create in the media not much effort has been made to investigate the reasons for their resilience and why they bounce back soon after their ‘destruction’. This work seeks to achieve this.

Before the Igbo came in contact with Western ideologies, the traditional religion permeated all aspects of life. It was carried into all human affairs and

deities played significant roles. Just as their powers were tapped to enhance life, they were equally used to deal with perceived enemies. Magical powers were acquired to ward off evil forces and to hack one’s way through to achievements and success. This mindset still rules the Igbo, the outward manifestations to the contrary notwithstanding.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

One of the achievements of Christianity and Western Civilization in Igboland after more than one hundred and fifty years is the emergence of a people who are not truly Christian and not truly African. The average Igbo Christians have adopted ambivalent lifestyles. They are according to Asogwa (2008) half Christians and half ‘pagans’. The Christian God and Western style of living are acknowledged publicly in blissful moments while deities and traditional means are turned to secretly when life’s vicissitudes present themselves.

Hence, traditional and western worldviews rule the minds of the Igbo. In view of this Onuh (1996) observes that:

A majority of Igbo Christians are, so to speak double-faced, one face is that of Christianity which hangs on them as a coat… as long as the vicissitudes of life find one on joy and peace, and the other, the traditional face which naturally belongs to them to the core… This face is manifested and projected in life’s crises. Confronted with illness, misfortunes, deaths, and barrenness, the double faced

Christian adheres to the traditional methods for solution to these life’s problems (p.2).

The vast majority of Igbo Christians live syncretic life. Syncretism leads to distorted life, of not having a focus on a particular thing, of being neither here nor there, of not being sure of where one stands, of being confused.

Christians go to church on Sundays yet patronize deities when real life situations present themselves for solutions. The business man uses charms to attract customers; civil servants feel that unless they acquire magical powers someone else might sit on their promotions. The same goes for lawyers who believe in using charms to cast spell on one another. The politicians perform all sorts of rituals to acquire and remain in power. There is the general notion that nothing can be achieved unless backed by some spiritual powers.

The continued patronage of deities amidst other options attests to the failure of those institutions characteristics of civilized society. Ekpu (2004) puts it succinctly.

The existence and survival of these deities is a tribute to the resilience  of  tradition…  It  may also  be  a failure  of  religion,  a failure that is amplified by the fact that in virtually every kilometer of Nigerian soil, there is a church or a mosque… Also the resort to the temple of the deities instead of the temple of justice for the settlement  of claims and cases is perhaps also, a failure of our judicial or justice system. (p. 32)

In view of the fact that the Igbo have embraced Western ideologies the questions  that  have  remained  unanswered  are;  why  do  Christians  and  the educated fall back to what they have rejected publicly in their private life? Is the Christian God too weak to act? Why take cases to shrines instead of to the law court? Why have deities been resilient in the era of science and technology?

1.3     AIM OF THE STUDY

This research work which is centred on the significance of deities in Igbo practical life, aims among other things to achieve the following:

i.   To recover the purpose for which deities were established in the primal

Igbo society so as to determine their fate in the modern time.

ii. To provide a working document for proper and effective Christianization of Igboland.

iii. To  expose  some  obnoxious  practices  connected  with  deities  that  are detrimental to human and societal development.

iv. To show to what extent Christianity and civilization have impacted on the people and the society.

v.  To show those aspects of the traditional religion that can be retained in the present.

1.4     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study examines the significance of deities in the Igbo practical life in Nsukka  Cultural Zone. There are several deities in the communities  that make up the cultural  zone but four were chosen for detailed study for two reasons.  The  first  three  discussed  are notorious  deities  whose  influence  are extended beyond their localities and are known for their ruthlessness in dealing with their victims. The fourth one Nimu-kwome is the principal deity in the researcher’s home town. The study is limited to their origin, mode of operation, influence and patronage. The taxonomy of other deities though not exhaustive was also presented.

Literally, the word deity covers all spiritual divine beings. In this study deities refer only to those spiritual beings which the Igbo popularly refer to as

Alusi’ instituted by the people who own them to serve specific purpose(s). Pan- Igbo deities were avoided and ancestral spirits which have been deified are included.

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1.5     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The work is another scholarly contribution  to knowledge. It will help readers appreciate the purpose for which deities were established in the Igbo primal society. The work will serve as a guide to the quest for cultural and religious revival going on in the Igbo society.

The church will also find this work a useful material for proper evangelization of Igboland. Since not much has been written about deities in Nsukka Cultural Zone, future researchers will find this work beneficial, it will enable them explore other aspects that were left out like studying the deities seperately. Finally this work will free many from fear and intimidation by the priests of deities who manipulate them for selfish gains

.

1.6     RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The data for this research was drawn from both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources include oral interviews. Secondary sources include relevant literature such as textbooks, journals, internet materials, and newspaper and magazine articles. Interviews were conducted within the culture area that forms the scope of this work.

The phenomenological approach which seeks to unfold the religious significance and meaning of religious phenomena within the totality of culture context where these phenomena are found is used. With this approach the influence  of deities on the Igbo practical  life will be tackled  through  three fronts: historical, interpretative and comparative. At the historic level the events as they occurred are gathered and recorded. The interpretative level will seek its meaning in religious and social dimensions. The comparative level compares

services as provided by deities with agents of social and religious change in contemporary Igbo society.

1.7     DEFINITION OF TERMS

For the purpose of clarity, certain operational terms are defined contextually as they relate to this work. They include; deity, the Igbo, culture area, worldview and life.

Deity: The word deity has its root in both Latin and Greek. The Latin ‘deus’,

divus’, and deitas with the Greek ‘dios’, connote essential natures of a god and carry the idea of “the divine nature, godhead and god (Knight; 2009: Para 1). The Myth Encyclopedia defines deity as “a god or goddess”, a supernatural being who influences human life.” It includes ancestors – human spirits which exist after death (http)

According to Onwubiko (1991:61), deities are “the spirits that are known by names, localized, enshrined and regularly worshipped, community, kindred or family gods.” Onuigbo (2009) defines deity as the avenue through which man reaches the Supreme God, ‘Chukwu’.

Mcfaden as quoted in Omegoha (2006:12) defines deity as “an abstract term for god signifying divine nature considered in itself apart from the person who is that nature often used equivalently for God in common parlance”.

From the above definitions, it can be deduced that a deity is a divine being. It is also clear that deity and god are interchangeably used. Therefore in

this study the words deity and god mean the same thing and Onwubiko’s definition is adopted.

The Igbo: According to Onuh (1992:9), Igbo is both the language and the name of an ethnic group in Nigeria bound together by “geographical, linguistic, social and cultural factors”. Geographically, Igboland is found in the South-East of Nigeria extending Westward and the Southward into the present states of Delta and Rivers respectively. Its location is within 50 – 70 North of Equator and 60 –

80 East of Greenwich (Ekwunife; 1990).

On the linguistic level, the Igbo speak the language called Igbo with many dialects spreading across Igbo cultural zones (Arinze; 1971). Culturally the Igboland has up to nine (9) sub-cultural areas (Kalu; 2003). Generally,    the Igbo  according  to  Onuh  (1991:9)  “are  a  strongly  built  race  with  a  very resourceful character; they are hardworking, ambitious, progressive, proud, intelligent,  optimistic  and  would  hardly  accept  a  defeat  in  any  human enterprise”. Added to this is their propensity to adapt other people’s culture even to the detriment of their own culture (Ejiofor; 1980).

Culture Area: Kalu (2003:5) defines culture area as “a geographical area occupied by people whose culture exhibits a significant degree of similarity with each other as well as significant degree of dissimilarity with the culture of others”. From this definition it follows that a culture area is an area which has the same dominant and significant culture traits but many people groups. The Igboland perfectly exhibits these characters. In the light of the above, Nsukka,

falls within the Northern Igbo Culture Zone and its culture is a microcosm of

Igbo culture in general.

Culture Area Delimitation in Igboland (Kalu; 2003:10)

S/NCulture AreaMajor Land Marks
1Western(a) Asaba  (b) Ika  (c) Ndokwa
2North-Western(a)  North  and  South  flood  plain  (b)  Onitsha-   Idemili (c) Aguata-Nri-Awka axis
3Northern(a)  Umuneke  Clan  (b)  Umuniba-Owa-Olo-Oha   (c) Ojebe-Ogene (d) Nsukka
4North-Eastern(a) Nike, Nkanu, Awgu, Achi (b) Ikwo, Ezzikwo,   Ezza
5Central I(a) Owerri, Mbaitoli, Ikeduru Mbano, Mbaise
6Central II(b) Orlu, Isu, Nkwerre, Ideato
7Central III(c) Etiti, Isikwuato, Okigwe
8South-WesternMbaise-Okpala, Ohaji, Egbema, Oguta
9SouthernNgwa,   Ukwa,   Etche,   Asa,   Ikwuano,   Bende,   Umuahia, Mbaise
10EasternArochukwu, Ututu, Ihechiowa, Ohafia, Edda
11(Cross River)Abiriba,    Nkporo,    Abam,    Igbere,    Afikpo,   Unwana, Okposi

Worldview:   The  worldview  of  a  people  is  their  perception  of  reality. According to Nwala (1985) it;

…refers to the complex of beings, habits, laws, customs and traditions  of a people.  It includes  the overall  picture  they have about reality, the universe, life and existence. (.24).

It is concerned by this definition, with the attitude, their basic beliefs about the world,  how  they  conceive  and  understand  the  universe,  reality  and  the conception of the beings therein.

According to Iwuagwu (1998) the Igbo conceive of a three-decker compartment of the universe in relation to space – Elu-igwe (sky) is the abode of the Supreme Being, Uwa (earth) which man shares with animals, vegetation and some spirits, ‘Ala mmuo (the underworld) inhabited’ by ancestors.

Ekwunife (2003:18) observes that the Igbo see the world as “one fluid coherent unit in which spirits, men, plants and animals, and the elements are engaged in continuous interaction”. Hence there is no dichotomy between the visible and invisible, the spiritual and the material. The    spiritual    reality    as conceived by the Igbo places the Supreme Being in a separate ontological order apart from other spiritual beings who are his messengers.

Mbiti (1969) observes that man is conceived as the being in the centre. Metuh  (1985:4)  sees  him as  the being  “who  must  through  rituals  maintain equilibrium and harmonious relationship with all the beings, that impinge on his life and being”. It is in this sense that the efforts of the Igbo to enhance life through assistance of deities could be appreciated.

Life: Life for the Igbo goes beyond its literal sense of “a state of being alive as a human  being” (Hornby;  2000:683),  to the state of well  being,  peace and prosperity.  According  to Onuh (1992:15),  “the Igbo conceive  of life as the greatest possession of man to which nothing can be given in exchange”. Hence

to  the  Igbo  life  is  supreme  (ndubuisi)  and  must  be  worth  living  (ezi  ndu) (Onuoha; 1997). According to Madu (1999) it encompasses both the material and spiritual spheres of existence. For the Igbo life is a gift from God, precious and invaluable, and must be protected, guarded, preserved, and enhanced as it is the  goal  of  human  existence.  Thus  conceived,  there  must  be  a  cordial relationship between man and the multifarious forces around him in order to live.



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