Igbo Religion and spirituality

Igbo Religion

• Main religion: Odinani
• Current religion: Christianity
• Very religious
• Centered around the belief that humans must live in harmony with the supernatural forces around them
• Traditional belief: Ancestors protect the living descendents and are responsible for rain, harvest, health, and children
• Observe the religion sites as well traditional rituals of passage in the 5th stages of their lives (happens during childbirth, marriage, initiation, as well as burials

Continued

• Based on oral transmission, no written records, but in hearts, minds, oral history, rituals, shrines, and religious functions
• Approached through numerous other deities/spirits in the form of natural opjects
• Hold onto the belief in 3 distinct objects (God created the world; the nonhuman spirits assists God in the preservation of the world, while the ancestors are left with the shaping events, destinies, and actions of mankind
• Although their religion is polytheistic, they believe in one supreme creator
• Supreme God: Chukwu, "Great God", or Chineke, "Creator God"
• Chukwu comes from the two Igbo words CHI and UKWU, which implies the great CHI

Spirituality

• The universe is divided into two levels: the natural level (human world) and the spiritual level (gods, goddesses, and spirits)
• Ibo spirituality affects everyday life and their use of medicine
• Spirituality is woven throughout everybody's daily lives and is how they make sense of the world

What is a Chi?

Continued

-Igbo birth

• A child is born after a spirit enters the womb
• Evil spirit called Ogbanje will continually be born and die over and over again
• If women sleeps under a special tree, the child will be of goodness

-Igbo Death

• Believe that reincarnation is good
• Dead spirit will return to the same family

-Believe that each individual has a God or Chi watching over them

How does the Igbo religion and spirituality contribute to the population's daily lives?

• Chi is the name for smaller gods and spirits (a personal guardian spirit).
• Assigned for guardianship and providence.
• The purpose of a Chi is to care, determine successes, misfortunes and failures throughout life.
• Every person has a personal Chi (female/male) from birth to death
• Assigned by Chukwu while the person is in the womb
• To survive spiritually, one must establish a special relationship
• Only way to connect to Chukwu

The Igbo religion and spirituality contributed to the population's daily lives due to their involvement in religious practices, ceremonies, and superstitions, which affects their everyday lives.

Works Cited

Amadiume, Ifi. “Igbo.” Encyclopedia of World Cultures. HighBeam Research, 1996. Web. 3

May 2015.

Aniakor, Chike C. Igbo Maiden-Spirit Markers. 1984. Digital Image. Igbo Arts: Community and

Cosmos, Los Angeles. Museum of Cultural History. Web. 3 May 2015.

Arinze, Francis A. “Igbo Religion.” Encyclopedia of Religion. World History in Context, 2005.

Web. 3 May 2015.

Ngwo, Ezeki. Mgbedike Mask. 1950. Digital Image. Commissioned by University of California,

Los Angeles. Fowler Museum at UCLA. Web. 3 May 2015.

Richard, Dreux. Asuanj’s Inaugural Masquerade in Ikebukuro. 2012. Digital Image. Published

by Gplus Media, Japan. Japan Today RSS. Web. 3 May 2015.

Igbo Deities

Religious Practices/Ceremonies

• Believe that these gods can be manipulated in order to protect them and serve their interests
• If the gods performed these duties, they will be returned with the faith of the tribe
• The most common deities are:

Ala- The Earth Goddess, the spirit of fertility

Igwe- The Sky God, controls weather

Mbatuku- The Spirit of Wealth

Ikoro- The Drum Spirit

Ekwu- The hearth spirit, woman's

domestic spirit

• The funeral ceremonies and burials of the Igbo people are extremely complex
• Deaths that are considered shameful, have no burial provided.
• The most elaborate of all, is the funeral of a chief
• Birth, marriage, and death are considered the three most important family events in most cultures.

Igbo Religion and Spirituality

Amie Ho and Joseph Nguyen

Period 5