Taking A Look At The Igbo Culture

By Claudine Hodges


There is not much centralized unions tribes, hereditary aristocracy, monarchy; The exceptions are the kingdom as NRI, Agbor and Onitsha. This political system has changed significantly after the arrival of British colonizers in XIX century; Power of king (Az) was introduced in most of local tribes. Chinua Achebe wrote the book "Different things, " in which he described the changes in culture and customs of colonial period (Igbo culture).

Cattle involved is small, since large areas of infected tsetse fly. Cattle is very much appreciated and has mainly ritual significance. Developed crafts: blacksmithing, pottery, weaving, weaving, woodworking, woodcarving. In nriauka blacksmith's craft involves most of male population. In Igbos widely developed seasonal work.

Traditional settlement consists of large number of households, separated (sometimes quite far away) from each other. Households are combined into large settlements to 8 thousand. Residents. In some areas with high population density settlements stretch for many kilometers. Household consists of few huts and surrounded by an earthen wall. Number of huts depends on the number of family members and solvency of host.

It has been argued that the ancestors of Igbos the majority of their neighbors belonging to a group of proto-qua, came from the area of African Great Lakes and Mountains of Moon in East and Central Africa, through the savannah, the site of which is now dominated by the Sahara. Desertification has forced people to migrate further south and north to confluence of Niger and Benue, where Nok culture developed.

As a food source was the cultivation of yams and cassava, which was often supplemented by extensive fishing. Igbos their neighbors had to suffer until the 19th century greatly from the slave traders. By 1900, continued in whole area of British colonial administration through. Today Igbos Yoruba and Hausa, in addition to one of state-supporting groups in Nigeria after her attempt to create a State failed after years of bloody fighting against the Nigerian central government. (Biafran War 1967-70).

Traditional clothing: men - over a shirt wide spacious cape, women wear jackets and skirt is a piece of cloth around the hips. Distributed as Western-style clothes, especially in urban areas. The main food plant - yams, cassava, corn (porridge, stew), various vegetables. Eating fish also. Cooking oil used oil palm, spicy seasonings. There are still many Igbos folklore festivals, and almost all genres of folklore. Arts and Crafts presents a variety of masks (abstract, anthropomorphic, masks helmets), totem poles ikeng, clay and wood sculpture.

Speak the language of Igbos -volt Niger family. The most common dialects Onitsha and Owerri. On the basis of Onitsha developing literary language - the "standard Igbos ", there is also a "united Igbos ", created in 1915 by missionaries based dialects Onitsha, Owerri, Bonnie, and ingvana arochuku. Many other dialects have their own written tradition. Writing based on Latin graphics.

Another option Igbos tradition identifies Jews with the descendants of three tribes of Israel - Gad, and Manasseh Zebulun. Igbos community of Jews in contact with Jewish organizations in other countries (including the US and Israel) and receive financial support. Practiced scarification, male and female circumcision. Twins in past and feared killed. Igbos - deeply religious people who believe in a benevolent Creator, commonly called Chukwu (Chiukwu, Chineke, Obasi di n'elu and so on. D.) Who created the visible universe (uwa).




About the Author: