TIEMPO DE DEDICACIÓN A LA LECTURA Y CICLO DE ESTUDIOS

Thus human being with his or her Chi now relate with the Supreme Being who is the architect of his or her wellbeing. And for an average Igbo man or woman living in a Traditional Igbo community, participating in their beliefs, ceremonies, rituals and festivals of the community gives them sense of belonging. The Igbo believe in a kind of symbiotic relationship with the ancestors through many observances of their laid down rules including cultural festivals, rituals, ceremonies and beliefs. These observances give the person or celebrants the sense of belonging, safety, encouragement and the feeling of living in harmony with the ancestors whom he believes has great influence upon his wellbeing. In the general sense therefore, the Igbo cosmology presents the Igbo as a people who believe that their life hinges on their relationship with ancestors who enhance and promote life in particular and community at large. In the next chapter in this investigation, the researcher is going to focus on Igbo world – view.

CHAPTER THREE 3.1 Igbo World – View

World-views are peculiar to their holders, influencing their thought patterns and moral behaviours and can vary from society to society. But common to worldview is that it forms the holder’s entire concept of life and establishes a link with ultimate realities. It becomes obvious that people act or behave the way they do because of their worldview. So the traditional beliefs of Igbo people and controversies about their values, cultures, and customs have their answers already established in their worldview. And for scholars like Umeh (1999), these inherent traits among the Igbo are enshrined in the:

Igbo language, songs, proverbs, tales, ogwu, sports, religion, festivals, socialization processes, and practices associated with marriages, pregnancy, birth of new babies, coming of age, title taking and practices, death and funerals, dibia works, black smiting, bronze smiting, silver and gold smiting, farming, hunting, crying, laughing, eating. (p. 1).

It therefore goes without saying that any attempt to fully understand the Igbo groups and their practice without first appreciating the above cultural traits, beliefs, and practices is shabby and grossly incompetent to unveil the true nature of the Igbo people. Based on the above backdrop, the Igbo believe that there is unity existing between the seen and unseen realities which in the words of Madu (1997) everything is linked. We observed interrelatedness and interconnectedness existing in Igbo worldview. So to be able to discern and do a thorough evaluation of life within a particular context both temporal and non temporal, the whole life has to be considered. Corroborating this view, Ejizu (1986) sees life as an integrated organic whole. We notice the sacred shedding into the daily events of the life and natural occurrences

and in the same way as the gods participate in the affairs of men and share in determining their fortunes. Madu (1996) corroborated the uniqueness of the world views when the stated thus:

In a way, world view is usually unique to a person or a group of people. Thus a people can use their world view to explain their attitudinal orientations towards certain issues peculiar to them alone (p. 1).

He summarized that a world view is used to explain reality for a people experiencing that reality. Madu (1996) quoted Onuoha as he articulated peculiar features of world view thus:

All world views are mutually hostile and intolerant. There is no love lost between them. This can explain why we have various types of religious conflicts in Nigeria.

This is because the various religious traditions are built on their own basic cosmologies.

All world views are based on faith. They are based on assumption that cannot be proved scientifically. On these assumptions, they dogmatize. The creed calls for blind faith and emotional response. One can understand the power of emotions in the lives of man. When strong emotions are aroused, man finds it hard to listen to the voice of reason. Thus he can go to any length to defend his religion even physically in a war with another person who does not share in his own views.

All worldview breed a strong sense of self assurance. This is evident among new converts to a particular faith. It is common to hear a newly converted born again saying that he has now seen the light. All along, he has been in darkness. He is so sure of his new found vocation.

All world view are missionary if not imperialist in spirit. They proselytize. This is very evident in the way traditions are handed over from generation to generation.

All world view thrive on propaganda, tracks and stickers, brainwashing, schools, colonialism, than mere biological procreation.

All world views provide the devotee with techniques with which they can manipulate human society, the spiritual world and the physical world. This they do by determining certain ends” that must be attained, prescribing the ‘means’ by which such ends are to be reached within the context of the particular worldview, for instance, the Christian worldview can provide such techniques as sacraments, rites and ceremonies, while in the Igbo worldview, sacrifices can be prescribed by priests and diviners to placate angry spiritual beings.

All world views have their members on a routine basis constructing and reconstructing the world after their own image. Thus man is constantly being manipulated to fit into newly adapted views (p. 2-3).

Based on the above backdrop, it is no surprise that worldviews are exclusive to holders and to a large extent religious based. It though belongs to abstract realm, but can be dramatized in several ways including rituals, ceremonies, myths, customs, and etcetera. With this general background we can look further to what constitute Igbo worldview.

The Igbo conceive the world as an unfathomable mystery hence the acronym “Uwa di egwu” (the world is an unfathomable mystery). Elucidating on Igbo worldview, Ekwunife (1990) citing Uchendu, classified the Igbo world into three aspects, namely: the spiritual aspect, the material and socio-cultural. He argues that these three worlds exist inter-alia with one another in a world of reciprocity where the spiritual and material entities are mutually engaged.

Others generally classified the Igbo world into two: via- the visible and invisible world or the material and spiritual worlds. Men and other perceptible objects occupy the visible or material

while the invisible or spiritual world is occupied by different ranks of spirits and subtle entities.

Madu (1997), further extended the world into three spheres. In his words:

These two broad divisions can be extended into three. In fact it is the invisible world that can be sub-divided into two: the world of God and the gods situated somewhere above the firmament and the underworld somewhere beneath the earth surface, it is said to be the home of the ancestors. (p. 3).

These worlds are named following their influences on Igbo world, which Achebe (1986) noted, that can be ascertained through their myths, proverbs metaphors, customs and taboo’s. She remarks;

Different cultures have different ways of ordering their world. Each mode is a lens through which man in a given culture views his world. Each culture’s lens enables it to see only a certain part of the world but albeit one which gives meaning to its existence. If one has a different lens, he would see a different world (P.4).

Madu (1997) noted that most Igbo scholars have used the three tier structural nomenclature of Elu-igwe, Ala mmadu and Ala Mmuo, while others have settled for the two-tier structural arrangement of Uwa ana Ahu anya, (visible world) and uwa anayi ahu anya (invisible world).The worlds, the visible and invisible are not exclusive, but overlap. Elu-igwe is the abode of the Supreme Being and major divinities like Amadi-Oha and Anya-nwu, the earth, the home of earth goddess, minor deities, nature deities and man, while the ancestors and myriad of spirit forces (good and evil) inhabit the underworld. The fact that the Igbo worldview see these invisible beings with bi-location ability allays the confusions of which being inhabit which sphere, since the worldview endorses mutual interaction. Ekwealor (1990) captured this when he stated thus:

It is important to note that the Igbo universe is divided into three broad structures;

there is possibility of certain element to move from one structure to another to commune with other elements. (p. 30).

So these elements have migrational ability where and when necessary. For instance the ancestors which constitute our major concern in this work, who inhabit the underworld are believed to visit their families in the world of men.

Ejizu (1986) notes that Elu-igwe is the abode of the supreme being and major divinities like Amadioha and Anyanwu, the earth, the home of the earth goddess, minor deities, nature deities and man while the ancestors and myriad of spirit forces (good and evil) inhabit the underworld. The fact that Igbo world view sees these invisible beings with bi-locational ability allays the confusion of which being inhabit which sphere, since the world view endorses mutual interaction. Ekwealor (1990) captured this when he stated thus:

It is important to note that although the Igbo universe is divided into these three broad structures, there is the possibility of certain element to move from one structure to another to commune with other elements (p.30).