Modernity and Burial Rituals in Igbo Land: A Paranormal Communication Approach

The Igbo people believe that a well done burial ritual would determine the well-being of the deceased in the land of the “living-dead”. It is therefore expected that their loved ones perform proper burial rituals to ensure the peaceful rest of the deceased and to avert the wrath of the dead. This study examined modernity and burial rituals in Igbo land from a paranormal communication perspective. The Functionalism approach as propounded by Smith, Burner and White in 1956 was used as the theoretical underpinning for this study. This study adopted textual analysis of historical and oral literature. The findings of this study revealed that modernity has affected the Igbo culture, and also showed that there are socio-religious consequences of not meeting up with the burial ritual demands. As a result, the researchers recommend amongst others that stakeholders in the community and the society at large come together to revive the Igbo culture. They also recommend that families do the needful to ensure that their 'dead' is properly buried to avoid certain misfortunes.

Sex Education: Ancient Israel and Igbo Traditional Practices

Every human (male and female) is a sexual being. Exploring and experiencing one’s sexuality is part of being human. Unfortunately, human’s curiosity and interest concerning sexuality are not always guided and nurtured in a wholesome way because sex is viewed as sacred and talking about it constitutes a taboo. Hence, many parents are at ease to teach their children about virtually every other thing in life, but they usually do not, however, teach about sexuality with similar ease. As a result, many grow into adulthood with partial and distorted views of human sexuality. The aim of the study was to discover the teachings of Proverbs 7:24-27 on sex education along traditional practices in tone with sex education in Igbo culture and determine the place of proper sex education for better dealing and understanding of human sexuality. The study adopted African inculturation hermeneutics which makes African social cultural context the subject of interpretation. The study revealed that sex education was integral to the training of the young adults in ancient Israel Igbo cultures. However, the study observed some areas of strength and weaknesses of sexuality training in Igbo traditional practices. Thus, the research upheld that the instructions on human sexuality preserved in the book of Proverbs are very relevant in strengthening the contemporary Igbo culture and her traditional practices in the training of young adults in the areas of chastity. Therefore, the paper called for proper sex education in the Igbo society to instill sexual purity among youths of contemporary Igbo society.

Igbo Speech Surrogacy: Preliminary Findings Based on the Oja Flute

This research report presents analyses of recordings from the Ìgbò culture of southeastern Nigeria of an ọ̀jà flute player, a female speaker, and a male speaker. After a prepared performance, the participants completed two tasks: (1) mapping speech to flute playing and (2) identifying phrases played on the flute. Contour analysis is applied to annotated recordings to study the mapping of speech tone and rhythm from voice to instrument in parallel utterances by the three participants (male, female, and flute). Response time between the flute playing and spoken phrase identification indicates each prompt’s relative clarity. Using a limited but not predetermined inventory of related praise epithets, participants successfully converted speech to music and music to speech. In the conversion of speech to music, we found that declination was not part of the mapping, indicating it is a phonetic artifact of speech and does not carry a functional load. In identifying surrogate phrases played on the flute (music to speech), we found that dialectical variation caused some misidentification because idioms known in one area of the Igbo dialect cluster are not necessarily known throughout the region. However, òòjà speech surrogacy is found throughout the region. Possibilities and predictions for further research are presented.

Exploring the Relationship Between Personality Traits and Superstitious Beliefs

In Nigeria, almost every tribe has several superstitious beliefs which, tend to affect their day to day behavior. The current work investigated the relationship of such beliefs with personality traits in the southeast geopolitical zone of the country [specifically Igbo land]. The researchers used the Big 5 personality Inventory (BFPI) and the Igbo Culture Superstitious Belief Scale. The internal consistency reliability of the ICSBS ranged from .30 to .67. A total of 250 participants [94 males and 156 females, between 25 and 53 years, with the mean age of 36.99 and standard deviation 5.89] participated in the study. Multiple regression analysis was adopted. From the above result, openness to experience (Beta = .484, t=8.15, p<.05=.00) and Neuroticism (Beta = .391, t=6.36, p<.05=.00) had a significant correlation with superstitious belief, while Extraversion (Beta = .072, t=1.51, p<.05=.13), Agreeableness (Beta = .997, t=.98, p<.05=.33) and Conscientiousness (Beta = -.078, t=-1.60p<.05=.11). This implies that only Neuroticism and Openness to Experience had significant relationship with superstitious beliefs. It was therefore recommended that further research be conducted to better understand the unique characteristics of the Igbo people. Received: 20 October 2020 / Accepted: 5 May 2021 / Published: 17 May 2021

Contextual Expositions of Igbo Proverbs in Selected Mike Ejeagha’s Folk Songs

This paper explores the use of Igbo proverbs in selected folklorist Mike Ejeagah’s folk songs-Omekagụ (one who behaves like a lion) and Ụwa Mgbede Ka Mma (life of serenity is beautiful). Mike Ejeagha, the folk artist is known for his ingenuity in fusing tales rich in proverbs within his folk songs. This paper argues that the contextual meanings of the exemplary proverbs in the selected songs are derived from the content of the tales in the selected songs. The researcher will do a textual analysis of the proverbs in the songs while asserting that the meanings of the proverbs are embodied in the storyline. In analyzing the meanings of the proverbs in the songs, this research affirms the place of proverbs in the socio cultural environment of the Igbo people of South Eastern Nigeria and it finally shows that Mike Ejeagaha’s folk songs can be an agent of cultural and historical storage of the Igbo culture.

Flying Back to Africa or Flying to Heaven? Competing Visions of Afterlife in the Lowcountry and Caribbean Slave Societies

ABSTRACTThis article presents a new interpretation of the famous folktale about enslaved Africans flying home, including the legend that only those who refrained from eating salt could fly back to Africa. It rejects claims that the tale is rooted in Igbo culture and relates to suicide as a desperate attempt to escape from slavery. Rather, an analysis of historical documents in combination with ethnographic and linguistic research makes it possible to trace the tale back to West-Central Africa. It relates objections to eating salt to the Kikongo expression curia mungua (to eat salt), meaning baptism, and claims that the tale originated in the context of discussions among the enslaved about the consequences of a Christian baptism for one's spiritual afterlife.

Leftwardness. An Aspect of Prohi‐ bitions in the Igbo Culture

Leftwardness, as used here, refers to any issue or activity that is associated with the left side, especially the left hand. Leftwardness seems to have been an aspect of prohibitions of virtually all known cultures, but presently the seriousness attached to its rejection is sustained in not too many cultures. One of the known cultures in which leftwardness is still seriously prohibitive is the Igbo culture. Among the Igbo of Southern Nigeria, leftwardness is seriously unacceptable/impermissible (but not tabooed). The prohibition of leftwardness in the Igbo culture is expressed via the parts of the body, especially the ones that occur in pairs: the hands, feet, eyes. This article discusses the prohibitions of leftwardness among the Igbo with ample exemplifications.

Gender Issues in the Patriarchy of the Igbo Culture of Southeastern Nigeria

The main thesis of this work is that women’s rights and dignity are still respected in the cultural setting despite the fact that Igbo is a patriarchal society. Through the organization of women groups in different Igbo localities, women mobilize themselves and gain political power in solidarity to protect and uphold their rights and dignity as human beings. This work suggests that African women theologians, particularly those from Igbo origins, may join hands together and trace the action of Igbo women in the past in protecting their rights and dignity. This implies that they must study the recorded history of the land in Igbo culture and connect it to the present for the good of the current generation.

A Pragmemic Analysis of Igbo Postproverbials

Igbo proverbs (Ilu Igbo) are linguistic expressions which projects principles with the intent to address diverse social, political, economic and culturally contextual issues that bother on values, morals and the identity of the Igbo people of Eastern Nigeria. Proverbs are handed down to different generations by speech acts of storytelling, conversing, rebuking or admonishing. The researchers carried out a pragmatic analysis of Igbo proverbs as a social practice, to establish their meaning and how its social significance are internalized and continually recreated. Language is central to the process of producing meaning. Using the Theory of Pragmeme by Jacob Mey (2001), the paper evaluates the pragmatic acts, the extent to which some of these proverbs are reformed and doctored, yet, maintain qualities of the Igbo culture while accommodating the identity of the 21st century ideology of the Igbo people. Primary and secondary methods of data collection are adopted. Being a qualitative study, the research randomly selected 12 Igbo proverbs that cut across the five Igbo speaking states of eastern Nigeria. The findings are that Igbo proverbs are essentially custodians of the Igbo cultural identity and orientalism, most proverbs have been moderated to fit the emerging trends in the identity of the Igbo ancestry.

Language Implications for Peace or War: Exploring How the use of Language led to war between Umuaro and Okperi in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God in the Light of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Philosophy of Language

This paper explored the conflict between Umuaro and Okperi (Fictitious Igbo towns) in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God (A novel written by Chinua Achebe in 1965, which is a picture of struggle and dialectics between Igbo culture/religion and imported European culture/religion) in the light of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s philosophy of language. The aim of the paper was to show how the use and understanding made of language can have implications for peace or war, between individuals or communities. The goal is to contribute to the promotion of peace through appropriate use and understanding of language. Philosophical method of analysis was applied in discussing Wittgenstein’s views on language as well as extracts from Arrow of God. The extracts hinged on the utterances among the elders of Umuaro, as well as between Umuaro’s emissaries led by Akukalia and the elders of Okperi, which eventually culminated in a war between Umuaro and Okperi. The findings of the study showed that use of words and languages can lead to peace or war, by their implications, understanding and context. The conclusion was that understanding and applying Wittgenstein’s view of language as a social practice through meaning as use, language-games, rule-following, grammar and form of life can help people, especially those in positions of authority, power and influence, to make good choice of words and languages in their speeches or utterances – words and languages that promote peace instead of war or any kind of violence. Mahatma Gandhi was an example of such leaders, and it was recommended that today’s leaders emulate him, for a peaceful coexistence, especially as the present society is apparently enveloped in political tensions and struggle for supremacy in various dimensions.