Religion
The religion of the Igbo culture is very complex and composed of many different aspects.
One aspect is the respect and worship for their elders. Whenever people meet at someone’s house, a kola nut is broken to acknowledge them. It is said in the clan that "he who brings kola brings life" (pg 6), which shows the importance of the ritual of breaking a kola nut with guests.
In addition to their deep respect for the ancestors, they believe in reincarnation and karma. Karma is illustrated in the clan with the story of the tortoise. After tricking the birds and stealing all the food at the great feast, instead of his wife receiving the message to catch him, he fell straight to the ground from the clouds and his shell shattered. More info on Igbo folk tales can be found on the page titled folk tales. A link can be found on the bottom of this page as well as under the more drop down at the top of the page. As far as reincarnation goes, evidence can be found during the discussions of funerals. On page 123 of Things Fall Apart when the one handed spirit says farewell to a man: "If you had been poor in your last life, I would have asked you to be rich when you come again . . . So I shall ask you to come again the way you were before."
Another important part of the Igbo religion is their gods. Wooden statues are worshiped representing both their gods and ancestors. They are polytheistic and the gods effect their day to day lives. The oracles are used to link the living world with the gods. They can be consumed with the god's presence that they represent and provide important information based on the god's will. They ultimately control the harvest. Their earth goddess is called Ani. She is celebrated with the Feast of the New Yam which marks their new year. More info on festivals can be found in the corresponding page. Ani is considered the most important goddess and murder is a crime against her.
Info from chapters 1,2,3,5, and 13
One aspect is the respect and worship for their elders. Whenever people meet at someone’s house, a kola nut is broken to acknowledge them. It is said in the clan that "he who brings kola brings life" (pg 6), which shows the importance of the ritual of breaking a kola nut with guests.
In addition to their deep respect for the ancestors, they believe in reincarnation and karma. Karma is illustrated in the clan with the story of the tortoise. After tricking the birds and stealing all the food at the great feast, instead of his wife receiving the message to catch him, he fell straight to the ground from the clouds and his shell shattered. More info on Igbo folk tales can be found on the page titled folk tales. A link can be found on the bottom of this page as well as under the more drop down at the top of the page. As far as reincarnation goes, evidence can be found during the discussions of funerals. On page 123 of Things Fall Apart when the one handed spirit says farewell to a man: "If you had been poor in your last life, I would have asked you to be rich when you come again . . . So I shall ask you to come again the way you were before."
Another important part of the Igbo religion is their gods. Wooden statues are worshiped representing both their gods and ancestors. They are polytheistic and the gods effect their day to day lives. The oracles are used to link the living world with the gods. They can be consumed with the god's presence that they represent and provide important information based on the god's will. They ultimately control the harvest. Their earth goddess is called Ani. She is celebrated with the Feast of the New Yam which marks their new year. More info on festivals can be found in the corresponding page. Ani is considered the most important goddess and murder is a crime against her.
Info from chapters 1,2,3,5, and 13