Word of the masters 74 B Igbo people should understand now especially as we have discovered that the white man.s way of their religious doctrine to us was a ploit that does not reflect their true way of life. that we cannot continue to undertake the white man’s way of life and leave our culture to die with the sands and decay. We should try and appreciate our culture by practicing it since they are still relevant with significant roles they play in the society. Outline below are some of the impotant values of our cultures and the symbolic explanation of some of our cultural deities and roles they play. Ofo diety: Ofo is symbolic in Igbo land. It is a peculiar stick that is made from a tree called Ofo /Ogirisi tree. The tree is never made or fashioned by man. Everything about it is designed by nature and cannot be altered. Ofo is an embodiment of truth and honesty; it endears one in a position of trust. Ofo carries a lot of aura and has many communicative messages. Anybody seeing Ofo being brought in any gathering knows that it is only the truth that is demanded by the members present. The office of the head of the family (okpala) is founded upon Ofo. Functionaries who interact with spiritual elements derive their power upon inheriting the relevant Ofo. In Igbo land, there are different kinds of Ofo- Ofo okpala, Ofo dibia, Ofo isi ada, Ofo ndi ichie, Ofo eze, Ofo omu and so on. Masquerade Deity: Masquerades in Igboland are very useful for understanding the use of symbols. The functions of social control and local administration have led to the use of masquerades as the legitimizing voice of the ancestors Among the Igbos, common belief held that the dead communicates with the living through masquerades and through their tranquil appearance, they welcome the spirit of being ancestors rather than to evoke fear. In Igboland, any troop of masquerade be it Ijele, Agbogo mmuo, Otu iche or any other masquerade is associated with the spirit world, a being from the weird land and above ordinary mortal. Masquerades are not just ordinary human beings but a spirit that links the dead and the living. White Chalk (Nzu symbol ): Nzu is a symbol of peace and harmony. When nzu is presented in Igboland, it is to signify and to convey some friendly affection as opposed to ill feelings. It symbolizes cleanliness and purity of the presenter’s mind towards his visitor and the place it is found.The presence of nzu in a shrine shows that such a place is sacred and should be revered. The same thing could be said of places where they are found, like an herbalist medicine house. Of course, they are kept in a conspicuous corner for visitors to see easily.The nzu is more often than not presented first to a visitor and it is to indicate in no unmistakable terms that the person is most welcome. The visitor further accepts the nzu and draws four parallel lines on the ground to show the four days of the week-Eke, Oye, Afor, and Nkwor. Prayer is then offered with the nzu and the prayer usually, is that within four cyclic days, they would be sustained in good health and energy. Canon Shots (Nkponani) symbol: Canon shot in Igboland generally marks the happening of great events. The sound of canon shot when fired signifies to people from far that a ceremony is going on somewhere or that an aged person is dead or being buried. Sometimes, it is used in occasions such as visit of an important person. It is commonly used during New yam festivals, funeral ceremonies, and Ofala festivals when the monarchs is about to parade round the palace and when he is about to leave the palace. Colour and Clothes symbol: Colours are symbolical and hence, subject to several interpretations from one time to another and from one culture to another. They convey ethical messages to people whenever they are used in certain circumstances. While colour red is associated with danger, colour white symbolizes purity, love, joy, glory. It is a general belief of the Igbo’s that love is the core moral value which others surround. Because the colour white symbolizes purity, many people both within and outside religious circle use white clothing to indicate righteousness, purity, cleanliness, open-heart e.t.c. In traditional religion, some divinities, especially,major shrine in igbo land is associated with white colour as the shrine is painted white and the worshippers wear white clothes for adherence of pure heart and character. Colour green stands for peace in Igboland. Thus, whenever green leaves are carried by group of people, it symbolizes peace. Peace is an important moral value in Igbo society because it means freedom from quarrel, strife, disorder, violence, hostility or war. Precisely, green is an atmosphere of calmness, security and safety.In Igboland, the sight of a man or woman putting on sackcloth that could be black or white as the case may be communicates that the man or woman is mourning the death of his or her spouse. When the mourner loses other relatives, the sackcloth is different as he or she would not likely put on its top and down but might just put on only the top or the down. Kolanut (Oji) presentation: In Igboland, kolanut is the first fruit tree that God caused to grow on the land. To eat it is always an act of commensality with God (chukwu), land (ani) and spirit beings (ndi mmuo). Thus, it is an indispensable medium of man’s regular interaction with God and the spirit beings. Because, at every turn, an Igbo man has recourse to the spiritual elements, the ritual breaking, sharing and eating of the kolanut (iwa oji), becomes the most pervasive phenomenon in Igbo land and a priceless commodity among them. oji is a prerequisite for proper social visiting. For an Igbo man, its presentation by a host to his guest is a most cherished act of hospitality. It is proper etiquette for a host to apologise to his quest for not serving him kolanut. Kolanut is a basic element in Igboland , placating vital forces that serve as agents of mortality (iru alusi), making sacrifice (ichu aja), divination (igba afa), cow-slaughtering (igbu efi).It is used to invite God to come in the midst of celebrants and/or worshippers, thereafter, the nut is broken and eaten as an act of commensality with the spirits. Also, in Igboland, talks are neither begun nor agreements sealed if the parties involved do not break, share and eat kolanut. When disputes are settled, the settlement is sealed with the breaking of a kolanut, the pieces of which are shared out among and eaten by members of the feuding parties. Kolanut is an item of tribute payment (Ife nru) and also, an initial sacrificial ingredient as no sacrifice is performed without kolanut, In Igboland, a kolanut that displays four cotyledons is associated with abundant blessings as it is with Igbo market days. The ones with three cotyledons are identified as oji ikenga and signify power, strength, physical clout and good fortune. Five cotyledons hold out possibility of extra luck to all who may eat it. Six cotyledons reflect fertility (omumu), the gift of children and a peaceful family. Seven or more cotyledons are rare, when noticed; they may be replaced. The presentation of kolanut involves only prime numbers. A servant may only present one, two three, five, seven or nine kolanuts, the exact number depending on the occasion or the status of guest. A non titled visitor is served a minimum of one kolanut. It is however, normal to present him with two nuts, one of which is broken and eaten, then while the other one represents “when kola gets home, it tells who presented it”. When the visitor is an (ozo titled man) or a non titled elder, he is served a minimum of two kolanuts. At a gathering of kindred, clan or community elders, only a maximum of seven kolanuts may be presented. The Obi (the king) alone is made a presentation of nine kolanuts. Palm Frond (Omu) sign : palm frond is one of such expressive actions used in the Igbo cultural context to convey lots of meanings.In certain circumstances, they are used to express meanings like: very grave danger, when an individual has trespassed into another person’s property (land or artifacts), to express the presence of death or bereavement, the presence of a corpse in a place. When hung round a square or market or any other place, it expresses that entrance is forbidden; it is also a sign of supernatural depicting shrines, medicine man, soothsayer’s place or where traditional rituals are performed or that one is going to be performed, the beginning of farming season festival celebrated with the presence or appearance of various masquerades. It also express secrecy by holding a little palm frond between the lips; to express readiness to execute somebody, a criminal or to show that the death sentence has been passed on him and he is dressed in shreds of palm fronds with elders and the executor carrying a palm frond each between their lips; to express public disgrace to a criminal for corrective purposes. He is dressed in shreds of palm fronds with snail shells and ridiculing objects tied to the fronds, that person is covered with and paraded round the community; a masquerade wearing palm frond expresses that it is a dangerous one, and would want to challenge anyone who dared him to a test of fetish practices; if put in front of a compound, it connotes that somebody has just died but no condolence visits are yet allowed till the inmates are ready. It is also, an expression of social authority, when it is tied on trees with fruits depicts that nobody should touch any of the fruits on the authority of the community executed by community masquerades; it is also used to express beauty- as when a young man who is notorious for being too choosy of would be ‘brides’ is called to order and challenged by his father or elders of the community to choose among the palm fronds the best one. He is unable to select the best from the heap of palm fronds. Thus, he is called to order that physical beauty is not the only requirement for a blissful marriage; it is also a sign of playfulness as children dress up in palm fronds and play junior or unserious masquerades. Ogirisi deity : is a sacred tree found in groves or shrines Ofo is made from a piece of wood from the Ogirisi tree . Ofo, once blessed by a High Priest, becomes sacred and mystical and powerful enough to to seek protection from evil spirits like those of witches or evil minded persons.) To seek healing from an illness or cleansing from defilement in eating forbidden animal or entry into bad bush or contact with menstruating woman. To propitiate neglected ancestral spirits or angered gods. To seek the gift of children .plant the ogirisi tree outside the compound and It takes s a position that gave a clear view of the house and the movement within., Ogirisi is called Newbouldia Laevis or boundary tree in English and is locally called Aduruku in Hausa, Akoko in Yoruba languages It is also called African Border Tree and Fertility Tree It is a royal plant used as sign of blessing and honor during coronation of chiefs and Kings. Dry leaves are ground and burnt with other materials to protect against theinfluence of witches and evil spirits Beneath the Ogirishi Tree The African continent has an abundance of “divine beings” and its system of divining along with tellers of sacred stories is second to none. The Ogirishi Tree (newbouldia leaves) is an actual tree found in Africa., a shrine captures and maintains the healing forces in the very location and assures the good balance between cooling down and warming up of the forces.” Trees are important in African culture and the Ogirishi tree along with other plant species are harbingers of these forces. Considering that trees filter the air that we breathe one can see why we hold them so sacred.In the case of this installation and my role as a Visual Mythologist, I have re-imagined the Ogirisi Tree as the centerpiece of a great garden where ancestors, along with their guardian spirits reside. Ogirisi tree is so mystical and magical in Igbo cosmopotology. I hope the effect its magical and Spiritual values play an important role in directing resource use to as the African border tree (Newbouldia leaves) have also proven important for the latter purpose. Newboldia leaves are used in the treatment of scrotal elephantiasis, dysentery ... superstitious and magical uses. In medicine, it is used. The typical village in the Igbo attracts Ogirisi to the boundry composed of family units, with each unit living in a planted Ogirisi to the compound to word off evil spirits Before building a new home, a wise man in Igbo land plants stick of the Ogilisi tree, to the family compound as the rock and earth mound formations in the landscape as symbols of ancestral existence and link. Ogirisi-Igbo.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 12:50:00 +0000
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