Igbo Culture and Igbo Culture and TraditionsTraditions

Justin CarterJustin Carter

Igbo HomelandIgbo Homeland

The Igbo people The Igbo people originated from the originated from the southeastern section of southeastern section of Nigeria. They are Nigeria. They are dominant in the states dominant in the states of Aba, Owerri, Enugu, of Aba, Owerri, Enugu, Onitshu, Abakaliki, Onitshu, Abakaliki, Afikpo, Agbor, and Afikpo, Agbor, and many others. many others.

Igbo HouseIgbo House

The average Igbo home The average Igbo home was built with dried was built with dried mud and grass. It mud and grass. It would usually have would usually have around three rooms around three rooms per structure and per structure and were commonly were commonly extended due to extended due to excessive family excessive family growth.growth.

The Igbo home was The Igbo home was usually made of usually made of dried mud and dried mud and grass. grass.

Igbo ceremoniesIgbo ceremoniesMany Igbo ceremonies Many Igbo ceremonies

consisted of a variety consisted of a variety of dances and of dances and musical rhythms. musical rhythms. The Igbo people The Igbo people believed that song believed that song and dance was a and dance was a vital part of showing vital part of showing respect to the gods. respect to the gods. In most cases, the In most cases, the elders or ranked men elders or ranked men would wear ancestral would wear ancestral masks and serve as masks and serve as a reincarnation of a reincarnation of the spirit.the spirit.

Igbo TitlesIgbo Titles

One of the most important events in One of the most important events in an Igbo man’s life was earning a title an Igbo man’s life was earning a title in his clan. In every tribe, the elder’s in his clan. In every tribe, the elder’s would reward the men with a certain would reward the men with a certain

title, depending on the village or title, depending on the village or tribe, whenever the man would show tribe, whenever the man would show great wisdom, bravery, or strength. great wisdom, bravery, or strength.

The man’s rank would affect The man’s rank would affect everything in his life, from what he everything in his life, from what he

did to who he spoke to.did to who he spoke to.

Igbo ChiIgbo ChiAlthough the Igbo Although the Igbo

people had a people had a number of gods, number of gods, their personal god, their personal god, or Chi, dominated or Chi, dominated their lives. They their lives. They believed that in believed that in order to live a long, order to live a long, prosperous life, prosperous life, they must keep they must keep their Chi happy and their Chi happy and obey the traditional obey the traditional laws of their people.laws of their people.

Igbo MusicIgbo MusicMusic was very Music was very

important to the Igbo important to the Igbo people. They played a people. They played a variety of different variety of different instruments at instruments at funerals, marriages, funerals, marriages, and other ceremonies. and other ceremonies. The drum was most The drum was most important instrument important instrument in their culture. They in their culture. They also had instruments also had instruments similar to flutes and similar to flutes and gongs.gongs.

Igbo Attire Igbo Attire

In pre-colonial Igbo society, the In pre-colonial Igbo society, the average person would wear average person would wear very small amounts of very small amounts of clothing. Occasionally, a clothing. Occasionally, a woman would wear a string woman would wear a string of beads around her waist for of beads around her waist for medical purposes, and a medical purposes, and a man would wear animal man would wear animal skins at certain ceremonies. skins at certain ceremonies. Only the elders, wise men, or Only the elders, wise men, or respected men of a tribe respected men of a tribe wore full body suits. wore full body suits.

The Kola-nutThe Kola-nutThe Kola-nut was a symbol The Kola-nut was a symbol

of hospitality in the Igbo of hospitality in the Igbo culture. Whenever an culture. Whenever an elder or priest arrived, elder or priest arrived, the Kola-nut would be the Kola-nut would be presented to them in presented to them in honor of their rank. The honor of their rank. The Kola-nut was also used Kola-nut was also used as a sign that the as a sign that the situation being situation being discussed was extremely discussed was extremely vitalvital

YamsYams

The Igbo culture honored The Igbo culture honored the yam as the most the yam as the most sacred food. They sacred food. They considered the yam to considered the yam to be their Staple Crop, or be their Staple Crop, or origin of a nutritious origin of a nutritious diet. The Igbo people diet. The Igbo people celebrate the yam with celebrate the yam with a number of festivals a number of festivals such as the New Yam such as the New Yam Festival, which is Festival, which is during the yam’s during the yam’s harvest.harvest.

Igbo CuisineIgbo Cuisine

Besides the yam and Besides the yam and Kola-nut, the Igbo Kola-nut, the Igbo people had a variety of people had a variety of different foods, such as different foods, such as cassava, corn, and Jollof cassava, corn, and Jollof rice. Soups and stews rice. Soups and stews were served as side were served as side dishes, along with fish, dishes, along with fish, chicken, goat meat, or chicken, goat meat, or vegetables.vegetables.

CitationsCitations

Pictures from Google ImagesPictures from Google Images

"Igbo people." "Igbo people." WikipediaWikipedia. 21 Jan 2009 . 21 Jan 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igbo_peop<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igbo_people>. le>.