Cross Group Analysis

These symbols suggest their meaning by engendering certain attitudes and feelings rather than by direct statement. For example Ala (earth deity) stands for fertility etc.³⁷

Dukor introduced modal symbols and categories in Igbo metaphysics as the following:- a. Theodicy.

b. Anthropomophism and immanenlism.

c. The Earth Godess.

d. Mind and Body.

e. Palm tree.

f. Ofor (symbol of truth).

g. Ogirisi (Newboulda) tree.

h. Kola nut (oji). ³⁸

Some places or events where symbols are used in Igbo system of thought are as follows:- 1. Afa – Divination

2. Igba-ndu - The covenant

3. I go oji ututu - The morning kola /ritual 4. The notion of self (Re – incarnation)

145 5. Mgbe na oge - Chronology

6. Mmanwu - Masquerade

7. Ichi ozo – Title taking ceremony

8. Ezigbo I gu aha - Authentic child naming ceremony 9. Ime ego nwanyi – Bride price ceremony

10. Igba nkwu nwanyi –Traditional marriage ceremony.

Objects that show symbolic expressions in an ozo titled man of Agbalanze society of Onitsha Ado are

Symbols Symbolism

1. Shining ring with rounded white A full member of the Agbalanze society.

and blue ribbon.

2. Ofo/ Osisi - staff Justice, truth and holiness.

3. Hand fan with one‟s name written Identity.

on it.

4. White wrapper, shirt and shoes. Purity and traditional priesthood.

5. Aka beads. A titled man.

6. Red kneatted beads cap. A full grown titled man with dignity.

Also items in the morning prayers or rituals in Igbo cosmology can be symbolised too as the following expressions

Symbols Symbolism

1. Oji – kolanut. Unity, love and welcome.

2. Nzu – white chalk. Purity and peace.

3. Ose oji – alligator pepper. a seasoner, vibrator.

4. Mmiri e ji akwo aka. life, cleanliness, a purifier.

Water in the bowl.

5. Ofo – staff. truth, justice or staff of authority.

6. Mmanya ocha – palm wine. Joy, spice in life.

The items are objects or symbols which have their respective symbolism.

146 The symbolic expressions of morning rituals are:

Otu) Owetalu oji wetalu ndu.

Oji ruo ulo okwue ebe osi bia.

Abuo) Ose oji a di eje ogu ifele.

A taa oji taa ose obi adaa juo.

Ato) Nzu bu obi ocha.

Ano) Ife luo unyi a saa ya mmiri Mmiri atana ma azu anwuna.

Ise) Ofo na ogu bu ike Oji ofo ga- ana.

Ofo ka ejula ji aga n-ogu.

Isii) Mmanya bu ogwu/uto ndu.

Mmanya hu onye o maara, o bee ukwu.

However, what was previously regarded as primitive practice in the ancient world especially in Igbo Africa is now being revisited for the sake of appreciating the theoretical and scientific functions of symbolism as a form of knowledge. Such practice in Igbo is Igba afa that is divination.

Symbols are forces which can be seen highly in the place of this igba afa.

Divination – igba afa is getting knowledge beyond human understanding through the diviners- dibia – afa about sickness, puzzles of stolen items or foretelling the future of the person that visited the diviner. A diviner can be likened to a soothsayer who tells you what is

„‟hidden‟‟ that cannot be known or verified.

According to Dukor

In Igbo African world, the dibia afa – a diviner through the igba afa – a divination process by entering into the mystical zero, the circle of internal differential reality discover not the cause of the problem but also the solution as well. The principle of causality is expressed in the „‟dibia‟‟ acting as diagnostician and prescriptor of remedies which might include sacrifices and taking of herbs or performing other functions so as to restore balance both in the spiritual world and physical world and equally in the patient‟s body.³⁹

Igba – afa is a great mystery that we need to embrace as to solve our daily problems. Igba – afa was very useful in the cure of a sickness I witnessed. My relative was very sick and the

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signs were very strange, shouting, vomiting and fainting. When he was rushed to the hospital nothing was found. We tendered the laboratory results from an American hospital where he was treated before but the current doctor said that if that laboratory result of the mechanism of both brain, heart, everything in the body except the „‟soul‟‟ belonged to him then there is no need for any test again.

However, on hearing the case an elderly exclaimed „‟Oria a gbaro aka‟‟ meaning this sickness is caused by unseen forces. The elders sent somebody to Aguleri to see dibia afa who divined with my relative‟s name, saw the cause of the sickness and the herbs to use. My relative was given the herbs and he was on his feet again. Nobody believed it. „‟Born again‟‟

Christians criticized going to afa but I thank God that my relative was alive through the knowledge of dibia afa by igba afa and the herbs created by God Himself.

Prof. Rich Umeh, former deputy Vice Chancellor of University of Nigeria Enugu campus said that afa is a computer. This means that igba afa tells you all that is hidden that you want to know.

Umeogu analyzed the Afa ugili as a system of igba afa with ugili seed shells communed with the noisy and exposy wisdom of the tortoise. He defined afa itself thus:

Afa is the science of all things in the Igbo African world of being, motion and time. It is a system of traditional institution and analysis that in its dimensions of symbols and meanings, language and logic and communications and controls, gives a coherent and necessary system of the combinations of general and relative ideas in terms of which every items of experience can be interpreted. ⁴⁰

This means that the whole effort and search for information by humans in the domain of the sacred is in the province of divination.`

Through the medium of diviners, the puzzles of life surrounding human condition and society itself are revealed. The diviner is a human agent who receives pieces of information and signs in the spirit world and interprets them to his „‟client‟‟. The diviner reconnects the past, foretell the future and marry both on earth and spirit world.

Afa is owned and manipulated by agwu.

Agwu or agwu nsi is the spirit of divination. It gives dibia afa the knowledge he is seeking for by opening his „‟third eye‟‟.

148 Metuh enunciated thus:

Agwu is the patron spirit of divination and diviners. It is called mmuo – nkpasa – spirit of confusion. Agwu chooses its worshippers and endows them with the gift of divination and the knowledge of medicine herbs. Agwu afflicts its victims with psychological disturbance which sometimes takes the form of restlessness, wastefulness or even madness – Ara agwu. Hence if you ask somebody agwu o na – akpa gi? Are you seized by Agwu? It is just like saying Are you mad? The rite of ilu Agwu or ikpu Agwu, tieing up or covering up Agwu, should not only bring the victim back to normality but also harness the power of Agwu in him for the practice of divination and healing with herbs. ⁴¹

This means that agwu is the real essence of afa. Without agwu there is no afa. Agwu

sometimes select who will replace the current dibia afa even before the child is born. Agwu is re-incarnated from generation to generation and that is why some Catholic priests who have agwu, ndi agwu malu- those posses by agwu spirits are very prophetic priests.

Finally, the supreme function of a symbol is the designation of an idea, or group of ideas that does not yield easily to analysis.

A symbol is therefore a mode of expression that often takes the place of analysis.

Whether a symbol is a single object or a synthesis of objects, it is inevitably based upon a relationship, a correspondence existing between a natural order of reality and a spiritual order.

4.9 VALUES IN IGBO METAPHYSICS.

Value is what an individual or groups of people hold at the highest esteem. It is what people have regard and respect for. That is ihe di mkpa n‟ala Igbo. This means what is important more than others, what is on top of scale of preference or what is placed higher above other things.

A value like a symbol is the inner most or abstract content of what is upheld but the difference is that value does not have object that signifies it, rather it is a mental process.

While symbol signifies, value justifies.

149 Ogugua opined thus:

Value is conceptually real, a metaphysically reality. Value is real because it exists and it has a role to play in relation to its inescapable determination as a gap filler within the house of reality. The value of a thing is an intrinsic quality of that thing and equally basically constitutive of what the thing operationally becomes…When we talk about value, we operate on the meta – ethical level because we are talking of things belonging to the spirit and soul of the African culture. ⁴²

This means that value as a metaphysical reality has a function to perform. It has an obligation or duty to fulfil as to bring out its concrete existence in defining man on whose existence value is dependent on.

Njoku was of the view that “value is an elusive concept; it encompasses being itself and retains anything that is good. Value in the Igbo understanding is embracive, it includes man, God, children, land, property, utensils etc”. ³⁵

Ogugua enumerated seven values in Igbo metaphysics as follows 1. Life

2. Offspring 3. Truth 4. Justice 5. Wealth 6. Love 7. Peace. ⁴⁴ 1. Life.

Life – Ndu is a gift from God. It is revered so much in Igbo world view that they celebrate a lot when a person dies at an elderly old age with the belief that he is lucky to live that long.

Ndi Igbo also frown at suicide or murder because they believe that it is an abomination against the giver of life, life itself and existence.

Life is the ultimate reality which every Igbo man prays for every day that it should be given to him. Without life man is nothing and nowhere to be seen in the physical world. This is why

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Ndi Igbo answer such names like Ndubuisi – life first, Ndukaku – life is greater than wealth, Ndu bu isi aku – life is the owner of wealth. They also believe in the adage a hara ndu kpaa aku, onye iro erie ya meaning that if you do not take care of yourself while alive, when you die, your enemies will take possession of your wealth.