The Sacred Earth Among the Igbo

Photo credit: Herbert Cole

"In some African cultures, the Earth Mother is a divinity. The Earth differs from other nature spirits, being a chthonic force rather than an anthropomorphic figure. Ala or Ana [or Ani] is of central importance in much of Igboland. Many crimes are seen as abominations because they offend her. The whole body of inherited custom is Omenala, and ritual prohibitions are nso Ala. Those who died forbidden deaths, such as suicides or lepers, could not be buried in the earth, and their corpses were cast into the Evil Forest. Missionaries were sometimes given such areas for their churches, as a trial. ... Nri, dedicated to the earth, was one of Igboland's great ritual centers. Ritual specialists from Nri, their faces marked by distinctive scars, traveled from village to village, purifying the earth from abominations. Instead of weapons, they carried a staff of peace.

In the Owerri area, people honored the Earth in a different way, by creating mbari houses, shrines of clay sculpture that were allowed to disintegrate. It was the act of creation itself that honored the Earth. One of Igboland's great oracles was called Igwekala (Heaven Is Greater Than Earth). But in 1966, when village elders debated whether the Earth or Chukwu was supreme, opinion was divided.

The cult of Ala, apparently so universal, illustrates the impossibility of making valid generalizations about the whole Igbo culture area. In the Okigwe area, Ajala (the local form of Ala) was less dominant; in one community, she was recently introduced, and she was often less dominant that the yam god. In a village group south of Owerri, Ala is thought of as male. Ala is clearly linked with the Nri ritual sphere, though her cult is found well beyond it."

Elizabeth Isichei, 2004: 232

The Religious Traditions of Africa: A History

Ugwumba TV: Emume Ndi Igbo

Nwulite Asụsụ Na Omenala Igbo

Mwulite Asụsụ Na Omenala Igbo Na Kọleeji Ọzụzụ Ndị Nkụzị: Ụzọ A Pụrụ Ịgbaso

Ebere Dominic Chibuzor

Ngalaba Asụsụ Igbo, Kọleeji Ọzụzụ Ndị Nkụzị Gọọmenti Etiti Dị Na Kano.

dominozion@yahoo.com

Ụmi Edemede

Ọtụtụ mgbe, imeriime ụmụ afọ Igbo anaghị eji asụsụ Igbo ebido ikwu okwu. Tụmadị ndị nne na nna ha rụrụ ọrụ bekee n’obodo ndị mepere emepe na mpụga ala Igbo. Ọtụtụ n’ime ha ji asụsụ a gwara ogwa akọwapụta uche ha. Maka ụmụaka ndị dị etu a, ohere ọzọ ha nwere ịmụta asụsụ na omenala Igbo bụzị n’ụlọakwụkwọ. E ruo n’ ụlọakwụkwọ, ọ naghịkwa adịịmfe n’ihi na ha na-amụzị asụsụ Igbo dị ka asụsụ nke abụọ. Ọnọdụ a wee bụrụ nnukwu ihe ndọlaazụ nye ọmụmụ asụsụ na omenala Igbo. Ụta adịghịrị ụdị  ụmụaka ndị a n’ihi na ọ bụ asụsụ nwata na-anụkarị na gburugburu ebe obibi ya ka ọ na-ebu ụzọ amụta.  Ọ bụ nke a kpatara o ji dị oke mkpa ịchọ ụzọ a ga-esi chọpụta ma gbochie ihe ndọlaazụ niile na-egbochi ezi agamnihu n’ọmụmụ asụsụ na omenala Igbo n’ụlọakwụkwọ tụmadị na Kọleeji ebe a na-azụpụta ndị ga-akụzịasụsụ ndị a. N’ime nke a, ihe nchọcha a gbasoro usoro nchọcha nkọwasi na nnyocha ya. Ihe nchọcha a gosipụtara na enweghị mmasị so bụrụ nnukwu ihe ndọlaazụ nye ọmụmụ asụsụ na omenala Igbo. Ọ kwadoro usoro nkụzị ga-akwalite mmasị ụmụakwụkwọ n’ọmụmụ asụsụ ụ nke ga-eme ka asụsụ, tụmadịasụsụ nne nọrọ n’ogo kwesịrị ya n’ọmụmụ ihe. N’ikpeazụ, a chịkọtara ihe niile a rụtụrụ aka n’edemede ma site na ya wepụta ndụmọdụ na mmechi zuru oke.