Location: |
Southeastern Nigeria |
Population: |
8 million |
Language: |
Igbo (Kwa) |
Neighboring Peoples: |
Ibibio, Ijo,
Ekoi, Igala, Idoma, Nupe |
Types of Art: |
Due to the diversity of the Igbo people, it is impossible to
generalize about a pure Igbo art style, which has characteristically been
representative of numerous geographical regions. It could be said, though,
that most Igbo do carve and use masks, but the function of these masks
vary from village to village. They are famous for Mbari
architecture. |
History: |
It is believed that the Igbo originated in an area about 100 miles
north of their current location at the confluence of the Niger and Benue
Rivers. They share linguistic ties with their neighbors the Bini, Igala,
Yoruba, and Idoma, with the split between them probably occurring between
five and six thousand years ago. The first Igbo in the region may have
moved onto the Awka-Orlu plateau between four and five thousand years ago,
before the emergence of sedentary agricultural practices. As this early
group expanded, so too did the Igbo kingdom. The earliest surviving Igbo
art forms are from the 10th century (Igbo Ukwu), and the fine quality of
those copper alloy castings suggest that Igbo society had already achieved
a level of technology rivaling contemporary Europeans. |
Economy: |
The majority of Igbo are farmers. Their staple crop is yam, and its
harvesting is a time for great celebration. They are able to produce yam
efficiently enough to export it to their neighbors. With the assistance of
migrant labor, they also harvest the fruit of the palm tree, which is
processed into palm oil, and exported to Europe in large quantities,
making it a fairly profitable cash crop. |
Political Systems: |
The Igbo are a politically fragmented group, with numerous divisions
resulting from geographic differences. There are also various subgroups
delineated in accordance with clan, lineage, and village affiliations.
They have no centralized chieftaincy, hereditary aristocracy, or kingship
customs, as can be found among their neighbors. Instead, the
responsibility of leadership has traditionally been left to the village
councils, which include the heads of lineages, elders, titled men, and men
who have established themselves economically within the community. It is
possible for an Igbo man, through personal success, to become the nominal
leader of the council. |
Religion: |
As a result of regional and political fragmentation, which is mirrored
in the several distinct languages traditionally spoken by the hundreds of
different village groups, it would be reductionist to attempt to
illustrate the traditional religious practices of the Igbo as a whole.
Before the influence of Europeans and Christian missions, however, most
Igbo practiced some form of ancestor worship, which held that in order to
gain success in this world, one must appease of the spirits of the
deceased. This might be accomplished in any number of ways. One of the
primary ways of showing respect for the dead was through participation in
the secret men's society, Mmo, which is the name used only in the northern
part of Igbo land. In other parts, similar societies exist under different
names. The second level of initiates was responsible for carrying out the
funeral ceremonies for the deceased and inducting the departed spirits
into the ebe mmo, so that they would no longer cause mischief in the
village. |