This, in turn, allows inclusive spiritual space for
both genders, especially for women, who are
excluded from the highest pantheon of spiritual
force(s) in other religious expressions. Actually,
all living entities, known and unknown, seen and
unseen, are connected to and are from the same
spiritual force. Nothing and no one is given pri-
ority or special consideration based solely on
superficiality or physical characteristics from the
Supreme Being, only those who are positive and
perform good deeds that add to the forward
progress of humanity.
The traditional Igbo cosmological view of
Chukwu is anthropomorphically conceived as a
spiritual being that exists in the Heavens high
above the sky. Between Chukwu and humans
are minor spirits that act as mediators and
messengers—for example, Chi (personal
guardian spirit),Alai (Earth spirit),Igwe (sky
spirit), Anyanwu (sun spirit), and so on. The
world is managed and directed through
Chukwu’s sons and daughters (the minor spir-
its). The omnipotence and responsibilities of
Chukwu are so great that any acknowledg-
ments, honors, and sacrifices are presented to
Chukwu’s messengers, and they pass them on to
him or her. Chukwu has no temples or priests
honoring her or him. However, there are titles
and expressions that exalt the Most High, such
asAma amasi amasi(“A being who is somewhat
known but remains incomprehensible”), Eze
binigwe ogodu ya nakpunani (“The king who
lives in the sky, whose clothes touches the
ground”), Ogbara nkiti okwu biri n’ onu ja
(“The silent one that has the last say”), and
Ekekereuwa (“The sharer or creator who
brought the world into being”).
New World SlaveryDuring the West African Enslavement Holocaust,
a million or more Igbos were captured by war-
ring rival groups who handed them over to
enslavers of humans, who forcibly sold them
into an unthinkable nightmare when the hate
boat arrived in the Western Hemisphere. An oral
legend has passed down through time that a
group of Igbos was taken to St. Simons Island,
Georgia, which linked to the Gullah/Geechee
Sea Lands culture, which runs parallel with
the South Carolina and down to the Florida
coastlines.
According to the legend, some of the Igbos
walked into the water in May 1803, preferring
to drown rather than continue life as slaves.
As the Igbos walked into the water in front of
the White enslavers to free their bodies from
bondage, they sang in their motherland’s tongue
the following words: Orimiri Omambala bu
anyi bia Orimiiri Omambala ka anyi ga ejina
(“The Water Spirit brought us; The Water Spirit
will take us home”). According to one oral
myth, the Igbos on St. Simons Island did not
drown, but actually ascended into the air and
flew back (Sankofa) to Igbo land in West Africa
to avoid enslavement.
Like other enslaved ethnic groups of West
Africans, many Igbos fiercely resisted the mon-
strosity of enslavement. An Ibo landing dedica-
tion and sanctification ceremony was conducted
in the summer of 2002 to honor the Igbos’ strug-
gle for freedom, dignity, and achievements in the
Western Hemisphere.Ibo ChangaSeealsoGa; Yoruba; ZuluFurther Readings
Dash, J. (Writer, Director, Producer). (1991).Daughters
of the Dust[DVD-Video]. New York: Geechee Girl
Production/Kino International.
Egwu, R. (1998).Igbo of the Supreme Being and the
Tribune God. Würzburg, Germany: Echter.
Forde, D., & Jones, G. L. (1950).The Ibo and Ibibio-
Speaking Peoples of South-eastern Nigeria. London:
International African Institute.
Mbiti, S. J. (1969).African Religions and Philosophy.
New York: Heinemann.
Njoku, J. E. E. (1978).A Dictionary of Igbo Names,
Culture and Proverbs. Washington, DC: University
Press of America.
Njoku, J. E. E. (1990).The Igbos of Nigeria. Lampeter,
Wales, UK: Edwin Mellon Press.
Sieber, H. A. (1989).The Factual Basis of the Ebo
Landing Legend. Retrieved May 30, 2008, from http://
http://www.biafraland.com/Igbo%20Landing,%20factual%
20Basis.htm
Unchendu, V. (2004).The Igbo of Southeast Nigeria.
New York: Thomson Wadsworth.334 Igbo