Ala by the artist, Ezem, in Enyiogugu, Aboh-Mbaise, Nigeria, 1960. Photo by Herbert M. Cole.
In Igbo mythology and traditional religion, Ala (also known as Ani, Ana, or Eli) is the…
Yam holds an important and general position amoung Anioma people , aside being a staple food, it's also a vital representation of spirituality, economic power, and status.
This crucial traditional practice…
Ndi Anioma, like other Igbo groups, have long kept deep cultural and spiritual ties to Nri, an ancient aristocratic and theocratic kingdom dated from 9th century.
An important part of the…
A woman of Nibo, present day Anambra State, Nigeria photographed by British government anthropologist Northcote Thomas, c. 1912.
Nibo, a town located in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State,…
"The goddess of the earth," as described by P. A. Talbot, c. 1932. Musée du quai Branly. This may be Ala, the Igbo earth divinity and the man pictured may…
March 1, 1946. Deity recorded as Arioku, a deity that is sworn to, in Enyiogugu, Mbaise, central Igbo area, Eastern Nigeria. British Museum.
Ariọkụ, is a deity primarily associated with Enyiogugu…
An Onicha woman of the Otu Odu society
In Onitsha (Onicha), women who belong to the Otu Odu society hold significant social and spiritual influence. The Otu Odu is an exclusive…
The general name for brass and copper rods in Igbo is okpogho or ikpeghe. These coiled 'snake manilla' rods could form part of a bridewealth payment and could be, as…
Eboe Town in Belize City, Belize in the 1829 Honduras almanack. Columbia University.
It existed until the mid-19th century, when it was destroyed by fire, but played a significant role in…
Owu mask, Ugwuta (Oguta) area, 1940s. Photo via Sabine Jell-Bahlsen.
The Ogba people of Rivers State and the Oguta people of Imo State also known as the “Riverine Igbo”.
(Oru/Olu) which they…