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A Festival of Ribaldry: A Brief History of “Ine Ubulu“

The Ụbụlụ-Ukwu Ine festival is an important event among the people. It takes place on a Wednesday every September, the people say, on the "ninth moon." There are three major festivals in the kingdom: the Ine, the Iwu, and the Iwa-ji (New Yam). How the Ine Festival Began As he said, Dịọkpa…

ByIde NzeOctober 22, 20240Comments

Cultural Heritage

Iwu-Ubulu: As It Was In The Beginning

The Iwu festival is the most culturally significant event in Ubulu Kingdom's life, steeped deeply in its historical beginnings. It has its origin from two of the early settlers of the village now known as Ubulu-Uku: Ezemu, the great progenitor of the kingdom; and Anugwe, a well-established yam farmer who preferred modesty and peace to…

ByIde NzeOctober 22, 20240Comments

Historical Studies

Dr. M. I. Okpara: The Architect of The Agricultural Revolution in Eastern Nigeria

Dr. Michael Okpara at the Nō 10 Downing Street, London, U.K. Dr. Michael Iheonukara Okpara is often hailed as the architect of the agricultural revolution in Eastern Nigeria. As the Premier of Eastern Nigeria from 1959 to 1966, Dr. Okpara championed policies that significantly boosted agricultural production and modernized farming practices in the region. His government focused…

ByChukaOctober 22, 20240Comments

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage

Embodied Spirits: Igbo Wood-Masked Dancers and the Cultural Significance of Masquerades in Ugwuoba, 1959

Small group of Igbo wood-masked dancers in various raffia and leaf costumes, Ugwuoba village, Nigeria.' Simon Ottenberg, 1959. Smithsonian. In 1959, anthropologist Simon Ottenberg documented a small group of Igbo wood-masked dancers in Ugwuoba village, Nigeria. These dancers wore elaborate costumes made of raffia and leaves, which are traditional materials commonly used in masquerades across various…

ByChukaOctober 22, 20240Comments

Anthropology and Ethnography ⁠Religion and Spirituality

Rituals of Protection: The Akalogoli Charm and Igbo Beliefs on Malevolent Spirits in the Early 1900s

Burning palm flower [man burying akalogoli charm to ward off evil spirits]. Photo: Northcote Thomas, early 1910s.In the early 1910s, Northcote Thomas captured a photograph titled “Burning palm flower [man burying akalogoli charm to ward off evil spirits].” The term Akalogoli is thought to derive from the Igbo words akala, meaning sign or mark, and…

ByChukaOctober 22, 20240Comments

Historical Studies

Beyond the Slave Trade: The Aro Confederacy’s Adaptive Commerce and Colonial Misinterpretations

Photo by Charles Partridge of a dance in Ibom, Arochukwu in 1903. "The first Europeans to visit Arochukwu, in 1901, noted with some surprise — since it contradicted what they had been led to expect by their superiors — that the Aro trade in factory goods was no less than their trade in slaves, and that…

ByChukaOctober 22, 20240Comments

Indigenous Architecture ⁠Religion and Spirituality

Art, Spirituality, and Authority: The Ekpe Society’s Ngwomo-Style Meeting House in 1930s Igbo Culture

Ngwomo Ghost House - G.I. Jones 1930s. "View of Ekpe (Egbo) society meeting house in Umuajatta (Olokoro) village [Umuahia area]. The house had a tall thatched roof, and a wall painted by an Annang artist in the style of Ngwomo ghost houses. Surrounded by trees." G. I. Jones, 1930s. The from the 1930s fieldwork of G. I.…

ByChukaOctober 22, 20240Comments

Historical Studies

How Ogwezi Left Ubulu-Uku and Started Abbi

The story of Prince Ogwezi, who left Ubulu-Uku to create the settlement now called Abbi, is an important part of the history of the people in that area. This story has been told by many generations and explains how Ogwezi traveled far from his home and founded a new community. Today, Abbi is a peaceful…

ByIde NzeOctober 22, 20240Comments

Historical Studies

Nigerian Federal House of Representatives at the capital, Lagos, (1956)

Nigerian Federal House of Representatives at the capital, Lagos, 1956. This photo from 1956 at the Nigerian Federal House of Representatives at the capital, Lagos, during Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh's visit, The photo would be a powerful reflection of the racial hierarchy imposed during British colonial rule in Nigeria. The arrangement of Europeans, notably…

ByChukaOctober 21, 20240Comments

Ethnohistory

Okpu Ngwo: The Symbolism and Use of the Raffia Hat in Afikpo Cultural Tradition

Afikpo man wearing okpu ngwo raffia hat, Mgbom village, Afikpo Village-Group, Nigeria. "Tom Ibe, my field assistant wearing okpu ngwo (hat-raffia). Diviners (dibia) use it when carrying sacred objects for swearing an oath somewhere, but anyone can do so when it rains. Ancient hat form rarely seen nowadays. Note that it was used in Afikpo Yam…

ByChukaOctober 21, 20240Comments

All Posts

A Festival of Ribaldry: A Brief History of “Ine Ubulu“

Iwu-Ubulu: As It Was In The Beginning

Dr. M. I. Okpara: The Architect of The Agricultural Revolution in Eastern Nigeria

Embodied Spirits: Igbo Wood-Masked Dancers and the Cultural Significance of Masquerades in Ugwuoba, 1959

Rituals of Protection: The Akalogoli Charm and Igbo Beliefs on Malevolent Spirits in the Early 1900s

Beyond the Slave Trade: The Aro Confederacy’s Adaptive Commerce and Colonial Misinterpretations

Art, Spirituality, and Authority: The Ekpe Society’s Ngwomo-Style Meeting House in 1930s Igbo Culture

How Ogwezi Left Ubulu-Uku and Started Abbi

Nigerian Federal House of Representatives at the capital, Lagos, (1956)

Okpu Ngwo: The Symbolism and Use of the Raffia Hat in Afikpo Cultural Tradition

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