Subject
7 records filed under this subject
The Owu masquerades occupy a significant place in the cultural and spiritual identity of the Kalabari people of the Eastern Niger Delta. As a water-spirit masquerade tradition, Owu represents the close relationship between the Kalabari and the aquatic world that surrounds their communities. Rooted in centuries of riverine cosmology, Owu masquerades are far more than…
Kalabari culture, rooted in the riverine landscape of the Eastern Niger Delta, has long been associated with aesthetic sophistication, commercial intelligence, and a deep commitment to visual expression. One of the most powerful markers of this cultural identity is the Kalabari textile tradition, especially the celebrated “Injiri” cloth, originally imported from India. More than…
The Igbo people in southeastern Nigeria are known for their rich culture, which values family, community, and traditions. Women play a big role in Igbo society as wives (“Nwunye Di”), mothers, and keepers of matrilineal ties. “Nwunye Di” means “wife of the husband” or sometimes “co-wife” in families with more than one wife. It shows…
In Igbo society, kinship is traditionally structured around both patrilineal and matrilineal systems, with distinct roles for men and women. Due to exogamy, the custom of marrying outside one’s lineage women transition between lineages, which has led to cultural mechanisms that restrict their roles in ancestral veneration and land inheritance to protect the patriline (umunna).…
Ahebi Ugbabe (?–1948) was the first and only female warrant chief (king) in colonial Nigeria, and possibly Africa. Born in Enugu-Ezike, an Igbo community in southeastern Nigeria, in the late 19th century, Ahebi’s journey from a local girl and commercial sex worker to a village headman, warrant chief, and ultimately, a king, remains a remarkable…
Unidentified women photographed by Henry Crosse with the Royal Niger Company, c. 1886–1895. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge. It is plausible to identify the woman on the left as Omu Nwagboka, the last Omu of Onicha (Onitsha). Omu Nwagboka was a prominent and wealthy trader, appointed as Omu in 1884 by Obi Anazonwu, the…
Arochukwu, a prominent cultural and historical city in Southeastern Nigeria, has long been known for its unique traditions and societal structures. Central to this heritage is the title “Mazi,” a term of deference typically reserved for male elders within the Aro communities, including Arochukwu, Arondizogu, and other Aro settlements. However, the title can also be…
Ozikoro