Enugwu-Ukwu is a great town on top of a big hill in Anambra State, Nigeria. It is the first son and Okpala (paternal head) of the UmuNri clan, and they call it “Igbo Heartland” because of the big role it played in the history of Igbo land. It is on top of a high hill,”…
During the Atlantic slave trade, Igbo communities in southeastern Nigeria faced unprecedented threats especially north-central Igboland. Raids and kidnappings became commonplace as slavers sought captives to fuel the transatlantic human trade. In response, the Igbo people developed a unique architectural feature: war towers. Known locally as “obuna enu or ụnọ aja”, these towers were a…
These towers became popular in Igbo compounds around today’s Anambra & Imo States due to the effects of the Atlantic slave trade which included raids in order to capture people to enslave. The towers, also known as “war towers” and known in some areas as obuna enu or ụnọ aja, was essentially a watchtower which…
This is a rather special photograph, taken in 1966 by one Herbert Cole, of one of the more famous diviners, Stephen Nwedozie, in Umuazu, Nise, Nigeria. The photo shows Nwedozie throwing the afa chains, a traditional means with which Igbo people foresee their future. This photograph aids in providing more insight into Igbo people’s spiritual…
Stephen Nwedozie, a renowned diviner from Umuazu, Nise, was photographed by Herbert Cole in 1966, casting afa chains. Afa, the Igbo system of divination, is a vital part of the culture and religious practices, offering spiritual guidance and solutions to personal and communal issues. Divination, or afa in the Igbo language, is an ancient practice…