Subject

Nri cultural ceremony

2 records filed under this subject

Attempts to Abolish the Igbo Caste System: A Historical Overview

The elders remind us: “Ègbè bere ùgò bere, nke sị ibe ya ebèná, nkụ kwàá ya”—let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too; if one denies the other, may its wings break. Equality has always been spoken of in Igbo land, yet history shows that it has often been difficult to practice. From…

Modern Responses to the Igbo Caste System: From Ceremonies to Cultural Ideas

The Igbo say: “Ọ̀ge erugo, ihe gbanwere”—the time has come, things have changed. For centuries, the divisions of Ọsụ, Ụ́mụ́, Ọhụ, and Diala shaped the way people lived. But in recent decades, new winds have blown across Igbo land. From symbolic cultural ceremonies to the voices of young people in towns and on social media,…