ancestors Archives ~ Ozi Ikòrò

21

Photo credits; Instagram In the annals of African medical history, few names resonate with as much "gravitas and pioneering spirit" as that of Professor Fabian Anene Ositadimma Udekwu. A man of…

21

Feb 2026

Cultural Heritage ⁠Religion and Spirituality

The Ontology of Identity: Igu Aha and the Sociocultural Significance of Naming in Igbo Tradition

A group of children in front of who appears to be Obi Samuel "Sami" Okosi, Obi Okosi I, the Catholic Obi of Önïcha from 1901 to 1931. Photographed by Herbert…

20

Feb 2026

Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory Folklores

Traditional Igbo justice systems, village councils (Amala), and trial by ordeal methods

Meeting with a group of Igbo elders during a trip to Nigeria Photo Credit: Last Places The traditional Igbo justice system is a profound manifestation of "republicanism and communal democracy." Unlike…

20

Feb 2026

Ethnohistory Folklores Historical Studies

The art of palm wine tapping and its social role in gatherings and rituals

Picture of a Igbo palm wine tapper carrying a climbing rope and calabash over shoulder. Holding a machet in his right hand. Wearing loin-cloth. Standing beside building with corrugated metal…

02

Jan 2026

Anthropology and Ethnography Ethnohistory Historical Studies

Sounding the Departure: The Ritual Significance of “Mkpo na Ala” in Igbo Traditional Funerals of Titled Men

In Igbo traditional society, death especially of a titled man marks not only the end of a physical life but the beginning of a transition into the ancestral realm. Funerary…

02

Jan 2026

Anthropology and Ethnography Ethnohistory Historical Studies

The Furnace as a Fecund Mother: Rituals and Symbolism

Iron smelting furnace, nineteenth century. By National Archives of Malawi, CC BY-SA 4.0. Across various African metallurgical traditions, furnaces were never seen merely as technological devices but as deeply symbolic entities…

02

Jan 2026

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory Historical Studies

The Ancestral Chairs: Oche Ndichie and Oche Ekpenti

Throughout Igbo cultural history, carved wooden chairs have served not merely as furniture but as deeply symbolic objects connected to authority, memory, spirituality, and lineage. Among the most important of…

18

Dec 2025

Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory Folklores

Onughotu: The Igbo Deity of Unity and Communal Harmony

Photo credit; Igbo Cyber Shrine. Igbo traditional religion, commonly known as Odinani, is a complex spiritual system rooted in community life, moral order, and cosmic balance. Within this worldview, deities (alụ́si)…

15

Dec 2025

Ethnohistory Folklores Historical Studies

Ọfọe: The Edo Mystical Messenger of Death

Among the Edo (Benin) people of Southern Nigeria, spiritual belief and cosmology form a richly layered system of meanings that shape how life, death, and destiny are understood. Within this…

03

Dec 2025

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory

Duein Fubara: The Ancestor Screen and the Cult of the Forehead

Photo credit: British Museum Among the Ijo (Ijaw) peoples of the Niger Delta, the Duein Fubara stands out as one of the most important sacred objects linking the living to their…

Tag: ancestors

The Heart of a Pioneer: The Life and Legacy of Professor Fabian Anene Ositadimma Udekwu

The Ontology of Identity: Igu Aha and the Sociocultural Significance of Naming in Igbo Tradition

Traditional Igbo justice systems, village councils (Amala), and trial by ordeal methods

Sounding the Departure: The Ritual Significance of “Mkpo na Ala” in Igbo Traditional Funerals of Titled Men

The Furnace as a Fecund Mother: Rituals and Symbolism

Ọfọe: The Edo Mystical Messenger of Death