Ikpirikpi-ogu War Dance
The Ikpirikpi-ogu War Dance, also called the Ohafia War Dance , is a famous traditional dance in Eastern Nigeria. It comes from the Ohafia people of Abia State and is a way to show bravery, strength, and history. Strong men perform it to remember their ancestors' victories in battle…
Ohafia women with long braids, a popular style in Ohafia then. The photo was taken by Rev. William T. Weir and published in The Women's Missionary Magazine of the United Free Church of Scotland in 1904.
Ohafia is a community where rights to farmland are passed down through the maternal line. It is also a…
Wealthy Market women in Onicha. G. F. Packer, 1880s. Pitt Rivers Museum.
Igbo women played significant and powerful roles in pre-colonial Igbo society's economy. They supported not just their families, but through the control of the food, craft and market industries, they contributed immensely to their community developments. This article will lead you to the contributions…
Otiri Ngbagba Ikoro Masquerade from Abiriba. Photo: Jones Archive
The Ngbagba Ikoro masquerade is a thrilling cultural performance from the Igbo town of Abiriba in Abia State, Nigeria. It showcases the region's rich art and culture. The Masquerade, with the prominent character Otiri, gives insight into the social life, skills, and creativity…
A Y-shaped currency piece known as àpá in Igbo, or the 'Ogoja penny', it replaced an earlier hoe-shaped currency in the Cross River Igbo area (around Arochukwu) known as ányú. Taken in 1908. British Museum
The Y-shaped currency, referred to as àpá in Igbo, holds significant historical and cultural value in Igbo society. It was commonly…
The Ohafia war dance "Iri Agha". Adult male carrying a headhunters trophy (Oyaya) on his head." G.I. Jones, 1932-1939.
Iri Agha is a war dance of the Ohafia, Igbo subgroup, from southeastern Nigeria. The dance is an energetic interpretation of this culture and expresses the past martial arts activities of the Ohafia communities, who are very well known for their bravery and skill in battle.
Traditionally, the Ohafia were a tribe of feared warriors, and their culture glorified those people who returned from the battlefield with the heads of their enemies-a proof of their bravery and status. Iri Agha dance is done to commemorate such achievements through energetic movements that mimic what exactly a warrior would do during combat. Dancers, usually in their warrior attire with ornamental swords or machetes, move in steps showing valour, agility, and victory of the Ohafia warrior tradition. The music of the dance is usually provided by drums, flutes, and other musical instruments.
A boy about to undergo the Dibia initiation in Ohafia-Igbo.
In the Ohafia-Igbo community of southeastern Nigeria, the initiation of a dibia (diviner or spiritual healer) is a revered process steeped in symbolism, mysticism, and spiritual awakening. This rite transforms a young initiate, often a boy or adolescent, marking his journey from ordinary life to a…
Photo: Ohafia, 1930s. G. I. Jones.
One version of the origin of Ohafia matriliny describes how pregnant women, during the migrations of the Ohafia people, were sometimes left behind—either because they were in labor or due to the suspicion that they would give birth to twins, which was considered an abomination.
Ohafia's rich cultural history reveals a…
