Misplaced Pages

#70929

47-584: Igbo-Ukwu, originally known as Igbo-Nkwo, was the capital of the Kingdom of Nri beginning in the 8th or 9th century CE. It was the center of an extensive trade system linking the town with Gao on the Niger bend and, through there, to Egypt and North Africa . It was also a prominent center of lost-wax casting in bronze, one of the earliest in Africa. The modern town saw an outbreak of vigilante violence in 2013. Igbo-Ukwu

94-535: A complex religious system and an economy based on agriculture and trade with other African peoples as far as the Nile valley. In Igbo-Ukwu, the dry season is muggy and partially cloudy , and the climate is warm all year round. The wet season is oppressive and overcast . The average annual temperature fluctuates between 64°F and 85°F, rarely falling below 56°F or rising over 88°F. The difference in temperature in Igbo-Ukwu

141-415: A fourth of Igboland and beyond. Nri's influence in much of northwestern and western Igboland lasted from the reigns of the fourth eze Nri to that of the ninth. After that, patterns of conflict emerged that existed from the tenth to the fourteenth reigns, which probably reflected the monetary importance of the slave trade . Outside-world influence was not going to be halted by native religious doctrine in

188-455: A part of the kingdom about 18 kilometres (11 mi) south of Nri itself, practiced bronze casting techniques using elephant-head motifs. The bronzes of Igbo-Ukwu are often compared to those of Ife and Benin , but they come from a different tradition and are associated with the eze Nri by descendants of Eri. In fact, the earliest body of Nigerian bronzes has been unearthed in Igbo territory to

235-585: A series of ranked titles called Ozo and Nze . Men with these titles were known as mbùríchi and became an extension of the Nri's religio-political system. They controlled the means for agriculture and determined guilt or innocence in disputes. Both the Ndi Nri priests and mbùríchi nobility belonged to the Ikénga , the right hand. The Ìkénga god was one dedicated to achievement and power, both of which were associated with

282-512: A title system. Igbo west of the Niger River and on its east bank developed kingship, governing states such as Aboh , Onitsha and Oguta , their title Obi , apparently from the Benin Empire's Oba (this is debatable however, because the word "obi" in most Igbo dialects literally means "heart" and may be a metaphorical reference to kingship, rather than a loanword from Yoruba or Edo ). This

329-594: Is known today as Igboland prior to expansion, and was administered by a priest - king called an Eze Nri . The Eze Nri managed trade and diplomacy on behalf of the Nri people, a subgroup of the Igbo -speaking people, and possessed divine authority in religious matters. The kingdom was a haven for all those who had been rejected in their communities and also a place where slaves were set free from their bondage. Nri expanded through converts gaining neighboring communities' allegiance, not by force. Nri's royal founder, Eri ,

376-591: Is not debatable and to clarify this, Obi has 3 different meanings in Igboland and Igbo languages depending on how you pronounce it; òbi means the first born of every family thus the eldest in the family. õbi is a thatched hut which every wealthy man built to receive visitors. In Igbo land a man will build his hut and a hut or huts for his wife or wives. The hut is where Igbo men received their peers who come to visit and to talk about farming and trade. Lasty, obi means heart and none of these has any reference or anything to do with

423-409: Is notable for three archaeological sites , where excavations have found bronze artifacts from a highly sophisticated bronze metal-working culture dating to 9th century AD, centuries before other known bronzes of the region. The first, called Igbo Isaiah , was uncovered in 1938 by Isaiah Anozie, a local villager, who found the bronze works while digging beside his home. Five bronze artifacts from

470-533: Is said to be a 'sky being' that came down to earth and then established civilization. One of the better-known remnants of the Nri civilization is manifested in the Igbo ukwu artifacts. Nri's culture permanently influenced the Northern and Western Igbo, especially through religion and taboos. The kingdom appears to have passed its peak in the 18th century, encroached upon by the rise of the Benin and Igala kingdom, and later

517-636: Is said to be the original legendary cultural head of the Umu-eri groups of the Igbo people . Eri established a community in the middle of Anambra river valley (at Eri-aka) in Aguleri where he married two wives. The first wife, Nneamakụ, bore him five children. The first was Agulu, the founder of Aguleri (The ancestral head of Eri Kingdom clans) (the Ezeora dynasty that has produced 34 kings till date in Enugwu Aguleri),

SECTION 10

#1732848021071

564-422: Is so little throughout the year that talking about hot and cold seasons isn't really helpful. 6°01′N 7°01′E  /  6.017°N 7.017°E  / 6.017; 7.017 Kingdom of Nri The Kingdom of Nri ( Igbo : Ọ̀ràézè Ǹrì ) was a medieval polity located in what is now Nigeria . The kingdom existed as a sphere of religious and political influence over a significant part of what

611-529: The Atlantic slave trade , but it appears to have maintained its authority well into the 16th century, remnants of the eze hierarchy persisted until the establishment of Colonial Nigeria in 1911, and it continues to exist as one of the traditional states within modern Nigeria . The Nri kingdom is a kingdom within the Igbo area of Nigeria. Nri and Aguleri, where the Umueri-Igbo creation myth originates, are in

658-452: The eze to speak directly to all the communities under him. Ritual scarification in Nri was known as Ichi of which there are two styles; the Nri style, and the Agbaja style. In the Nri style, the carved line ran from the center of the forehead down to the chin. A second line ran across the face, from the right cheek to the left. This was repeated to obtain a pattern meant to imitate the rays of

705-707: The Igbo peoples' staple crop, sprung from his son's head; Chukwu had taught Nri plant domestication. From this, the eze Nri's first son and daughter were required to undergo scarification's seven days after birth, with the eze Nri's daughter being the only female to receive ichi. Nri, the son of Eri, also gained knowledge of the yam medicine ( ogwu ji ). People from other Igbo communities made pilgrimages to Nri in order to receive this knowledge received in exchange for annual tributes. [REDACTED] Media related to Kingdom of Nri at Wikimedia Commons 6°9.4′N 7°1.6′E  /  6.1567°N 7.0267°E  / 6.1567; 7.0267 Eri (divine king) Eri

752-571: The Igbo religion had to abide by the rules of the faith and obey its representative on earth. An important symbol among the Nri religion was the omu , a tender palm frond , used to sacralize and restrain. It was used as protection for traveling delegations or safeguarding certain objects; a person or object carrying an omu twig was considered protected. The influence of these symbols and institutions extended well beyond Nri, and this unique Igbo socio-political system proved capable of controlling areas wider than villages or towns. For many centuries,

799-491: The Kingdom of Nri. Nri oral tradition states that a bounty of yams and cocoyams could be given to the eze Nri, while blessings were given in return. It was believed that Nri's influence and bountiful amount of food was a reward for the ruler's blessings. Above all, Nri was a holy land for those Igbo who followed its edicts. It served as a place where sins and taboos could be absolved just by entering it. Even Igbo living far from

846-641: The Socio-culture Revival (1974—Present). Author Onwuejeogwu suggested that Nri influence in Igboland may go back as far as the 12th century, and royal burials have been unearthed dating to at least the 9th century. According to other authors, Eri, the god-like founder of Nri, is believed to have settled the region around the 1500s. The first eze Nri (King of Nri), Ìfikuánim , follows directly after him. According to Angulu (1981), oral tradition suggests an accession of Eri in 1043. Chambers (2005) places Ìfikuánim's reign at around 1225 CE. In 1911,

893-514: The Ududu-eze, the royal scepter. There, the process of paying of homage to all the necessary shrines/deities in Aguleri by the new Eze Nri, visitation to Menri's tomb at Ama-Okpu, collection of Ofo, purification of the virgin boy to receive the clay from the chosen diver from Umuezeora in Aguleri, sitting on the throne of Eri at Obu-Gad in Enugwu Aguleri by the new Eze-Nri before going back to Nri on

940-654: The center of power would send abnormal children to Nri for ritual cleansing rather than having them killed, as was sometimes the case for dwarfs or children who cut their top teeth before their lower teeth. Nri people believed that the sun was the dwelling place of Anyanwu (Light) and Agbala (Fertility). Agbala was the collective spirit of all holy beings (human and nonhuman). Agbala was the perfect agent of Chukwu or Chineke (the Creator God) and chose its human and nonhuman agents only by their merit; it knew no politics. It transcended religion, culture and gender, and worked with

987-452: The ceremony to show their loyalty. At the end the Eze Nri would give the representatives a yam medicine and a blessing of fertility for their communities. The festival was seen as a day of peace and certain activities were prohibited such as the planting of crops before the day of the ceremony, the splitting of wood and unnecessary noise. Igu Aro was a regular event that gave an opportunity for

SECTION 20

#1732848021071

1034-440: The discovery of two other sites, Igbo Richard and Igbo Jonah, containing the remains of an ancient culture. Later, these were excavated as well. Artifacts have included jewelry , ceramics , a corpse adorned in what appears to be regalia , and many assorted bronze , copper , and iron objects. Some of these contain materials that are evidence of a long-distance trading system extending to Egypt . Radiocarbon dating placed

1081-434: The earth from human crimes. The ndi Nri exercised authority over wide areas of Igboland and had the power to install the next eze Nri . Areas under Nri influence, called Odinani Nri, were open to Ndi Nri traveling within them to perform rituals and ensure bountiful harvest or restore harmony in local affairs. Local men within the odinani Nri could represent the eze Nri and share his moral authority by purchasing

1128-505: The earth. After the assignment, the Awka blacksmith was given ọfọ as a mark of authority for his smithing profession. While Eri lived, Chukwu fed him and his people with azu-igwe. But this special food ceased after the death of Eri. Nri, one of his sons, complained to Chukwu for food. Chukwu ordered Nri to sacrifice his first son and daughter and bury them in separate graves. Nri complied with it. Later after three Igbo-weeks (12 days) yam grew from

1175-618: The east of the Niger River at a site dated to the 9th century, making it older than Ife. It appears that Nri had an artistic as well as religious influence on the lower Niger. Sculptures found there are bronze like those at Igbo-Ukwu. The great sculptures of the Benin Empire, by contrast, were almost always brass with, over time, increasingly greater percentages of zinc added. The bronzes of Igbo-Ukwu pay special attention to detail depicting birds, snails, chameleons, and other natural aspects of

1222-456: The face of the slave trade's economic opportunities. Nri influence declined after the start of the 18th century. Still, it survived in a much-reduced, and weakened form until 1911, when an expedition carried out by British colonial troops forced the reigning eze Nri to renounce the ritual power of the religion known as the ìkénga , ending the kingdom of Nri as a political power. Nearly all communities in Igboland were organized according to

1269-465: The grave in the seven or more years ensuing upon his death. Regardless of the actual date, this period marks the beginning of Nri kingship as a centralized institution. Expansion of the kingdom of Nri was achieved by sending mbùríchi , or converts, to other settlements. Allegiance to the eze Nri was obtained not by military force but through ritual oath. Religious authority was vested in the local king, and ties were maintained by traveling mbùríchi . By

1316-432: The grave of the son and coco yam from that of the daughter. When Nri and his people ate these, they slept for the first time; later still Nri killed a male and a female slave burying them separately. Again, after Izu Ato, an oil palm grew from the grave of the male slave, and a bread fruit tree (ukwa) from that of the female-slave. With this new food supply, Nri and his people ate and prospered. Chukwu asked him to distribute

1363-443: The humble and the truthful. They believed Anyanwu, The Light, to be the symbol of human perfection that all must seek and Agbala was entrusted to lead man there. Nri tradition was based on the concept of peace, truth and harmony. It spread this ideology through the ritualistic Ozo traders who maintained Nri influence by traveling and spreading Nri practices such as the " Ikenga " to other communities. These men were identified through

1410-460: The late 16th century, Nri influence extended well beyond the nuclear northern Igbo region to Igbo settlements on the west bank of the Niger and communities affected by the Benin Empire . There is strong evidence to indicate Igbo influence well beyond the Igbo region to Benin and Southern Igala areas like Idah before the arrival of the Nri. At its height, the kingdom of Nri had influence in over roughly

1457-426: The names of 19 eze Nri were recorded, but the list is not easily converted into chronological terms because of long interregnums between installations. Tradition held that at least seven years would pass upon the death of the eze Nri before a successor could be determined; the interregnum served as a period of divination of signs from the deceased eze Nri, who would communicate his choice of successor from beyond

Igbo-Ukwu - Misplaced Pages Continue

1504-460: The new food items to all people but Nri refused because he bought them at the cost of sacrificing his own children and slaves. Nri and Chukwu made an agreement. According to M. D. W. Jeffreys (1956:123), a tradition has it that: "As a reward for distributing food to the other towns, Nri would have the right of cleansing every town of an abomination (nso) or breach, and of tying the Ngulu (ankle cords) when

1551-663: The oba of the Edo Benin Kingdom. The Igbo of Nri, on the other hand, developed a state system sustained by ritual power. The Kingdom of Nri was a religio-polity, a sort of theocratic state, that developed in the central heartland of the Igbo region. The Nri had a taboo symbolic code with six types. These included human (such as twins ), animal, object, temporal, behavioral, speech and place taboos. The rules regarding these taboos were used to educate and govern Nri's subjects. This meant that, while certain Igbo may have lived under different formal administration, all followers of

1598-512: The original excavation are now in the British Museum 's collection. They include a small staff, a head of a ram , a large manilla , an intricately designed crescent-shaped vessel and a small pendant in the shape of a local chief's head with scarification (ichi) marks on the face. Formal excavations by the archaeologist Thurstan Shaw in 1959 at the request of the Nigerian government, resulted in

1645-407: The people within the Nri related areas were committed to peace. This religious pacifism was rooted in a belief that violence was an abomination which polluted the earth. Instead, the eze Nri could declare a form of excommunication from the odinani Nri against those who violated specific taboos. Members of the Ikénga could isolate entire communities via this form of ritual siege. The eze Nri

1692-426: The right hand. Nri maintained its vast authority well into the 16th century. The peace mandated by the Nri religion and enforced by the presence of the mbùríchi allowed trade to flourish. Items such as horses, which did not survive in tsetse fly -infested Nri, and seashells, which would have to be transported a long ways due to Nri's distance from the coast, have been found depicted in Nri's bronze. A Nri dignitary

1739-421: The ritual facial scarifications they had undergone. Nri believed in cleansing and purifying the earth (a supernatural force to Nri called Ana and Ajana ) of human abominations and crimes. The Igu Aro festival (counting of the year) was a royal festival the eze Nri used to maintain his influence over the communities under his authority. Each of these communities sent representatives to pay tribute during

1786-578: The second was Menri, the founder of Umunri / Kingdom of Nri , followed by Onugu, the founder of Igbariam and Ogbodulu, the founder of Amanuke. The fifth one was a daughter called Iguedo, who is said to have borne the founders of Nteje , and Awkuzu , Ogbunike , Umuleri , Nando and Ogboli in Onitsha. When Eri was sent by Chukwu from the sky to the earth, he sat on an ant-hill because he saw watery marshy earth. When Eri complained to Chukwu, Chukwu sent an Awka blacksmith with his fiery bellows and charcoal to dry

1833-504: The seventh day to undergo a symbolic burial and exhumation, then finally be anointed with white clay, a symbol of purity. Upon his death, he was buried seated in a wood-lined chamber. The eze Nri was in all aspects a divine ruler. While the eze Nri lived relatively secluded from his followers, he employed a group of officials called ndi Nri. These were ritual specialists, easily identifiable by facial scarifications or ichi , who traveled with ritual staffs of peace in order to purify

1880-476: The sites to 850 AD, which would make the Igbo-Ukwu culture the earliest-known example of bronze casting in the region. The archaeological sites in southeastern Nigeria are associated with the Nri-Igbo . The three sites include Igbo Isaiah (a shrine ), Igbo Richard (a burial chamber ), and Igbo Jonah (a cache ). Artifacts found in these sites have shown that by the 9th century AD, the Igbo-Ukwu people had established

1927-412: The sun. In the Agbaja style, circles and semicircular patterns are added to the initial incisions to represent the moon. These scarifications were given to the representatives of the eze Nri; the mbùríchi . The scarification's were Nri's way of honoring the sun that they worshiped and was a form of ritual purification. Scarification had its origins in Nri mythology. Nri, the son of Eri who established

Igbo-Ukwu - Misplaced Pages Continue

1974-542: The territory of the Umu-Eri clan, who trace their lineages back to the patriarchal king-figure, Eri . Eri's origin is unclear, though he has been described as a "sky being" sent by Chukwu (God). He is credited with first giving societal order to the people of Anambra . Nri history may be divided into six main periods: the pre-Eri period, the Eri period, migration and unification, the heyday of Nri influence, decline and collapse and

2021-452: The town of Nri, was said to have pleaded to Chukwu (the Great God) because of hunger. Chukwu then ordered him to cut off his first son's and daughter's heads and plant them, creating a 'blood bond' between the Igbo and the earth deity, Ana . Before doing so, Nri was ordered to mark ichi onto their two foreheads. Coco yam , a crop managed by females, sprang from his daughter's head, and yam,

2068-448: The world such as a hatching bird. Other pieces include gourds and vessels which were often given handles. The pieces are so fine that small insects were included on the surfaces of some while others have what looks like bronze wires decorated around them. None of these extra details were made separately; the bronzes were all one piece. Igbo-Ukwu gave the evidence of an early bronze casting tradition in Nri. Religious beliefs were central to

2115-456: Was considered free. Nri had a network of internal and external trade, which its economy was partly based on. Other aspects of Nri's economy were hunting and agriculture. Eri, the sky being, was the first to 'count' the days by their names, eke , oye , afor and nkwo , which were the names of their four governing spirits. Eri revealed the opportunity of time to the Igbo, who would use the days for exchanging goods and knowledge. Igbo-Ukwu ,

2162-502: Was the title of the ruler of Nri with ritual and mystic (but not military) power. He was a ritual figure rather than a king in the traditional sense. The eze Nri was chosen after an interregnum period while the electors waited for supernatural powers to manifest in the new eze Nri. He was installed after a symbolic journey to Aguleri on the Anambra River . The authorities must be notified prior to commencement of this journey to obtain

2209-436: Was unearthed with ivory, also indicating a wealth in trade existed among the Nri. Another source of income would have been the income brought back by traveling mbùríchi . Unlike in many African economies of the period, Nri did not practice slave ownership or trade. Certain parts of the Nri domain, did not recognize slavery and served as a sanctuary. After the selection of the tenth eze Nri, any slave who set foot on Nri soil

#70929