Deities in a Changing Igbo Society: Ndi Nsukka, 1960-2016

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Deities have always been an important factor in the socio-politicallife of the Nsukka people, defining and regulating inter-personaland inter-group relations. In other words, the institution ensuredthat there were cordial relationships not only at the horizontalbut also at the vertical levels of society. Deities were, therefore,believed to have provided Nsukka - and the entire Igbo - withan ultimate vision of themselves and the world. This institutionthat hitherto promoted peace and harmony among the peoplethrough its impartiality in administrating justice and arbitration,has, in recent years, been faced with relentless attacks fromorganised religion – particularly from Christianity. Unfortunately,this aspect of Nsukka history has been neglected, uninvestigatedand unharvested. As a result of this, our knowledge of thishitherto time-honoured institution is patchy and distorted. Thisstudy explores this neglected area so as to broaden and enrichour knowledge of the history of the Nsukka people. The year1960 is chosen as the commencement date for this study fortwo obvious reasons. It witnessed Nigeria’s independence whichwas expected to have ushered in a cultural rebirth that wouldencourage Nsukka people to reorganise their violated godsor battered deities. With the establishment of the University ofNigeria, Nsukka in 1960, numerous Christian sects ‘invaded’ anddrew huge numbers of converts from the indigenous people. Theyear 2016 marks the end of the study because of the landmarkevents which culminated in two young men committing suicideapparently at the instance of a deity. Apart from depleting thenumbers of traditionalists, some misguided and overzealousChristian converts, under spurious guises, have blatantlydestroyed and burnt some effigies of sacred deities. Ironically,some of these apostates have had recourse to return to thesedeities in times of challenges and troubles. Such patronageof deities would seem to have sustained their relevance in thelives of the traditionalists in the Nsukka cultural zone. Ratherthan disappearing, as claimed by the universal religions, deitieshave continued to soldier on in Nsukka, just as they have doneelsewhere in Igboland. The focus of this study is to examine thecontinued relevance of these deities in this age of Christianityand westernisation.

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