Sometimes I ask myself this question and I wonder if you do the same... Before Nigeria became an independent country in 1960, Who was my father and who was my great grandfather, and where do they originate from? {hehehe am so curious}
From my research, I was told that my fathers were Biafran's. They lived like Kings and ruled over themselves before the colonization. They were full of strength and enjoy the company of their kindred.
I learned those days that they all are hard-working people and they believed in farming and most of them are hunters. My grandmother {now she's no more, bless her soul} use to tell me a story about her father and her grandfather. He got married to five (5) wives and each of his wives has a hut where they stay and nurture their children in peace, unlike the modern world.
He has large farmlands and when it's time for farming seasons, he will share portions of land to be cultivated every morning to his children including her before heading to school.
Sometimes I imagine life those days, how they lived and survived. I learned those days they lived longer than we do now and I believed is because of too much preservation of canned foods we consume every day mixed with chemicals.
My grandmother once made me a roasted yam with Palm-Oil sauce( picture below ). This local meal is very much appreciated and seen as a quality meal made with a bitter leaf called Ukazi (afang leaf), Ukpaka (African oil bean), and Ogiri with addition of little ingredients as pepper, onion as so forth.
Now let me go into my Origin a bit like I was told.
THE ORIGIN OF IGBO ( my grandfather's) IGBOS BIBLICAL GENEALOGY.
Let's begin according to Genesis 29 verse 30: JACOB had
twelve (12) sons namely:
#1. Ruben
#2. Simeon
#3. Levi
#4. Judah
#5. Dan
#6. Naphtali
#7. Gad
#8. Asher
#9. Issachar
#10. Zebulun
#11. Joseph
#12. Benjamin.
The 7th son was GAD.
and according to Genesis 46 vs16. GAD
had seven (7) sons namely:
Ziphon
Haggi
Shunni
Ezbon
Eri
Arodi
Areli.
Sometime in the Middle East, famine struck and Jacob moved
with his family and about 70 other relations to Egypt. But before then Joseph (who was the 11th son of Jacob) had already been sold to Egypt by his brothers, where he was made Governor-General under a King Pharaoh.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=650839648290514&id=145914105512094As time goes on when the Pharaoh that knows Joseph died, they started suffering persecutions at the hand of Egyptians but ERI the 5th son of GAD foresaw the danger, persecution, and Wickedness coming and he decided to leave in time with his two younger brothers, ARODI & ARELI with one of his half brothers.
They traveled through Ethiopia, Sudan, and down towards West Africa through River Nile and landed at a place known as AGULERI today through Omambala river in Anambra state, around 1305 BC.
(I) ERI was established and lived close to the Omambala river. He was wealthy and wise like his great grandfather (Abiama) Abraham. That is why Anambra state has the highest number of rich people in Africa.
ERI; had five (5) sons:
(1) Agulu
(2) Atta
(3) Oba
(4) Hebrew/Ibo
(5) Menri
(1) AGULU; as the first son stayed back and established in
the place is known as Agulu-ERI (Agulu son of ERI) in Anambra state.
(2) ATTA; moved to upward North and established a place
known as "IGALA Kingdom " and that is why their overall
KING is known as "Atta of IGALA" in Kogi state.
(3) OBA; left and founded a place known as the Oba Kingdom in Anambra state.
(1) If you get to Aguleri there is a particular House known as OBI GAD (house of GAD). Remember GAD was the 7th son of Jacob (Gen 29:30) and GAD had five (5) sons of which the last three (3) who were ERI, ARODI, and ARELI and some of their half brothers left Egypt to West Africa).
The OBI GAD was the resting or relaxing place for ERI and his brothers and they named it OBI GAD in order to honor their father (GAD, the 7th son of Israel).
https://iduueri.wordpress.com/2010/06/18/obugad-the-house-of-gad/This OBI GAD was the first house built in Igboland. This is the reason why every Igbo man always build a place called
OBI/OBU in his house in honor of his father and mainly
for relaxation and in the olden days, there is always a family shrine or little oracle.
Why they worship Oracle then was because they left EGYPT before GOD gave 10 commandments to Moses for the Israelites, of which one of the 10 commandments is against idol worship.
Modern days now, Igbos build OBI as outside BAR without any Shrine, while some Christians don't build OBI anymore because of their beliefs).
They made use of different currencies and they understand the values. ( My grandma ) She said in those days they used Biafran pounds
The way they dress, their hairstyles, and so on.
When we talk about the culture of an Igbo man, it's originally beautiful.
The way ladies dress is quite different from the way men dressed. Mothers tie two-piece of the wrapper while ladies tie one piece with a little piece to cover the breast. Using Eyeliner know as (ULI) to make themselves beautiful and attractive to men same with our mothers. They are some markings that would differentiate a married woman from a single lady.
On their hairs, they use beautiful and well-designed beads both on their hair and on their hands
Their elderly men tie a piece of the wrapper on the tummy but sometimes in the side shoulder, while the young men use to tie in-between their legs like a baby wearing napkin.
Talking about an Igbo man, I learned they have different cultures and traditions for example:- New Yam Festival and so forth.
On this occasion, New Yam Festival is normally a great period when everyone comes together and celebrates the harvest of their farming in different ways like:-
Dancing, masquerade, Cutting of new yam, and so on.
Men, women, and children come together and display their talent. They also bring little from what they harvested in their farmlands to cook, eat and drink together with music and masquerade display.
in those days there is nothing like a blockhouse but instead, they made use of mud to build a hut. They made use of white chalk to design the body with drawings and signs. Using palm leaves to build a fence and mud also.
I imagine life those days. Children don't eat on plates but in a basin or tray-pan. all the children will sit around the basin/tray with their hands washed and ready to eat.
In the night children and ladies gather around and tell moonlight stories, sing and play under the moon while the boys sit around and watch.
They always go a long distance to the stream just to get water each day.
Despite all that hard work and sufferings still they hardly fall sick and upon that they live much longer. There was nothing like vehicles those days. They only travel on barefoot to their destinations. Nothing like electricity back then, they only make use of Orinmu known as _(A wooden torch with a burning fire)__, foods were made through firewood cooking, and so forth.