Igbo also known as "Ibo"

The Igbo (spelled “Ibo” by British colonialists; Amadiume, 2003) live across Nigeria, and are united by shared linguistic and cultural traditions. There is no central political authority among the Igbo; the largest social unit is the village-group, bound together by ties but each village is functionally independent. In fact, there is “no individual of outstanding power or authority either directly in things spiritual or indirectly in things secular (Green, 1964:49).” Although there are not official religious leaders among the Igbo, there are two types of religious practitioners: priests and dibeas. Hereditary priests observe taboos and lead ceremonies, but are otherwise viewed as “ordinary” members of the community (Green, 1964:53). A dibea, on the other hand, undergoes training and initiation rites to become a specialist in the professions of diviner and/or doctor-magician. Various types of supernatural beings are present. There is belief in a supreme high god who is largely viewed as an otiose creator deity overseeing the world from above, and is not typically worshipped directly. Additionally present are the spirits of deceased humans, and ancestor worship appears to be the concern/responsibility of individual households and families. Several nonhuman spirits are also present, including village and village-group deities. Larger-scale rituals/ceremonies/celebrations are present, such as the annual rites surrounding the worship of the village-group deity. It is important to note the presence of Christian influence among the Igbo, beginning with the arrival of missionaries in the mid 1800’s. The religious realm of Igbo life is not distinct, but is bound in the functioning of the society as a whole. Consequently, this entry considers the religious group to be coterminous with the society. This entry focuses specifically on the Eastern Isu-Ana division, Owerri, or Southern Igbo, around the time of 1935.