Egwugwu

Brown's compassion, egwugwu, kindness, or accommodation. He despises the way that Mr.

The egwugwu is more of a symbol than anything else. It represents the culture and independence of Umufia. Basically the egwugwu are elders in various masks which represent ancestral gods. They function as sort of a justice system in the community presiding over conflicts and judgments. The egwugwu are actually village elders who are supposedly possessed with the ancestral spirits of the clan. Interestingly, Okonkwo, the protagonist of Things Fall Apart, is also one of them the one with the springy walk. It is made clear in the novel that the clan members treat the egwugwu with great fear and reverence instead of as just a mere lively spectacle.

Egwugwu

Things Fall Apart. Throughout the novel, Chinua Achebe makes culture the main focus and even dedicates entire chapters to explaining it. Below is a list of the Ibo cultural elements that Achebe touched upon the most and their significance. The shells show wealth and are seen as a symbol of fertility. The cowries were used to make everyday purchases as well as to pay an expensive bride price, such as wen Akuke was bought for twenty bags of cowries. The cowries are very important to the Ibo culture as they lived without paper money or coins and wanted to be able to buy things without bartering. The innovation of the Ibo people can also be seen. They most likely decided to use cowries for currency as they could only be found near the shore and were therefore a rare resource that could be used as money. Egwugwu The Egwugwu are seen as the ancestral spirits of the tribe. Although the Egwugwu are actually just masked clan leaders, they are still treated as if they were actual ancestral spirits. When they approach women and children they take off running, and unmasking one is a crime so bad it's never been committed except by Enoch for the first time towards the end of the novel.

The Kola Nut is best described by Okoye when he says, "He who brings kola brings life" page 6, egwugwu.

Ibo Culture. The Feast of the New Yam An occasion for giving thanks to Ani, the earth goddess and the source of all fertility. On the last night before the festival, yams of the old year were all disposed of by those who still had them. The new year must begin with tasty, fresh yams and not the shriveled and fibrous crop of the previous year. Yam foo-foo and vegetable soup was the chief food in the celebration.

The egwugwu is more of a symbol than anything else. It represents the culture and independence of Umufia. Basically the egwugwu are elders in various masks which represent ancestral gods. They function as sort of a justice system in the community presiding over conflicts and judgments. The egwugwu are actually village elders who are supposedly possessed with the ancestral spirits of the clan. Interestingly, Okonkwo, the protagonist of Things Fall Apart, is also one of them the one with the springy walk. It is made clear in the novel that the clan members treat the egwugwu with great fear and reverence instead of as just a mere lively spectacle.

Egwugwu

Chapter 10 is devoted to a detailed description of a village public trial. At a gathering on the large village commons, the elders sit waiting on their stools while the other men crowd behind them. The women stand around the edges, looking on. A row of nine stools awaits the appearance of the nine egwugwu , who represent the spirits of their ancestors. Two small clusters of people stand at a respectful distance facing the elders and the empty stools. The opposing sides of a family dispute, the two groups wait for a hearing by the masked and costumed egwugwu, who finally appear from their nearby house with great fanfare and ceremony. As the egwugwu approach the stools, Okonkwo's wives notice that the second egwugwu walks with the springy step of Okonkwo and also that Okonkwo is not seated among the elders, but of course, they say nothing about this odd coincidence. The egwugwu hear the case of Uzowulu, who claims that his in-laws took his wife Mgbafo from his house, and therefore, they should return her bride-price to him. Odukwe, Mgbafo's brother, does not deny Uzowulu's charges.

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This case illustrates that, in Umuofian culture, a woman is the property of her husband, but unwarranted and excessive violence against her is, in theory, inappropriate. His third British character, the District Commissioner, is known only by his title. In chapter four, Okonkwo calls a man without any titles a woman. This judicial system of the Igbo community was possibly put in by Achebe to show that the so called "barbaric" society of Africa did have its own intricate system of implementing law and enforcing punishment on violators. Smith was obviously much concerned about dividing the community between the good the Christian converts and the bad the traditional Igbo believers. Approaching the egwugwu, who are keeping their distance from the Christians, Enoch dares the egwugwu to touch a Christian, so one of the egwugwu strikes him with a cane. The body of the white man, I salute you. Okonkwo had two full barns of yams before his exile and was revered among his peers. They are the main crop and food source of the people of Ibo, are seen as a man's crop and are very important to a man's social ranking. Each year, the Igbo clan holds a sacred ceremony to honor the earth deity. The public is allowed to watch the proceedings within the boundaries of their social groups — that is, the elders, other men, and women. It was also used as a wedding gift when the in-laws of Akueke's suitor brought fifty pots of wine. Smith will be able to stay safely in his house in Umuofia and worship his own god, but they intend to destroy the church that has caused the Igbo so many problems. Together, the nine of them dispense justice to the village. Enoch's action exposes the non-divine nature of an egwugwu, just a man beneath a mask, another sign of "things falling apart.

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Throughout the book Achebe gives his characters names with hidden meanings; for example, Okonkwo's name implies male pride and stubbornness. Thus, unmasking the egwugwu kills the ancestral spirit. Summary and Analysis Part 3: Chapter New User? They most likely decided to use cowries for currency as they could only be found near the shore and were therefore a rare resource that could be used as money. Achebe portrays Mr. He is a fire-and-brimstone type of preacher, who likens Igbo religion to the pagan prophets of Baal of the Old Testament and brands traditional Igbo beliefs as the work of the devil. A row of nine stools awaits the appearance of the nine egwugwu , who represent the spirits of their ancestors. Titles Titles were very important achievements in the Ibo society that determined your ranking in the social hierarchy. The shells show wealth and are seen as a symbol of fertility.