Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Oriiwi Nkeni

Thanks, Toyin. I will also navigate around ancient science fiction
masked in mythology. Also, I must disclose that this myth -- which my
late father told me first -- exists in other cultural modes in our
clan, Uli. For instance, it is performed in the folk music of Arigo or
Mbele, as the one done by a griot called Abubaugo. It is also seen as
an Igbo exemplification of ultimate misfortune. I don't know: I am not
an expert on tragedy and mythology.

Well, indigenous Igbo perspective on relationship with Chukwu the
Most high god. His past is now lost in the culture because griots had
failed to transmit it in their iduu, longish tales of fright. But it
was believed that Chukwu lived with humans in a world where there were
even talking animals. No one killed or ate talking animals. Chukwu
withdrew to another world, using his great powers, because he felt he
was being inconvenienced and he needed to concentrate on expanding on
creation, doing his experiment (ogbaraigbogharii), extending to other
worlds instead of being limited to Earth. But in the interaction he he
had with his creatures, he always played games of cleverness in order
to test their intelligence, whether they were authentic products --
such as offering a stone to tortoise as kolanut and asking him to
break it for them to eat on a visit.

There is also a science fiction slant, which shows that the ancients
could have told their stories to indicate scientific directions and
actions.For instance, Nkeni tried to reach Chukwu on five fully
stocked ships. What were these ships really? Ordinary sea-faring
vessels? What if they were space vessels -- as we suspect that they
were? Now, we are probing deep space, hindered by distance in
discovering powers out there, powers put in place by Chukwu the great
scientist. What if the ocean on which there was tempest was deep space
-- the sea of the skies? Images like the sea and night in ancient
imagination were distances that inspired fright.
Okay, Toyin. That's the far I could go. Thanks.
--- Obododimma.

On 5/28/18, Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju <toyin.adepoju@gmail.com> wrote:
> Magnificent.
>
> I wonder, though, if you can share other perspectives from classical Igbo
> culture on relationship with Chukwu?
>
> thanks
>
> toyin
>
> On 28 May 2018 at 05:23, Obododimma Oha <obodooha@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> "Chukwu the Supreme Being had withdrawn from our world to another
>> world. Before, it was possible to visit the Maker and hold banter with
>> Him, even play games with Him! It was such a pleasant thing to have
>> the Maker around, to visit Him and break kolanut with Him. Wasn't it
>> how He was able to confirm that Mbe nwa Aniga the tortoise was a very
>> great invention, a great crafty thinker that could match strategy with
>> strategy? "
>> -- Read the full piece by clicking on this link:
>> http://obododimma-oha.blogspot.com.ng/2018/05/oriiwi-nkeni.html
>>
>> --Obododimma
>>
>> --
>> --
>> B.A.,First Class Honours (English & Literary Studies);
>> M.A., Ph.D. (English Language);
>> M.Sc. (Legal, Criminological & Security Psychology);
>> Professor of Cultural Semiotics & Stylistics,
>> Department of English,
>> University of Ibadan.
>>
>> Fellow,
>> Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies,
>> University of Ibadan.
>>
>> COORDINATES:
>>
>> Phone (Mobile):
>> +234 8033331330;
>> +234 9033333555;
>> +234 8022208008;
>> +234 8073270008.
>> Skype: obododimma.oha
>> Twitter: @mmanwu
>> Personal Blog: http://udude.wordpress.com/
>>
>> --
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--
--
B.A.,First Class Honours (English & Literary Studies);
M.A., Ph.D. (English Language);
M.Sc. (Legal, Criminological & Security Psychology);
Professor of Cultural Semiotics & Stylistics,
Department of English,
University of Ibadan.

Fellow,
Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies,
University of Ibadan.

COORDINATES:

Phone (Mobile):
+234 8033331330;
+234 9033333555;
+234 8022208008;
+234 8073270008.
Skype: obododimma.oha
Twitter: @mmanwu
Personal Blog: http://udude.wordpress.com/

--
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
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