Mwoyo (Greetings) to the group. I pray all is well.
I am currently doing/expanding my research on the ancient Egyptian concept of mȝꜤ.t 𓁦 “Goddess Maat; truth, justice, order, reciprocity, etc.” in West and Central Africa. My method to finding this principle, scientifically, in West and Central Africa is through language and the use of historical comparative linguistics. I have found it in such languages as Wolof (Senegal), kiKongo (DRC), ciLuba (DRC), isiZulu (S. Africa), Basaa (Cameroon) and Twi (Ghana). I have also found it in the Igbo language of Nigeria. As this group appears to have a lot of scholars from Nigeria, I am asking the group for recommendations, specifically regarding these two Igbo phrases and concepts:
1. ọ̀fọ́ ji ógù (i.e., ọ̀fọ́ upholds innocence).
2. ọ̀fọ́ na ógù (i.e., truth, authority, righteousness and innocence, integrity).
I have reviewed such articles as “What Happened to Ofo and Ogu Symbols? Reconsidering The Efficacy of Ofo Na Ogu Symbols as Watchdog in the Contemporary Igbo Society” by Ratzinger E. E. Nwobodo; “A Semantic Analysis of Irreversible Binominals in Igbo” by Maduabuchi Sennen Agbo; “Ofo as a Global Cultural Resource and Its Significance in Igbo Culture Area” by Jacinta Uchenna Ikegwu; and “Religion and the Civilizational Process: The Civilizing Role of Religion in the Socio-Political Decision Making Process in Pre-colonial Ibo Community of Nigeria” by Musa Yusuf Owoyemi.
I have searched the internet and have found many blog posts and a few articles related to these phrases. But I am looking for more dedicated scholarly articles or monographs that either focus on this concept or there is a dedicated section within a larger framework (e.g., a chapter of a book) that discusses it in depth. I would prefer testimony from indigenous Igbo wisdom holders who also practices and adheres to native wisdom traditions not influences by the Abrahamic religions (at least as much that is reasonable). So, if anyone has any recommendations for texts I can read, I would be very appreciative. Note, I am also aware of works like John A. Umeh’s After God is Dibia: Igbo Cosmology, Divination & Sacred Science, Vols. 1 &2; Agwu Christopher Agwu’s A Philosophical Concept of Agwu in Igbo Land: A Case Study of Ohaozara in Ebonyi State (2013); Christopher I Ejizu’s Ofo: Igbo Ritual and Symbol (2002); and Uzoma Veer’s Cycles of Nought: A look into the Igbo worldview (2024). I just want to make sure that I exhaust the best quality resources on the subject and am seeking native recommendations for review and critique.
I appreciate your time and consideration, and I look forward to your replies.
Ancestrally,
Asar Imhotep
info@osirimhotep.com
1-210-429-3823
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