Editing Odinala (section)

{{Short description|Religious practices and beliefs of Igbo people}}
{{about|the traditional spiritual practices of the Igbo people|their traditional cultural practices in general|Igbo culture}}

{{Odinani infobox}}
{{Traditional African religion}}

'''Odinani''', also known as '''Odinala''', '''Omenala''', '''Odinana''', and '''Omenana'''<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ezekwugo |first=Charles M. |date=1991 |title=Omenana and Odinana in the Igbo World: A Philosophical Appraisal |url=https://www.africabib.org/rec.php?RID=142885924 |journal=Africana Marburgensia |language=en |volume=24 |issue=2 |pages=3–18}}</ref> ({{Langx|ig|Ọdịnanị/Ọ̀dị̀nàlà }}), is the traditional [[cultural]] belief and practice of the [[Igbo people]] of [[South East (Nigeria)|south east]] and [[Igbo people]] of [[South South (Nigeria)|south south]] [[Nigeria]].<ref name="ndc">Afulezy, Juju [http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/oarticles/on_odinani_the_igbo_religion.htm "On Odinani, the Igbo Religion"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127061438/http://nigerdeltacongress.com/oarticles/on_odinani_the_igbo_religion.htm|date=27 November 2010}}, ''Niger Delta Congress'', Nigeria, April 03, 2010</ref> These terms, as used here in the [[Igbo language]], are synonymous with the traditional Igbo "[[Religion|religious system]]" which was not considered separate from the social norms of ancient or traditional Igbo societies. Theocratic in nature, spirituality played a huge role in their everyday lives. Although it has largely been syncretised with [[Catholicism]], the indigenous belief system remains in strong effect among the [[rural]], [[village]] and [[diaspora]] populations of the Igbo. Odinani can be found in Haitian [[Haitian Vodou|Voodoo]], [[Obeah]], [[Santeria]] and even [[Candomblé]]. Odinani is a [[pantheistic]] and [[polytheistic]] faith, having a strong [[Deity|central deity]] at its head.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Nwauwa|first1=Apollos O.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hpu4DwAAQBAJ&dq=monotheist&pg=PA182|title=Culture, Precepts, and Social Change in Southeastern Nigeria: Understanding the Igbo|last2=Anyanwu|first2=Ogechi E.|date=2019-10-24|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-1-4985-8969-7|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Mbaegbu, Chukwuemeka 2015">Mbaegbu, Chukwuemeka (4 March 2015). "A Philosophical Investigation of the Nature of God in Igbo Ontology". ''Department of Philosophy, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria''.</ref> All things spring from this deity. Although a [[Pantheon (religion)|pantheon]] of other gods and spirits, these being [[Ala (odinala)|Ala]], [[Amadioha|Amadiọha]], [[Anyanwu|Anyanwụ]], [[Ekwensu]], [[Ikenga]], exists in the belief system, as it does in many other [[Traditional African religions]], the lesser deities prevalent in Odinani serve as helpers or elements of [[Chukwu]], the central deity.<ref name="kwenu-odinani2">M. O. Ené [http://www.kwenu.com/odinani/odinani.htm "The fundamentals of Odinani"], ''KWENU: Our Culture, Our Future'', April 03, 2010.</ref>

Lesser spirits known as ''ágbàrà'' or ''árúsí'' operate below the other gods and higher spirits. These lesser spirits represent natural forces; agbara as a divine force manifests as separate arụsị in the Igbo pantheon. A concept of 'the eye of sun or God' (''[[Anyanwu]]'', {{Langx|ig|ányá ánwụ́|links=no}}) exists as a masculine and feminine solar deity which forms a part of the solar veneration among the [[Nri-Igbo]] in northern Igboland. Arụsị are mediated by ''Dibia'' and other priests who do not contact the high god directly. Through ''áfà'', 'divination', the laws and demands of the arụsị are communicated to the living. Arụsị are venerated in community shrines around roadsides and forests while smaller shrines are located in the household for [[ancestor veneration]]. Deceased ancestors live in the spirit world where they can be contacted. Below the arụsị are minor and more general spirits known as ''mmúọ'' loosely defined by their perceived malevolent or benign natures. These minor spirits are not venerated and are sometimes considered the lost souls of the dead. Ancestor worship and the worship of various gods and spirits, form the main component of the traditional Igbo religion, standing in contrast with [[Abrahamic religions]].<ref>M. O. Ené "The fundamentals of Odinani", ''KWENU: Our Culture, Our Future'', April 03, 2010.</ref>

The number of people practicing Igbo religion decreased drastically in the 20th century with the influx of [[Christianity|Christian]] [[Missionary|missionaries]] under the auspices of the [[Colonial Nigeria|British colonial government in Nigeria]]. In some cases, Igbo traditional religion practice known as ọdịnala was syncretised with Christianity, but in many cases indigenous rites were demonised by Christian missionaries who pointed out the practice of [[human sacrifice]] (via the [[Osu caste system]]) and some other cultural practices that were illegal under the colonial government. Earlier missionaries referred to many indigenous religious practices as ''juju''. Igbo religion is most present today in harvest ceremonies such as [[New Yam Festival of the Igbo|new yam festival]] (''ị́wá jí'') and masquerading traditions such as mmanwụ and [[Egbo|Ekpe]].

Remnants of Igbo religious rites spread among African descendants in the Caribbean and North America in era of the [[Igbo people in the Atlantic slave trade|Atlantic slave trade]]. Igbo ''ọ́bị̀à'' was transferred to the [[British West Indies]] and [[Guyana]] as [[obeah]] and aspects of Igbo masquerading traditions can be found among the festivals of the [[Garifuna people]] and [[jonkonnu]] in the West Indies and [[North Carolina]].<ref>{{cite dictionary|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obeah |title=Obeah |dictionary=[[Merriam-Webster|Merriam Webster]] |access-date=2010-06-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Murder at Montpelier: Igbo Africans in Virginia |first=Douglas B. |last=Chambers |publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi |year=2009 |pages=14, 36 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vqpoxEl_0_4C&pg=PA36 |isbn=978-1-60473-246-7}}</ref><ref name="rucker">{{cite book|title=The river flows on: Black resistance, culture, and identity formation in early America |first=Walter C. |last=Rucker |publisher=LSU Press |page=40 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c2XlG4rRK4QC&pg=PA40 |year=2006 |isbn=0-8071-3109-1}}</ref><ref name="eltis">{{cite book|title=Routes to slavery: direction, ethnicity, and mortality in the transatlantic slave trade |first1=David |last1=Eltis |first2=David |last2=Richardson |publisher=Routledge |year=1997 |page=74 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kuXEzQZQmawC&pg=PA74 |isbn=0-7146-4820-5}}</ref>