By the derogatory and ignorant way the missionaries talk of the Igbo deities, they evoke resentment as well as amusement. So the Mbanta elders do “not really want them in their clan” (p. 148), but remain polite in offering them a piece of land in the evil forest.

Traditional Igbo religion includes belief in a creator god (Chukwu or Chineke), an earth goddess (Ala), and numerous other deities and spirits as well as a belief in ancestors who protect their living descendants.

Agbala, the Oracle the prophet of the Igbo. Achebe bases the Agbala Oracle (the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves) on the Awka Oracle that was destroyed by the British. Chielo was the priestess who spoke to Unoka on behalf of the god Agbala.

The three sources of authority in Igbo society is associated with Igbo cosmology; The Sky (Elu-Igwe); Human World; and the World of Spirits. Each dimension has authorities that the Igbo give their submission.

The Igbo people today are known as the ethnic group that has adopted Christianity the most in all of Africa. The Igbo people were unaffected by the Islamic jihad waged in Nigeria in the 19th century, but a small minority converted to Islam in the 20th century.

The egwugwu are masked dancers that represent the nine ancestral spirits of Umuofia. These masked ancestral spirits are enigmatic in nature and comprise of nine revered village elders, who ceremonially gather to administer justice.

The village holds a ceremonial gathering to administer justice. The clan’s ancestral spirits, which are known as egwugwu, emerge from a secret house into which no woman is allowed to step. The egwugwu take the form of masked men, and everyone suspects that Okonkwo is among them.

The egwugwu are seen as ancestral gods, though in actuality they are masked Umuofia elders. The egwugwu serve as respected judges in the community, listening to complaints and prescribing punishments and deciding conflicts.

Ikemefuna

In Things Fall Apart, Ikemefuna symbolizes the innocent victims who are unjustly treated by traditional Igbo society before it falls apart. This demonstrates that, while the Igbo culture is rich and complex, it is also brutal and arbitrary.

The Struggle Between Change and Tradition As a story about a culture on the verge of change, Things Fall Apart deals with how the prospect and reality of change affect various characters. The tension about whether change should be privileged over tradition often involves questions of personal status.

1. What did Okonkwo do whenever he thought of his father’s weakness and failure? He thought of his own strength and success.

the motherland

Mr. Kiaga (Kee-ah-gah) The native interpreter for the missionaries. He is a teacher and a leader of the new church in Mbanta. The Reverend James Smith A strict, stereotypical white Christian missionary, he takes over the church after Mr.