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The Mythology of
Igbo names
By
Uche Nworah I am now used to getting quaint reactions from people, whenever I tell
them my name, it does not matter if they are Igbo or not, their
typical reaction is usually some kind of contorted facial
exclamation, indicating surprise that even a man will bear the
name, Uche. Their surprise may be as a result of their previous
encounters with females who also bear the name. The issue for me
has now become more interesting, especially with my partner’s
name also being Uche, such that people (non-Igbo, mostly) do
think we are joking when we both announce our names and
introduce ourselves to them.
My interest and curiosity in the name (Uche) led me to probe deeper and,
in the process, I discovered other variations. There is Uchenna,
Uchechukwu, and Uchechi -- which a man or woman can bear.
Igbo
names like most other names (non-Igbo) have symbolic meanings.
These different versions of Uche all mean the wishes or heart of
God. As some people may think, Uchenna does not mean the
wishes or heart of the father of the child; Nna, in this
sense, means God Almighty. If it meant "the father of the
child," then feminists would argue and demand for the
naming of children "Uchenne" (the wishes of the
mother). While there is no reason not to, I am yet to encounter
or hear of anybody bearing the name "Uchenne," a task
for modernists and feminists then, you may say.
My
little investigation also indicates that in Igboland, certain
names appear to be reserved only for males or females, while
some others can be given to both a male or female child.
Considering the chauvinistic nature of the Igbo society in
pre-colonial times, at a time that manhood was usually
associated with the detest for feminine characteristics in a
man, such detestation I presume may also have been directed at
men bearing women’s name (assumed female only names).
To
understand the strength and magnitude of such detestation,
recall Okonkwo’s character in Chinua Achebe’s
Things Fall Apart, how
Okonkwo drew his machete and cut off the head of
Ikemefuna, a boy that calls him father. This was despite the
warnings of the oracle. Okonkwo chose to disobey the gods
and risk a life of exile, rather than be called a weakling like
Unoka, his father.
So
it may be quite interesting to know how such males who shared
similar names with females fared at the time. Although the Igbo
society is still predominantly chauvinistic, the correctness of
giving males assumed female names and vice versa may not so much
be a big issue in modern times. This is because any such
demeaning distinctions and name calling will be against the
spirit of current global clamour for equal opportunities between
men and women, and the desire to protect both human and gender
rights, including the freedom and right to be given (by parents)
or called by whichever name one pleases, wishes, or inherits at
birth at naming ceremonies.
In
pre-colonial times, these names were favourites amongst the
fathers and heads of clans: Igwe (sky, heaven, or steel -- as
the case may be), Igwekaala (the sky that is greater than the
earth), Okonkwo (male born on Nkwo, one of the four market days)
Okoro (signifying a male), Okafor (male born on Afo market day),
Okorie or Okoye (male born on Orie or Oye market day) Oye and
Orie are the same market days but are dialectic
variations of the same word for one of the four days in an Igbo
native week.
At the time, Christianity -- which was later
introduced by the European missionaries -- hadn’t yet gained
currency, and so the practice was to eulogize the Maker (Chukwu
or Chi) by praising his works and creations through names.
It
may be, therefore, as a result of the fear that the Igbo have of
their maker or the awesomeness of his creations that informed
their need for an intermediary through which they could reach
out in thanks, praise, and worship of the Maker. They therefore
carved representative wood figures (okpesi, alusi, ogwugwu),
to which they poured libations and also sprinkled animal blood
before consuming the slain animals.
The
Igbo did also name their children after these wooden figures,
deities and gods. In today’s Igbo society, some people
still bear names such as Nwaogwugwu (son of Ogwugwu, Ogwugwu
signifying a god or deity); Nwaalusi (son of Alusi, alusi meaning
shrine a la Alusi Okija), etc.
I
do wonder, however, if present-day events, knowledge, and
religious beliefs (the Igbo are largely and predominantly
Christians) have not put into question the continued usage and
bearing of such names, even with their un-Christian denotations.
On
their part, women at the time bore names such as Agbomma
(epitome of beauty), Adaaku (a daughter born into wealth),
Obiagaeli (she or he who has come to enjoy), Ugboaku (source or
vehicle of wealth), etc. It may seem these names are also
feminine verbs and should rightly be borne only by females. This
is true to some extent especially as regards the other names I
mentioned, with the exception of Obiagaeli.
In
the Igbo language, o bia ga-eli could mean
"he or she who has come to enjoy"; but, surprisingly
the name appears to be exclusive to females, and so are the
other later-day favourites amongst women; such names as
Ifeoma (good omen), Chinyere (God’s gift), Ngozi (blessing)
and Amarachukwu (God’s grace). With these latter names, there
are still lots of controversies over who should or who should
not bear them. Current preference and practice are for women to
bear them although there are few males who bear the names; but,
rightly, there is no reason why males should not bear such
names.
There
seems therefore to be lots of unresolved discrepancies and
controversies surrounding Igbo names. These issues border
heavily on gender rights, masculinity, and femininity. At the
moment, there is no serious or concerted effort at a resolution
by Igbo scholars. This, I think, is sad as the apparent
confusion on the rightness or wrongness in a child’s name
could be carried into the next generation.
posted 15 January 2005 /
uchenworah@yahoo.com
Uche Nworah is freelance writer, lecturer and brand
strategist. He studied communications arts at the
University of Uyo, Nigeria and graduated with a second
class honours degree (upper division). He also holds an
M.Sc degree in marketing from the University of Nigeria,
Enugu campus and obtained his PGCE (post-graduate
certificate in education) from the University of
Greenwich where he is currently enrolled as a doctoral
candidate. His articles have been published by several
websites and leading Nigerian newspapers. He received
the ChickenBones Journalist of the Year award in 2006.
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Weep Not, Child
By
Ngugi wa Thiong'o
This is
a powerful, moving story that details the
effects of the infamous Mau Mau war, the
African nationalist revolt against colonial
oppression in Kenya, on the lives of
ordinary men and women, and on one family in
particular. Two brothers, Njoroge and Kamau,
stand on a rubbish heap and look into their
futures. Njoroge is excited; his family has
decided that he will attend school, while
Kamau will train to be a carpenter. Together
they will serve their country—the
teacher and the craftsman. But this is Kenya
and the times are against them. In the
forests, the Mau Mau is waging war against
the white government, and the two brothers
and their family need to decide where their
loyalties lie. For the practical Kamau the
choice is simple, but for Njoroge the
scholar, the dream of progress through
learning is a hard one to give up.—Penguin
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Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in
America
By Melissa V.
Harris-Perry
According to the
author, this society has historically exerted
considerable pressure on black females to fit into one
of a handful of stereotypes, primarily, the Mammy, the
Matriarch or the Jezebel. The selfless
Mammy’s behavior is marked by a slavish devotion to
white folks’ domestic concerns, often at the expense of
those of her own family’s needs. By contrast, the
relatively-hedonistic Jezebel is a sexually-insatiable
temptress. And the Matriarch is generally thought of as
an emasculating figure who denigrates black men, ala the
characters Sapphire and Aunt Esther on the television
shows Amos and Andy and Sanford and Son, respectively.
Professor Perry
points out how the propagation of these harmful myths
have served the mainstream culture well. For instance,
the Mammy suggests that it is almost second nature for
black females to feel a maternal instinct towards
Caucasian babies.
As for the source
of the Jezebel, black women had no control over their
own bodies during slavery given that they were being
auctioned off and bred to maximize profits. Nonetheless,
it was in the interest of plantation owners to propagate
the lie that sisters were sluts inclined to mate
indiscriminately.
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The White Masters of the
World
From
The World and Africa, 1965
By W. E. B. Du Bois
W. E. B. Du Bois’
Arraignment and Indictment of White Civilization
(Fletcher)
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Ancient African Nations
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If you like this page consider making a donation
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Negro Digest /
Black World
Browse all issues
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____ 2005
Enjoy!
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The Death of Emmett Till by Bob Dylan
/
The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
/
Only a Pawn in Their Game
Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson Thanks America for
Slavery /
George Jackson /
Hurricane Carter
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The Journal of Negro History issues at Project Gutenberg
The
Haitian Declaration of Independence 1804
/
January 1, 1804 -- The Founding of
Haiti
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updated 3 November 2007
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