Igbo Stories From Abiriba: Igbo Stories From Abiriba

By Flora Onuyalu

Story-time in Igbo society is a relaxing, fun-filled time for families to connect and enjoy each other's company. At the same time, it provides the means for elders to pass along values and life lessons in an unstructured, non formal environment. The primary characters of stories may be people, animals, birds or any object the purpose of most st

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palmetto Publishing Group
• Release date: May 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781641116886

Book preview

Introduction

S

tory time, ilu, ilu is a fun time for all members of the family or household. Storytelling is neither work nor play but is participatory in nature including listening, sharing, learning and having fun. It is a time of relaxation, togetherness, sharing, exploration and learning for all members of the family (babies, infants, children, young adults, parents, and grandparents). All are invited to participate even though babies, infants and young children may fall asleep during story telling they are still an important part of the group. Stories are an important part of family life and provide an opportunity to transmit cultural values. For Achebe, C. (1988) stories saves our progeny from blundering like blind beggars into the spikes of the cactus fence. The story is our escort; without it, we are blind. Through cultural values the child grows to understand what it is to be a person in the particular society and learns the consequences of greed, envy, forces of good and evil, and ways to show strength and acknowledge weakness. However, not all stories teach moral lessons; some simply entertain.

Stories are usually told after the day’s activities and after meal or prior to bedtime. Stories may also be shared by a smaller group of persons as parents and elders cook and complete their work before joining the group. Young children also tell stories any time as they play and imitate adult behavior in the family.

Everyone in the group is encouraged to share stories without pressure. An effort is made to include everyone and allot a fair amount of time to each storyteller. Storytelling follows a defined structure. A person who wants to tell a story gains attention of the group by saying: Oti and the group responds with Oyo. This opening format is used to (1) inform that a story teller is ready, (2) call attention of the group members, and (3) indicate members readiness to listen and participate. The story teller may repeat this several times until he or she is satisfied that everyone is attentive. As the story is narrated, all members are expected to be fully engaged and join in the response portion of the story as indicated. At the end of the story, the group members discuss the story’s significance and lessons embedded in it. Any member can provide their unique understanding and insight. Any major errors on a member’s understanding may be addressed by elders present and they may also use this time to dissipate fears, anxieties, correct misconceptions, and reinforce cultural values.

Stories provide a relaxed environment in which to address life events, such as, relationships, responsibilties, appropriate and inappropriate ways of handling problems and their consequences, successes and failures, wars, and birth and death. This sharing across different age groups allow for a gradual awareness of life events in a secure and non threatening environment.

Most stories are told in neutral terms. For example, the use of the term the child allows for male and female children to be engaged in the story without bias. This approach allow boys and girls to relate/identify with the main character in the story. It also allows the story teller some flexibility in story telling based on the composition of the group while maintaining the foundamental elements and lessons essential to the story. In other words, the use of he or she is sparsely used in most stories.

In stories, all things are possible with the visible and invisible worlds in constant interaction. As such, in the Ibo culture, as in most African cultures, ones ancestors are seen as an extension of the living and their spirits continue to support and advocate for the welfare of family members. In effect, the ancestors share a common role with living elders: they care for living family members.

I am motivated to document the stories from my childhood to continue this tradition not only with my children and grandchildren and but with all children. I also hope that parents and adults will enjoy the stories and share them with their own children, grandchildren and children under their care. I believe that persons interested in human behavior, human growth and development, caregiving, and childrearing will find that these stories reveal many common human experiences. I encourgage story tellers to read the story in advance and with time and practice, maintain the oral tradition of story telling as well.

The stories in this volume were collected during story time in homes at Abiriba, Abia State, Nigeria. They were transcribed in Igbo and to English; and from English to Igbo. I have made every effort to retain the story as told by the story teller (6 to 85 years of age). Some aspects of the story may not be farmiliar to some, but that is the whole idea-to encourage new interest in an old tradition. I hope that you and your family enjoy the stories as much as I did.

Achebe, C. (1988). Anthills of the Savannah,

New York: Anchor Books, Doubleday, p.114.

Three Children

Leader: Oti

Response: Oyo

Leader: Oti

Response: Oyo

Leader: Oti

Response: Oyo

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nce upon a time, there was a family with three children. The eldest child had a very big head. The middle child had a very big stomach and the youngest had very skinny legs. One day, the children decided to go to the farm and harvest coconut. They did not tell anyone that they were going to the farm. They walked a very long way and arrived at the farm, only to discover that none of them felt like climbing up the tree to harvest the coconut because they were very tired.

The eldest child with the big head said to the middle child with the big stomach to Climb up the coconut tree and cut down some coconut. The middle child replied, I am not able to climb up the coconut tree because of my big stomach. The eldest child with the big head then asked the youngesst child with skinny legs to climb up and harvest the coconut. The youngest child replied, I am not able to climb the tree because my legs are too skinny. The middle child with the big stomach and the youngest child with the skinny legs then asked their eldest brother with the big head to climb up the tree and harvest the coconut. Without a big stomach and skinny legs to hold him back, the eldest child climbed up the tree.

When he reached the top of the tree, he struck the tree with his knife a few times kpo, kpo, kpo and one coconut fell. He continued cutting down the coconut for some time and then he asked the other siblings, who were standing idly at the base of the