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I decided to remain silent until I read Fr. Fr Kelvin Ugwu ‘s post this morning on the matter, where he tried to downplay the culture of burying our relatives with cows by narrating a story about following his mother to the farm.
Fr., I would like to remind you that behind every culture, law, or taboo, there is a history; an event, good or bad, that needs either to be encouraged or checkmated.
Cultures are not developed arbitrarily or without reason. To truly understand any culture, one must first understand the history and message behind it. Let us look at two examples.
Do you know that in Igboland it was (and in some places still is) forbidden to pound food or cook at night? I never saw my grandmother cook at night.
It was said that doing so would attract the wrath of the spirits. Thus, evening meals were always prepared before darkness fell and eaten on time.
The truth, however, is that there were no spirits going about to see who cooked late or early.
This tradition was established by our forefathers to discourage late-night meals, which they believed were unhealthy.
It also created an opportunity for families to gather for evening folktales (akụkọ ifo), egwu onwa, and other social activities.
The second example: In Igboland, children were (and still are in some areas) forbidden to sit on the stones used for cracking palm kernels (nkume aki). The belief was that a child who did so would become a dwarf.
In those days, there was no toilet paper. Adults always found a way to clean themselves after relieving themselves in the bush, but children often didn’t bother.
After doing their business, they would run off nāked, and it was normal for children to go about unclothed.
Since palm kernels were eaten, sitting on the stones used for cracking them with an unclean bottom was unhygienic and could spread disease.
To discourage children from doing so, they were told that anyone who sat on nkume aki would become a dwarf, a frightening prospect for a child.
Behind every culture that may appear illogical today, there is wisdom and a reason.
The kilĺïng of cows, as you mentioned, is not just about providing meat. It is a sign of honour, a grand send-off for the dead, and it reinforces the people’s belief in the afterlife.
Belief in the afterlife encouraged the living to live noble lives so that they might be accepted in the land of the spirits after děath.
Such beliefs, though they may seem illogical today, contributed immensely to building an orderly, safe, and progressive society.
Furthermore, the sharing of cows during burials helped strengthen brotherhood and kinship. It helped people identify their age groups, agemates, elders, and relatives.
These and other cultural practices are what made us who we are as Ndi Igbo. Without them, we might have been swallowed by other cultures and ceased to exist.
Of course, anyone may choose to distance themselves from certain cultural practices for personal reasons, but such decisions should be made privately.
Every culture, belief, religion, and spirituality that causes no harm deserves respect.
The truth remains that culture evolves with time. That is why we must prune it, not uproot it.
Thank you, my brother. May the Lord who saved you from the seraphic mīssiles also save you from the “ndi omenala” arrows.
Fr. Angelo Chidi Unegbu
